The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-15
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
ELLIS rouEpRY DESTROYED.
LOSS OVER $4,000,
CULPABLE nIsMANAeEMENT OF
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

About 1850 o'clock yesterday afternoon an
alarm Of FIRE was turned In from box 80,
(Franklin engine-house,) caused by the
burning Of the foundry building, at the cor
ner Of Thirteenth street and Ohio avenue,
owned by the late firm Of William N. Ellis
& Bro, and used as tho machine shop
and foundry of Petit, Dhpps & Co. The
FIRE resulted In tho destruction Of the ma
chine shop and contents, with q total loss Of
over $4,000, Ellis & Bro. losing about
$4,000, Petit, Dripps & Co. about 5000,
an inventor named spear about 200, and
Mr.. whipplc, an inventor Of patent gas
machine, between $500 and $1,000,
The origin OF the fire aud the facts In re-
latlon to Il are as follows; In the rear OIL the
/ machine shop, and between 1t and McLean's
lumber yard, was franc building In which
was the engine and boiler that supplied
| the motive power TO the shop. In this build
ing Mr.. whipple had his gas machine, with
which an exhibition was TO be given before
company Of scisotiHc men at two o'clock. A
lot Of shavings were In pile In one corner
ofthe room, used for the purpose OF firing the
engine. Frank Elwood, the engineer, states
floor, and were lgnited by q coal which
dropped from the nre-box; the flames rap
idly spreading TO the pile, very soon COM
inundated to the boiler shed. A heavy
south wind which prevailed at the time
served to fan the are. and the fs~uns benaing
was soon envelopcd 10 flames that quickly ex-
tended to the machine shop, which was .
Trick structure about eighty feet deep and
forty wide. This was allied with machinery
and had valuable patterns stored on the sec
ond floor.
Mr.. Spear, with ono or two workmen,
were 10 the second story, and the building
was so filled with smoke as to render their
escape work Of much difilculty, Mr.. Spear
receiving severe injury on the throat In
jumping to the FIRST floor. He, with the
other men, had been at work on some OF his
inventions. The extent OF the FIRE might
have been much less by the prompt and
proper management Of the fire department,
who, from what we can gather, were ex'
trcmely tardy, and In the case Of one com
pany, apparently culpably dcrelict In duty
Mr.. Elwood states that as soon as he dis.
covered that the flames were too much fol
the employees to extinguish he ran TO the
, Franklin engine-house and Informed then
Of the fire. He helped TO harness the horse
while the fremen busily made ready, don
} ming their hats and coats. They ran out just
as officer Dyson reached the engine-hous,
to turn In the alarm. The Franklin drove
up d street TO Thirteenth, thence to the fire
J plug at the corner Of the burning building
pithin so yards Of TIE fire.
Mr.. McClelland, q son Of the patentee o.
the FIRE plug, had opened 1t and placed 4
ready for the hose connection. For som'
unexplained reason, instead Of coupling ant
: Immediately proceeding 10 work, the eugin
: LEFT the plug, drove to the corner below, a
Twelfth and c streets, and there prepared 70
e work, laying a stretch Of hose to the FIRE, &
/, block and half away In the meantime
= the Union engine had promptly arrived an,
!. took the plug which the Franklin had len
y Officer Abraham Dyson, Of the secon,
J. precinct, states that he was of duty at tn
!, time, and was walking down Pennsylvania
y, avenue. Al the corner Of Thirteenth stree
+, he observed the first smoke, ran to the col
.. ner Of d street, and, convinced that II was
70 fire, ran to the engine-house, arriving !
y time to ind he drirer Of the engine attempt
!. ing to turn In IN alarm. He told him
i. jump on his box and he would turn II In
n which was done. Dyson then went dow
y Twelfth street, arrived at the fire In time I
- sec the Franklin leave the plug, and seein
!, that the flames were gaining headway
y while the engine-men were "foollng," b
& ran back to the engine-house, and sounde
u a general alarm.
" Both Elwood and Dyson agree in the opir
II ion (Which was corroborated by the en-
TT ployces OF the establishments that II Il
e. Franklin had taken water a. the Hrst plui
y the frame building would have been all TIL
- would have burned. The fire department
the city and the steamer Henry Addison,
" Georgetown, were present and worked har
"a but 1t was evident that there was no direc
~ ing head. Some Of the fire commissions
a. were present and did all In their power
~ ~ direct them, but, Of course, they could n
I'll act with the same knowledge as comp
tent and efficient chief engineer. The chi
-, Of the city department proved himself "
~ terday not equal TO the emergency.
,is Messrs. Ellis IL Bro. are insured In abo
~ sl2, 500 In the Franklin and Flremen's col
NJ panies, Of this city and Georgetown, and {
~ Firemen's, Of Baltimore.
II y, After the fire, Mr.. Harry Gorbutt inylt,
s' the members Of the steamer Addison, fro
~ Georgetown, to his restaurant and provld,
70 them with refreshments.
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10 RIVER NEws.-The following are the
=. l. -. H.. f.a Fl.a..