The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-07
Great Destruction of Property.
TEE CAUSE.
THE PROGRESS, AND THE Loss.
STILL BURNING AT ! A. M.

At about duarter-past o'clock last night
private watchman Meredith, whose beat
lies on Fifteenth street between Main and
Cary, observed n man issuing from the al
lev in rear of Wells & Co.'S planning
mill. lie was running Mt full speed. The
watchman drew bis pistol and fred, think
ing he had frightened a burglar; and at
tempting to fire the second time, the cap
snapped, and the fellow made his escape.
The watchman went on, and noticed no.
thing unusual until presently there was n
burst Of flame from the saw-table of the
planing-mill. He then gave the alarm Of
fire, and the bells took itup; but strangely
enough, rang three strokes, indicating the
Third Ward as the whereabouts Of the fire,
whereas it was in the First.
This mistake caused confusion among
the firemen, and the consequence was that
before the engines were on the ground and
at play the fire had made considerable head
way, playing havoc with the planning mill, !,
and lcaping over thence to the lumbcr-yard
of Johnson Harwood s. Estes. A strong
wind fed the flames, and soon the whole
yard, with its immense piles Of lumber,
despite the efforts of police, frcmen, and
citizens, was soon wrapped in fire. Scath-
ing kitchen in rear of Lyme 4 Bro
thcrs', and skirting the walls of the
buildings on Fifteenth street, it next at
tackled the office of Johnson, IIarwood &
Estes, and in few minutes this was de-
stroyed. Thence it flew to Boyle & Gam
blc's Saw Works, and almost simultanc-
oualy Gersdorf'S file factory caught. These
we're not long burning before the buildings
occupied by Cardwcll & Co. Us agricul-
tural implement warehouses caught in rear
and on the roof; but Notwithstanding the
imminent peril attending the work, much
of their stock was carried out into the mid
die of the street.
The establishment of Massie & IIarvie,
grocers and liquor merchants, was next
threatened, and it, with the adjoining house,
occupied by Board & Hirsh and Charles
Howard, groccrs and commission merchants,
were, half an hour later, on fire, but not
until the doors were broken open and much
of their stock brought out, though considcra
bly, damaged.
At half-past II o'clock the whole OF
Braucr's Block was on fire, and as the
wind drove the flames towards the large
building on the corner of Cary street di-
rcctly opposite. occupied by \. Y. Stokes x
Co., the efforts of the tircmen were czertcd
in that direction With considerable appear
ancc of success. It seemed almost mira
Gle. however, that this building was not en-
tircly consumed before midnight.
At II o'clock the fire yielded slightly t.
steady stream, and ranged along Fifteenth
street, taking in its course one after an
other the Office of the Virginia Bone Mile
(Downev & Andcrson, an unOccupico
building owned by John Endcrs, Jr., anC
the pottery of David Parr & Son. a por
ton of the stock was removed from eacl
of these buildings, but in every case there
was much of it damaged, and in sevcra
instances the part removed was burlcc
! beneath the falling walls.
All the time the Fire Department was a
work, but with little noticeable effect. This
was the state of affairs at half-past twelve
o'clock this morning.
At this writing tl2:4O \. N.Y. it is i'm
possible to form even an approximate idei
of the loss but those acquainted with tht
property destroyed put it down ut abou
$3.50 900, round numbers. The insurance
is heavy-about 10000 of it being divi
dcd between the North British Company
Of London, Petersburg Insurance and Sa
Wings Company, and United States Insurance
Company Of Baltimore (r. NJ. Alfriend !
Son, agents.. Few owners of property were
Oh the ground, and some who were seemed
unaccountably reticcnt.
Massie s. Harvie's stock was insured fOI
s., 600 in the Virginia Fire and Marine In
surance Company, and other portions pt th'
property for 81 800 in. the New llavel
Home (J. II. Montague, agent). There wa
also an insurance of about Sl6,0CO on th'
lumber.
There is good reason to believe that har
the fircmen been promptly on the grOun(
the fire would have been confined to th
planing-mill, but it was foreg0ne thin:
after it reached the lumber-yard. Th
bcll-ringers, however, were more TO blam
than the tiremen. The latter worked nObl,
for hours when they reached the spot.
One O'Clock A. u.-The fire will hardl.
extend beyond the square bounded by Main
Fourteenth, Cary, and Fifteenth streets
| The houses that have been burned wer
Wclls's plainng-mill, Johnson, Harwood
| Estes's office and lumbcr-yard, Cariwcll'
agricultural implement house, Boyle
Candles saw factory, GcrsdOrt S fl
works, Massie & !Harvie's groceries an
liquors), Board s Hirsh (groccries), oiiic
of the Virginia Bone Company, John En-
ders's unoccupied house, and several other
partially.
The firemcn arc still at work, and til
police are out in force.
| NruS rnnM N, NcuESrER -llur MnnchCS