Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-19
THE BURNING OF CENTER MARKET.
TIVE Men Perish I'm tho Flames.
Over 100000 worth OF Property
DESTROYED.

The Origin of TIE FGre-Rapid Spread of the
Ftdm.s-List Of Losses BY Deoiers-k>asares
for Tieir Rslief-The Coroaer HnqEest-Sceaes
and Incidents at the Fire.
About q quarter before one O'Clock on Sunday
morning a fire broke out near the west
end of the Center Market House, and spread
with such rapidity that within two hours after
wards the entire original structure, with the
stalls. sheds, scale house, cooks shop, and mar
ket masters Office, was mass Of ruins, entail
ing large lots ION all the dealers in the main
line of buildings from 9TH to 9th streets. Those
who occupied the sheds recently erected on the
few in the sheds on the corner of 9th and Ca
nal streets-two points where the fire did not
reach-were the only ones who escaped damage.
THB ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Quite a number of persons appear to have dis
covered the hre about the same time, but so
conflicting are their statements in regard to IL
stating that it first broke out in half a dozen
places at the same moment, and Others claim.
ing that it spread from one point about the
middle OF the old butchers market, between Sth
and 9th streets. The latter statement, on
weighing all the evidence, seems to be the most
probable. The market men had alt left the
building before II O'Clock, and the two watch
turned of the gas, with the exception of some
half q dozen gas jets, which are always kept
burning through the night; and at that hour
u
MIR. Young states that about fifteen minutes
after II O'Clock, Bressnahan (who keeps a fruit
stand on the outside OF the market, at the cor
ner OF It'll street and the avenue and who oc-
cupied one of the little recesses about midway
Of the butchers market, between Sth and 9th
streets, In the wall at the middle entrance, a. q
s.oreroom Tor his chestnuts, peanuts. fruit,
Sc.,) was the last person seen to leave the mar
kethouse; that he Young saw the flames shoot
up from this little room and communicate
with the roof Of the market-house some fifteen
m ot for Rras o6av, la,t tl.>
that Reed and himself (Young) arrived at the
doors OF this place at the same moment and at
tempted to burstit open. but by that time the
ROOF Was all In flames, and finding that the fire
had got beyond their control they next tried to
save all they could from the stands. Mr.. Reed
is equally certain the fire started at this point.
MIR. Bressnahan states that he commenced to
pack up at his stand as soon as the crowd from
the theatere had passed down the Avenue; and
after emptying the fire and ashes from his hand
furnace LOT roasting chestnuts, he placed it in
an empty flour barrel, and wheeled it, with the
rest OF his stand furniture, to the room above
described and after lighting q coal oil lamp at
one OF the gas burners in the market-house, he
proceed to pack away the rest OF the things, and
after doing so, ard seeing all was secure, ex-
tiDguiehed the lamp about a quarter after II
O'Clock, and left for his home on Capitol Hill
After passing the Capitol he saw the fire aud
heard the alarm-this was about fifteen minutes
before one O'Clock. and the time agrees with
Mr.. f0ung's statement.
Ii is possible that Bressnahau may not have
extipguisbed the lamp, or he NAV have left tire
In his furnace, which communi Gated with some
thing combustible, and after it reached the roof,
which was as dry as finder, spread in every di-
rection.
This morning, Mr.. Thomas Young, the private
watchmaD, mate statement before Major
Richards, Superintendent. of Police, as to his
knowledge OF the origin of the fire which is sub
stantally the same as that stated by him last
evening and given above.
RAPID SPREAD OF TRR PLANES.
MIR. Young further states that the fire ran
along the roof about as fast a man an walk
ard when it reached the tar and felt roof of the
new sheds, supported by tall wooden posts, the
the same time it spread down 9th street and
communicated with the ccok-shops, which
burned like powder, and 90 on do.a 70 Jones
and Lees feed stands, aud il was at this point
that two men, Solomon Hammond aud ReuLau
A. Boyd, were burned to death in attempting to
s-ve some bales OF hay from tho flames.
GENERAL ALARM
was sounded, and the entire Fire Department
we're quickly on the spot, but very little property
was saved. As soon as the fire was seen special
Omcer Thomas Young ran to the Central guard
house to cause an alarm to be turned in from
box %. The telegraph was out OF order, and no
communication could be had with headguarters,
Ofhcers ran out to strike the next nea.est box
but some Of their confreres were before them,
and, as stated at headquarters. box 81 Bank of
Washington and - 9th and streets) were
rang In simultaneously, % being obtained nv the
instrument FIRST. Franklin No. =, Union No. 1,
and Columbia No. got to work on the western
side OF the building, while South WASHINGTON
no. was stationed by Chief Holmes to work on
Ith street side to protect the property on the
east side of that street, as we'll as to fight the
flames which rapidly approached from the west.
Inc steamer Henry ddsOn, from Georgetown,
was on the ground and did good service
heavy streams OF water were soon distributed
upon the burning mass, but without avail
Inc immense area covered by the flames was too
great LOT the department. to cover, and notwth-
standing their exertoDs ii was impossible TO stay
the progress of the conflagration.
THE POLICE
in
and several ar ests were made OF par ons bre- K
lng into the stands and rfing money drawers
&c. some few dealers succeeded in getting off
some OF their property, but the fire running
through so last drove them from their pCsss'
and many
HAIRBRRADrH ESCAPES
were made ar'ong the falling timbers NJ.
1rueweather and his wife. whoEkept an ,ting
aCuse in the old guardhoUse, barely escaped
VI n their lives, having to leave without dress
lpg after being awakened.
The fremen worked manfully a, also the
police, several OF them making very narrow es-
capes. Foreman Hurdle, of No. 2, had the back
S pm ms coat burned and so excessive was the
neat AT Ith street that the paint on the wheels of
NO. engine was blistered, and it was with din
Guilty the apparatus was removed to a safe dis
lance from the burning building.
Quite a commendabie act was performed by
Lieutenant John +. Kelly, with Sergeant John
son, Oficers Daily and Arnold and others In
me store OF Messrs Bacon s Co, at the corner
Of 18th street, 1t was known there was a quantity
OF powder, and the heat becoming so excessive
it was thought best by him to remove It, Lieut..
Kelly forced an entrance into the store. and
seizing the powder cans removed them to a
place Of safety.
THE LOSSES IN PROVISIONS
alone, as far as We are able to learn. are as
follows Anderson & Co., So 900; Andrews q
Drury, 81 400; g. r. f. Rich ardson, 81 500;
John Miller, 81 900; Joseph Narden, 81 OOO
= TruewOrthy, SO 600; K. r. King, $500: L.
Emmert, $500; George Emmert, 81 ,OOO r.
Eichorn, 81 900; = Lancaster, 81, 200 Charles
Sbrodes, 81 ,20c Fred. Stinzing. 81 200; T. Mel.
horn, $1,000; III. Whalen, $500; +. M. & A. j.
Bradley, 500; John Phuger, 5000; GeorSe
Pduger, $500; Holmes g. Bro $4,000: AIfred
Jones, %, 900; VIM. Lee, 81 500; Richard Thomn-
on $500 Wm. Crowley, $500; s. Donaldson,
Brown. 5000; w.bix, si5o; George Hall, sI5o;
george Schiosser. $500; Mr.. Johnson, S3o0; T..
r. Levi. $3.50; Mrs. Atherton, $500 John Davis
$500; John Hill, 500; - Baldwin. 500: n
Gardner & Bro, 500; John H. Coliits, $500:
= Hewitt, $500; - Dewitt, $500; A. Homii,
Ter. $500; John Whitmore, 800; A Reed. 5000:
J. McElfresh, 800; Adams g. Bro, 81 900: MT
GaeeeDheiner, $500; N. Coleman & son, 800:
f Ham mersley, $500; MT. Luce, SIo0: Jobn
Scott, $50; Caroline Duet, $50; joseph Fish
$50; John Bsyliss, $500; Levi KidVeii. am
Aug. Fontains, 81 500; X. A. Gardner. Six: "
L. Gardner. SIS. Eschbach bacon dealer. vho
had full stock on hand. 81 500 TO ~ an
Eaglestons eating house over $1,000: Hns
johnson eating house, $500.
, Ineee arc only aproximated, some NAV he