Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-04
Destruction Of Valuable Property
OVER $4,000 LOST.
INTERESTING SCENES AND DETAILS
Gallant Service Of the Fire and Polio,
Departments.

Gallant Service Of the Fire and Police
Departments.
A fow moments aftor o'clock this morning an
alarm Of Ere was sounded from box 81, corner Of
Twenty. Slxth and o streets, and the few persons
on the streets At that early hour were surprised
10 see the western heavens quickly Illuminated
By rnsh Of hory flames, while dense black
smoke formed q background for the Hurled pic.
ture.
The engines were soon on the way 10 the boz
which struck, and within ten minutes after tho
hrst alarm had boon turned in had arrived on
Chief Engineer Uronln, who seeing evidences Of
an oKtentve oonhaEntlon, at once turned IN .
general alarm. South Washington engine, No,
4, At once turned out and proceeded 70 the IRE
| COLUMBIA, No. q, not being in seryIce,) which
| proved 10 be the old stone mill, between he
canal and the river 'front.', on what Is known as
d.s!reet wharf, directly west Of the city gas
Great fears were expressed by the nremen
and oiuIeng en- route for The scene that the hTe
the mistake was discovered, Slt6Oush the works,
as we'll as the gasometer, were for time In
imminent danger.
Arriving, the engines At once got Into service,
and our gallant hremsn were soon busily al
work endoAVoring to stay the progress Of the
| Iuo nEN HTVNbN 70 w hnt NNAauhlNN WOIhh IoT
treating wood for pavements, Just put into oper.
alton in the old stone. house by Dr. filbert, Mr..
Taylor and Mr.. Russell, who bad erected within
| the building immense boilers fer the work,
while some tour hundred yards from the main
/ building was sau.mill used for cutting the
/ timber Into blocks - soon as treated. Between
SIiS SS TSos Ss Nin been Ps
ready for the saw. BY the side OF the lumber
| were several hundred barrels Of pitch and tar
| g,tbIn Ina iona housS yvas slored abo,l ooo
barrels Of oil and ereosote, which, lgnitinE
shortly amer the lIe began, caused hot and
pitch caught in Few moments and soon amer
the saWmlll was enVeloped In names, causing q
terrific blaze and an exceedingly hot nre,
an. nnT,ua ,hs e n nse%e S, TeIo directed 10
toned, besides keeping full head OF water on
the gasometor TO keep It lrom OverheatinE and
combustion. For hours they battled the flames,
but up 70 tf2o O'Clock their exertions met with
but little success, as the wood burned very
freely.
| It 10 estimated that the loss will 10 about
5000 TO the gentlemen owning the works and
the lumber. They arc we'll known here a. among
the most entsZfislnS co9trsct3ss q Mooder
and as tho wood they were preparing was fol
the pavement on Sixteenth and other streets II
10 feared that quhe a delay will DO oocasioned
contract TO DR.. Filbert and Mr.. Jonathan Tay.
loE, who have the sympAthlos Of all our citizens
ORIGIN or THE FIRE
From what could be gathered by our reporter
II appears that a gang Of Workmen, In charge Of
q Mr.. Taylor, were at work heating tank o.
oil Mr.. Cook, the engineer, was also present
the tank OF heated oil, which quickly burst oul
into blaze that could not DO smOthered deppit,
tho efforts OF the workmsn, one Of whom, Pat
rick MCShane was severely but not danger
THE OLD STONE MILL.
who that has ever visited this section Of Tho
CITY jog sI not TSp' SnSIn ne SGTs9S Pic jSs1
stone mill : The date Of itg erection Is matter
entirely beyond the recollection Of the oldest
e thS. Ss. &, OSs
BY some Of the wealthy planters H Tobacco
the possession Of Mr. Thomas Davidson, tn
wellknOwn merchant, who used II a. . store
house then Morgan Il Rhlnehagd got possession
and sonvsrssd y Into Z bons tnlli sd Then bscl
the firm dissolved II became the property 0
Thomas Morgan, aud alter using II Tor Variou
purposes he rented II 70 the nrm Of Filbert, Rus
sci 1 Taylor, who used u In connection with thei
mill, the two large boilers being located In
portion Of tho building.
As soon az the alarm had been turned In the
police on duty In the immedlAte Vicinity 70.
soon reinforced by sergeant RpsAs and Ii,
charge Of the ET6unds, bad lie rope o StTstchsd
and they were soon EsSlSuSiy aiding he 6romer
IN their herculean efforts, the especial duty as
signed them being % keep careful watch owe
the sheds, Ia order 70 prevent their i' isSitinI
from the Thousands Of sparks which were con
SANITY falling upon them. This duty, II
needless 70 say, they performed brAVely an
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The dePaItmeBt reiponded promptly, Ant
ssS M H,5 SS0 %ddsdS %
town. were stationed At the plug on q street
Immediately AdJaosnt 70 tho Eas-WoFks, No. I
SWSIslSsSn soS "a me PHS q LSsG
service, oo1sidofihg the distance IRON yhic
they forced the Watsr No. ? lFrAnklin
went direct TO the wharf and drew waite
I plug TO be sure OF a constant supply Of water
AftsT the engine had gained full headway
steam, they made a second attachment and IN
, short while had two streams playing on the hre
, Although the Henry Addison had The shortel
, run, No lUnionl was the nrst 10 get 70 uor
and throw the nrst stream on tho nro, while IN
Hook. and ladder was early on the scene. Sti
there was no particular need Of the truck, b.
the men turned 70 and lent q Rilllng hand
asslst the other branch Of the department Z
. The entire force worked steadily and ardontl!
and are deserving Of great praise for the mai
ner In which they lAborod and for their strenu
Gus efforts In preventing the communication o
Q the flames 70 the gas.WoTka or the numeTou
mOos es that Woas ~ oloso pIYISSiuy 70 ~
hIe AZ one ume " nppeAIo1 g evoryihln
within reach o. the derourinE nAmes must 81
; eumo 70 their suength and " Mas only ~ y
: superhnman Efforts o. lheuepartment thAt u
! conhAErAu0n was not noro extensive
!, Tho Ore was an exceodingIy luminous on
!. being Ylslole.IIom nearly every paIt o. the elt
: 30 Intense were me names ~ one time mat N,
even hIuinstoa VaI 9lnees sthtsSn sluSs "
9 tanI Lhs Sheeelingiy oomousuoio hs ,
endtne N0olNoIh OF tne DullnlnH SIy ~ W
I ger Al o9moinel 20 mAke n I'm that Isape
hlgh IN AR, hno even hnone tne uenbo mass