Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-09-21
From the Lynehburg Virginian 18th.


Our city WAS aroused at the early
hour of p o'clock Sunday morning by
an alarm of fire, which proved to be
at the machine shops of the A. NJ. &
.. Il Road, adjoining the Round
House, ut the intersection Of Jefferson
and Eighth streets. The fire depari-
inent was soon upon the ground, bat
despite their best efforts, the building,
together with its contents, was totally
destroyed. At one time the Round
House, the new portion Of Lynch's
Warehouse. and several small tene-
lueuts Oh Jefferson street had caught
fire, but owing TO the eXertiOns Of the
nremen, were rXtinguishcd before any
material damage was done.
The cause OF the fire * 4 matter Of
conjecture whether II WAS accidental
or Of Rn inceHdiaTy character Is not
certainly known. IL il certain, how
ever, that it originated at The station
ary engine, located Immediately at the
intersection OF the Round House and
the Machine Shop. At II il point "a
Large quantity Of pine wood had ueem
uulOGded To- feed the engine, and 10y
lie close proximity 10 the latter. IL gem
"TS!ly sup osed 10 huTe caused the
conflagra;iOn.
4 portion of the building destroyed
~.ss rather old this bad been added
- within a few years past by the
erection of well built addition. The
estimated value OF the eutire structure
- vaTinusly supposed To have beeu
from six TO ten thousand dollars The
building WAS two stories high and
over 100 feet long. aud within its walls
four OF the shops of the company viz;
the machine, paint, pattern and black
smiihs, were located. There was not
y large amount of machinery within
the house, but what there was, is said
by those in a position to know, To
have been worth fully $50, p00, which
OF course is almost totally ruined
The contents OF the other shops, pat
terms, &C, were all destroyed. One
OF the 6nest locomotives of the com
psny, which had been undergoing re-
pairs, was turned out of the shop on
the day preceding and the loss thus
curtailed to that extent.
1t seems strange that in view of the
fact that there are four watchman who
should have been in the immediate
neighborhOod-twO at the cOmpany's
shops, and two at the Orange depot,
immediately adjacent thereto, the fire
should have gained such Roadway be-
4DI6 II was OlSCONtIGu. Ntl
nights, we understand, there is no oc-
cation for distractin- the attention Of
the watchmen from the important du-
ties of guarding the buildings, by at
tention to the switches, Us no freight
trains leave that night We do not
mention this to inculpate anybody,
but only as remarkable circumstance.
During the progress OF the fire, the
hose attached TO the plug at SCOTS
mill, was cut by some 'uiscreant the
slit made IN the pipe was a foot in
length, and for = time the firemen
were at fault to know whether the
hose had bursted or the water had
been shut Off from the plug. a closer
inspection of the hose, however, re-
vealed the fact of the cutting, which
was as clear i'm appearance rs though
done with razor. The time necessa-
rily consumed in adapting another
section, in lieu OF the injured one, re-
suited greatly i'm the development of
the fire. What the object OF this dab
Olism was is of course cOnjecturaly but
we are authorized by the Chairman
CT the watering committee of the Coun-
Gil tn offer a reward OF two hundred
dollars for the apprehension of the
author of it.
vic Oh tue NOlSt lGaAultS VI tAA' NAS
asteT exists in the fact that there were
forty or fifty men employed in the
burnt building, who will, at least tenn
pOrarilys be thrown out Of employ
ment and SIS there is force of ten or
twelve carpenters employed 1T the
shop on Blackwater, dependent TO a
great extent for work upon the eAis- !
tence. of the machine shop, it is not
improbable that some, at least, of
these workmen, will be thrown out of
employment
There are various speculations on |
the street as 10 the prospects Of re
building the shop, none of which are /
worth repeating here. The President |
OF the railroad is in the city, having |
arrived by the western train on Sun
day, and we suppose will, in due time, |
advise the public, through those most /
interested, viz. his employees. of his 1
purposes. Until then, the general 4
public. at least, can afford to wait.
The only insurance that the ON
Gals here know of 10 81 500 in the 4
agency Of the Messrs. Otey, but rs the
policies are at Petersburg there mSy |
be some i'm other companies.