The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-06-03
The Fire Saturday Morning.


DESTRUCTION OF SMITHS NEW PAPER-AILL
AND DAMAGE TO M'INTYRE's FOUNDRY-THE
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE MYsTERY- -
In Saturdays issue brief mention was
made OF the destruction Of MIR. j. &. Smiths
paper-mil. The alarm was sounded at
ten minutes to 8. Five minutes afterwards
the entire building was wrapped in flames
and the streets OF the neighborhoed were as
light as day.
The Tenth-Street hose company reached
the spot in less than two minutes, but upon
their arrival the roof was about to tumble in.
The whole Fire Department soon after
appeared and went diligently to work.
The mill was large new frame building,
on the bank Of the canal, and Immediately
in rear Of the Shockoe warehouse. 1t was
reached by the street leading from the To-
bacco Exchange down to HaXalPs mill !;
but at the paper-mill it was closed by fence.
The paper-miIl fronted on this street. On
the canal bank just below and adjoining
the paper-mill is the Richmond Cast-Steel,
Iron and Brass Mandatory, better known
as McIntyre's Foundry.
THE FLAafRs SEEN.
For each property there was q private
watchman employed. The man who was
(when it was fired in six places) had been
discharged and young man named Edward
Pagan put in his place.
The paper-mill building was by no means
OF costly character, but the machinery
was fine and valuable. In week the man
uiacture of paper could have been COM
menced. Friday night Mr.. Smith left for
Philadelphia to see some dealers in paper
with the view OF opening business relations
with them. He had there also q horse,
which be wished to look after.
Mr.. Pagan states that about twenty min
utes past. 2 he, with Mr.. Bowers, the ioun-
dry watchman, took lantern and went
through and through the paper-mill. All
was well then, though the wind was high
and the tin roof ratified loudly. He and
Mr.. Bowers were down the hill near the
spring between the foundry and the ware.
house, when Mr.. Bowers's dog commenced
barking, and their attention was Mt once
directed towards the paper-mill. Flames
were then rapidly rising.
THE ALARM GIVEN.
Mr.. Bowers ran to the DanYile depot and
gave the alarm to the telegraph operator on
duty there. The operator gave the fire sig
nal by the automatic wire. That signal was
promptly received at the automatic office
(Western Union building), but the fire.
alarm was not sounded, because the office
was waiting for the signal from the depot to
be repeated according to their requirement.
Mr.. Fagan says that upon examining the
mill, and seeing that the fire was altogether
beyond his control, he started off for the
Old Market to have the bell rung. Be-
fore getting there the bells had commenced
to ring-Policeman Allen seeing the flames,
had turned in the alarm from Thirteenth
strickland he then turned and went back
to the mill.
IN VAIN.
The efforts OF the tiremen were almost in
vain. The building itself was of a very
combustible character, and it was pretty
well filled with infammable -stock-rags,
scrap-paper, &c. The flames spread from
the paper,mill to the foundry, and destroyed
the finishing shop there, with good deal
OF work-such as yerandas, ploughs, and
gratings-together with tools and iron pat
terms and some machinery. The loss there
will probably be between three and four
thousand dollars. Mr.. Smiths loss cannot
be accurately estimated until the debris is
cleared away. Some OF the machinery on
the ground foor-below the level OF the
strcet-seems not very badly injured. A
small portion Of the stock is still tit for use.
... THE INSURANCE.
The insurance upon the paper-mill build
ing, stock, and machinery is $4,000, dis
tributed as follows: Queens Insurance
Company, Of London and Liverpool, $4,000
on machinery; Atlantic, New York, $1,5OO
on machinery; Manhattan, New York,
81 500 on machinery; Scottish Commercial,
Glasgow, $4,000 on machinery; Lynchburs
Fire-Insurance Company, $1,000 on ma
chinery and $500 on building; Maryland
Fire-Insurance Company, Baltimore, $500
on machinery and $1,000 on stock; Royal
Canadian, S1,25o on machinery and $500
on building; Fircman's, Baltimore, 1850
on machinery and $500 on building; Farm
vile Fire-Insurance Company, $1,000 on
machinery and $500 on building. Total on
machinery, $4,000; on building, $4,000;
on stock, $1,000.
Mr.. Mcintyre was insured for S3,400-
81 700 in the Columbus Insurance Company,
of Ohio, and S1,700 in the London Assu-
rance Society.
WHERE THE FLAMES WERE KINDLED.
Mr.. Bowers, who ran to the paper-mill as
soon as he saw the flames, thinks the fire
was kindled in two pIaces-near the steps
ITOIT UIlc III IuS SIoNh-Aoohs IhA-
ter going with Mr.. Pagan through the mill
at 2:20, he separated from Mr.. Pagan.
Some OF the tiremen are under the inn
preston, from the rapidity with which the
flames spread, and from other things they
saw, that the floors had been pretty we'll
saturated with oil. In the Office there was
a considerable quantity of oil stored. 1t
was handy for the use OF the incendiary.
Mr.. Smith was telegraphed about his loss
Saturday, and was expected to return here
on the first train. .
1t is greatly to be regretted that strict
inquiry and close pursuit Of the incendiary
was not made upon the occasion OF the first
attempt to burn down MI. Smiths proper
ty. Had there been there would have been
no second attempt, for it can scarcely be
doubted that the incendiary was one and
the same.
1t would be well, too, for oil parties who
employ watchmen to require them to in
form themselves as to the whereabouts Of
the nearest tire-alarm boxes.
BRIEF LOCAL ITEMS.-The number OF
visitors registered at the Tobacco Exchange
for the month Of May was exactly GOO.
The Richmond and Atlantic-the crack
baseball clubs Of the city-Wil play a
match game Wednesday.
90 uor,,,apr Schmidt et tho