The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-29
AIarre broadway FIRE.
LOSSES AMovNTINo 20 Sf5U,uVO--uUUp WV'
OF TUX wArER.TowRR.

The most disastrous hre that nas occu' iv"
an the. dry goods district for many nohths
broke out las, evening 10 the slx.s'ofy
brown.stoue building on TIE nofthWts'
corner Of Broadway and Franklin suet''
occupied by three large firms, ana sitnougn,
through the exei,lons Of the nremen' out
A comparatively small portion OF tue s'iuo'
ture was burned. the loss, when y cn,sn!
nv water. will foot up nearly soVV'VVo.
This will fall heavily on local insu'su1e
companies. II YVES Clio O'CLOCK, s.o',!
after the building bad been c,oseo ~.
the night and the occupants nau Ielt ioa
tSo,r fomes. when the lire was discovered
In tho rear partition Of the fouith noor,
near the # Al, wav leading from private en-.
france on franklin street. This portion OF
tho building was occupied by ). a NJ. w
wilson & Co.. shirt.manufacturers, ana tne
fre i believed 10 have originated IN tbeor
n.ckinc.room. Persons passing through
Eranklin street discovered the fire ana gave
No alarm. A policeman was hunted up
and The signal 10 the Fire Department was
sent from the alarm.b0x at the cor
nSr M broadway and White street.
In response TO this signal four en-
cInes and two hook.and.ladder trucks
were quickly on the spot. Engine No. 81
was the first to arrive, and The comiDanoan'
LOST no time in sending out second aiarM,'
and this was quickly followed by tn'Iu.
These repeated alarms summoned 10 tne
scene seven additional engines ana tn'ee
book.and.ladder trucks. Chiei ba'es ,oon
command Of the large force CT hfeineh, aic'u
by Assistant. Chief Shay and balta'ion,Cbie's
Rowe, Bonner, Bresnan, Gicquei, anu
Campbell. The steamers coming FROM .
distance were greatly impeded by the horr''
- ho Ell While the fire.
men were preparing to
BATTLE WITH THE FIRE
the flames had extended along the fourln
floor on the FiaDkiin-street side OF me
building, and burned through 10 tne nnn
floor. Large extension-ladders were iaiseo
apaipst the structure, and seVerai s'ieans
OF water were thrown into the Dulio'pg
throuob the side.windows. An attempt
yas made 10 carry hose up the main stair
w.v in the front OF the building, so as to
fight the fire at close quarters, but 1t was
fourd that the stairway ended at the tplrd
floor. and the attempt had TO be abandoned
Four lines Of hose were then hauled up
10 the roof OF the adjoining building
on Broadway, and carried thence 10
the roof of the burning building. Holes
were cut In this roof by the axemen, ana
with four streams OF water pouring through
these holes an effort was made 10 hut out
the flames. The side entrance on Franklin
street was forced open, and the hremeD WIN
their hose-pipes assembled and endeayored
10 reach the fire from that point. In tbs
they were pertialy successful, and the
flames were driven toward The centre and
front OF the building, where they were met
by powerful stream OF water thrown up
from the street and another one thrown
across The intervening space from Inc rooi
OF the building on the southwest cor
ner Of Broadway and Franklin street
against the windows on the fourth and nth
floors OF the building. Driven back at
these points, The flames, which burned with
battling pertinacity, breaking out in uneX-
pected paceg when it was thought they
were under control, finally reached the
sixth floor and Cailed considerable bea5-
WAY in the southwest corner OF the stiuc'
tire. where they could not be reached
either by The streams from the street on
those from the roof. Chief Bates then tee-
graphed for
THE wATER.T0wER,
and when IL arrived stationed it at the cor
per of Broadway and Franklin street.
Owing to the intense cold some delay was
accustomed in raising the tower TO the de-
sired height and the proper angle. This
was accomplished after several attempts,
and then two lines OF hose from powerful
steamers. stationed al the nearest available
bydrants, were connected with the tower
and in a lew minutes stream OF wafer OF
great power was being thrown 10 the top
most windows into the midst OF the flnmes
There has not been better exhibition OF
the usefulness OF the water.tower since II
has been IN the possession OF the department
.f,.l ctr uuf
nv II right into the building at the point
most necessary, and it being moved about
from window 10 window as desired. was
soon apparent in the collapse OF the fire
The tower was not in use altogether more
than half an hour, ana during that time i
did most efficient service. At 5 o'elocb
Chief Bates announced TO the Fire COMMITS
sioners that The fire was under control ant
al danger 10 the surrounding property wa
past. The distant companies were sent Il
their quarters as quickly as their services
could be dispensed With, but it was after
O'Clock before the fire was extiDguisbed.
As q precautionary measure during tb'
progress OF the fire Engine No. 10 anC
Hook-and. Ladder No. ii were summoned
from their quarters and Stationed IN The
districts uncovered by the companies ao
tually on duty at the fire.
THE FIREMEN SUFFERED SEVERELY
from the intense cold, and had TO use more
than ordinary care IN moving up and down
the ladders, which we're covered with ice
The spray from the streams Of water frozt
as IL fell over the 6remen, aud many OF them
were so covered with ice that they could
scarcely walk about. The sidewalks sur
rounding The building were also coated
with ice, making moving about especial,
hazardous.
The losses by the fire, as far as could b
ascertained last night, are as follows:
Messrs. S~eetser, Pembroke Il Co., deal
ers 10 dry goods, white goods, and Yankee
notions, occupy the first floor, basement
and sub cellar OF the building. MIR. william
l.. Bones, one OF the members OF the Brm
said that In the height Of the season tbeii
stock OF goods on hand generally reaches
81 900 600. The firm had commenced re
+, ceiyipg large cousignments, and he placed
the value OF the present stock at S50O,00O
The loss, which Is entirely by water, would
ia his opinion amount 10 so per cent, Oh
S250,000. This loss Is fully covered by IN
surance, but Mr.. Bones could not tell what
companies held policies. as the risks were
placed by an agent, and the list OF the com
panies was in their safe and could not b.
reached last night.
The second and sixth floors of the build
ing are occupied by Lawson Brothers, i'm
porters OF laees and white goods. The firiI
was
ABOUT TO MOVE
TO q ueighborIng building, and nearly al
their goods were packed up ready for re
movsl. A member OF the firm estimated