The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-28

.aiiliOus OF t'roPefV has" ih ANnVs VI t"'S'-
"a. Evc-Larsc Warehouse OF Covert,
,,,e,x Go. in FLAMES. and Large Fire In
a,sadway-A Lose OF over Two Million
Dollars. --
shnrtly after q O'Clock on Christmas-cve
,Ae building occupied by Covert, Acker
90. a. a free and bonded warehouse,
~shbb Is four stories high, with n frontage
y IN feet on South street and a depth OF
- feet. was discovered 20 be on fire. It
90. oiled with tea, silks, tobacco, wines,
',biskeys. rattan, and other goods, princi-
'auv such AS come from East Indian
lasrtets, and In this mass Of COM
s,,nbIe matter the fire smoldcred and
lined Roadway, undisturbed. until
~ arrival OF hook-and-laddcr truck.
'.nieh had been engaged, with nearly all Of
~ downtown apparatus, 81 the Broadway
I'd Frlnklin-strect fire. When ladders
~ brought. and the axes and battering-
I'm. Of the hoOk-and-ladder company could
~ ns,,l. the shutters and doors yielded ::
Ia, FOR m hour after an entrance was eff ct
"A no flames were visible, though huge vol
vr,> 81 heavy black smoke poured out
',bereyer il found a vent. and seriously in
,e1,red with the work OF the flrcmen.
Al this time the flames were confined TO
she two upper stories OF the warehouse,
md ihe fire patrol spread their blankets
@yor the wines and whiskeys stored in the
,ao lower stories and cellars. Despite the
al quantities Of water thrown into the
building. the flames steadily gained head
us,. and the tire patrol were forced 10 leave
AMI devote their energies TO saving the
GOOD. in the main building, occupied by
covert. Acker & Co.
The building is OF brick, five stories I'm
height. and was separated at the stem from
the house in which the fire originated by a
W,U thirty inches in thickness. In the
rear the wall was much less substantial and
there were numerous openings, which at
Tho breaking out Of the fire were closed by
double iron doors.
On the lower floor alone was some $780,
400 worth Of tobacco in bales, and before
an entrance could be effected this was
nearly all badly damaged by water which
rsn through from the adjoining building.
hundred or more bales were removed
by the patrol, however. but the water rose
20 rapidly and the smoke became so dense
Inst the work Of saving the goods had 10
be abandoned.
lust before III o'clock the firemen seemed
10 have obtained control Of the fire.
The burning liquor and alcohol had bid
defiance TO the fresh water. but when five
streams Of salt water were added 10 the
deluge the dainty blue flames flickered,
struggled, and then faded away. The deep
red Of the body Of the fire followed, and
then a gloom settled that was bcwidering
AZ fr,t to Chief Engineer Bates and Bat
aliOn-C hiefS BreSnan and McCabe. The
impene.rdblc gloom was n mass OF the
dense,t'oi smoke, caused by salt water. Ii
was sullOCating, too, and the firemen were
bratime beaten back from their posts by it..
But they rallied when a new danger
arose, just as the Merry Christmas " was
u,hered in. The iron shutters on the fifth
story Of the South-Strect front OF the main
building shone deep red through the
smoke for q moment. \ narrow streak OF
bright color appeared for an instant. There
va, o shimmcring OF the light, and then
the shutters swung outward, and the
flames burst forth TO give light from point
where he fire had not been expected.
simultaneously with this illumination
came another from the centre Of the
building, as the flames burst out OF
Die roof through a skylight, and gave
token that the fire was still mas
Or, and had Just begun its work
Of destruction. a second fre-tug ar
ryed OppOrUnely at this moment, and lent
her assistance, and to battle the master were
the two steam-tugS, eleven steamers, seven
hOOk-and-ladder trucks, the water-tower,
and the Siamese-twin nozzle. 4 cOnSulta-
ton Of the chiefs and department authori-
tts was held, for il seemed as though, de-
.pItc the quantity OF apparatus, the battle
vas one-sidcd and unequal one. The
amy OF iremen. many Of whom were eX-
husted by the smoke and hard work that
they had encountered. were chcered on by
their chiefs, and nobly responded with re-
newed yigor, becoming apparently imbued
with new life rs they answered the call upon
them. But there was many an anxious
shake Of the head as slowly but surely the
flames crept through the main building,
access to the interior Of which was impOs
.ible.
Soon after O'Clock the fire commune
elied 20 the warehouse on Maiden Lane,
iIied with tobacco in the upper stories and
rch high wines in the cellar. The flames
communicated rapidly, and steadily en-
roached upon the lower floors, the firemen
metting with some difficulty in attempting
% get water upon the flames in the upper |
stories. AT 1870 O'Clock the South-street |
building was i'm flames to the first story, /
and the great tongues Of fire were pouring 1
ont Of the third, fourth, and fifth floors.
The roof OF the Aiaiden-Iane building I
having fallen at / O'Clock, the report was /
circulated that Chef-ofBattalion Rowe and |
Our members Of No. 10 Truck had fallen |
with the ruins. A search for the men re-
suited very soon in their discovery, UNI
harmed. They were on the roof OF one OF
ihe inner buildings, Chief ROwc's cool
head having deferred him from yenturing
nctdleSsly into place Of danger. A large
stack OF tobacco which had teen removed
10 The sidewalk i'm front Of the Maiden
Lane building, and covered with tarpau-
lin., was soon drenched, although it was
believed much Of il would be saved.
AZ 2:3O A. NJ. the fire was practically UNI
Der control, although the flames were stlll
burning fercely amid the ruins OF the
burned warehouses.
THE EXTENT OF THE Loss.
In the cellar Of No. Il South street there
we're in bond foreign liquors belonging TO
Ae.srs. Clement, Heerdt Il Co.. OF No. %
Water street. Mr.. Charles +. Fiske, re-
Preventative Of the firm, who was on the
scene from an early hour yesterday, sad
hat their value, with the duties paid,
would approximate Sl50,0OO. AS the
cellar wa neck deep in water he
Was unable 10 say how much OF the
sock had been saved. In the stores No.
g Depeyster street, No. 1872 Maiden Lane,
and Nos. 70 and II South street, which,
tfhouyl oo,.r.fad from the free stores 1