The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-31
THE Big BLAZE N THE HILL CITY,
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTROUS
AND FATAL FIRE IN
LyNCHBuRG.
How IL Originated - Rapid spread Of the
Flames-A scene Of Intense Excitement
Five Men Killed by Failing Walls
A Large Business Area Gated
The Military, White and
SoIered, Ordered Out.
The Insurance.
fspcclal telegram to The Dispotch.l

LYNcuBuRG. Va, May S0.-This morE-
ing about 10 O'Clock Gre was discovered
in the hardware establishment Of Jones.
Watts & Co., on Main street between Tenth
and Eleventh. 1t appears that clerk was
sent down into the cellar after some article.
and lighted piece OF paper, which he
thoughtlessly threw upon the floor near n
and in few minutes the whole building
large iron-iroat structurc-waS i'm flames.
The fire burned with such rapidity that not
book nor a paper could be saved, and
several of the clerks found it difficult TO
escape from the burning building.
Before any effort could be made to check
the progress Of the flames the building ad-
Joining. occupied by the Virgiaidn news
paper and Commercial Bank, caught fire,
and was completely Quilted. All the papers
aud money Of the hank were saved, but
everything appcrtaining to the VTgiaidn
Job and newspaper establishment was de-
stroyed.
TIE SPREAD or THE FLAMES.
The fire then consumed several smaller
buildings in the rear Of the VirgiRiGR Of
fee. aud found its way to the large tobacco
factory Of Flood & Peters. This build
ing was very old, and burned with
such ierocity that the flames eX-
tended across the street and completely
destroyed two small dweIling-houses.
Friends warehouse. Holcombe Hall, and
the fine residence OF Mrs. Cornelia j. NJ.
Jordan were on fire at one time. but were
saved by the herculean efforts OF the fire.
men. Mrs. Jordan's house is badly dam
aged by water, and the furniture was
broken in removing il from the building.
All the houses on Main street from Jones,
Watts & Co.'s 10 Green's store are consid-
erably damaged. The Noryell House and
the large establishment OF Guggenheimer
& Co. were covered with wet blankets and
escaped injury. After the fire was under
control six men took the hose into the
ruins Of the VIginian building TO play
upon the burning embers.
FIVE MEN BURIED BENEATH FALLING WALLS.
They had been there but a short while
when the walls were seen to tremble, and
before the men could regain the street five
OF them were completely buried beneath
the ponderous weight. The sixth man
was Knocked down, but escaped without
serious injury. Not less than five thou
sand spectators witnessed the terrible CO.
tastrophe.
THE KILLED.
The names OF the men killed are;
HALSEY GOULDMAN, policeman and
eX-freman;
Captain W. r. MOORE. freight-con-
ductor on the Norfolk and Western rail-
road:
JAMES CLEMENS, employed at PAGES
warehouse;
JAMES VAUGHAN. timer;
FELIX BELDELVRE, bartender
Their mangled bodies were eXhumed
and removed TO their homes this evening.
THE MILITARY ORDERED OUT.
All the military companies-white and
colored-were ordered out. and were pa
rading the streets. An immense crowd
surrounded the scene of the disaster, and
the whole city is enveloped in gloom.
Jones. Watts & Co. were the largest hard
ware merchants in this city. Their loss is
estimated at over sl25,OOO; insurance,
$4,000. This does not include the loss of
all the accounts and papers. The Vjrginidn
loses everything, including the building
which is owned by c. W. Button, the pro-
prietor. The insurance is about $4,000.
THE INSURANCE.
The full insurance is as follows
Jones. Watts Brothers Co., in London
and Liverpool and Globe, $1,000; Royal,
$1,000; Williamsburg City, $1,000; Pho
nix, London, $4,000; Norwich Union,
$500; Manhattan, New York. $1,000;
in companies represented by 7. II. Ivey q
Son, $500.
Jones, Watts & Co., in Hamburg-Bre-
men, $1,000.
Peters d Flood, $4,000 in each the Phe-
nix. New York; London and Lancashire,
Virginia Fire and Marine, Richmond;
Scottish Union and National, Home Of
New York, Connecticut Fire, Western,
and Virginia State; in the London and
Liyerpool and Globe Peters e. Flood
have $4,000 on stock, and in the Royal,
$1,000: on fixtures, 81, 200 in the Virginia
Fire and Marine and $4,000 in the Home
Of New York.
p. ]. Otey, trustee, has on building
1000 in the Home OF New York.
f. S. Brewer e. Co., on stock, $1,000 in
the New York Underwriters:
G. w. Button, on building, $4,000 in the
Northumberland, $4,000 in the Mutual,
and s7,4OO in companies represented by I.
H.. Ivey & Son.
r. L. Walker. trustee, has on building
80 900 IN the Hamburg-Bremen.
T. fl. Flood & Co., on stock, $1,000 in
the New York Underwriters.
Morris & Moore, on building, have
$4,000.
Ledbctter & Co., on stock, 81, 900 in the
Norwich Union.
Besides this, there is s22,GcO Insurance
in various companies on the buildings
slightly damaged and furniture destroyed.
The total loss is estimated at a quarter Of
million Of dollars.
NARROW ESCAPE OF MAJOR DANIEL.
Major Daniels law Office was in the Vir-
o;nin building, and that gentleman barely
escaped with his life.
Captain Moore, one OF the Killed, was 10
have been married in few days. There