Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-09
FIGHTING FIRE SUNDAY.
AN ICE.HoUsE A HOT HOU!'E.

an ICE-HOUSE A HOT HOUltE.
Scene. and Incidents nj the Fire--Fire-
men Overcome BY the Hcnt-Losses and
Insurance.
Sunday was a bright, clear day, and
very quiet one. The sun beat upon the
city. with never a cloud to hide his face or
break the force OF heat; and In this latter
respect the wind was also listless agent,
scarcely breeze Of consequence being OBJ
served. The result was that after church
hours the city was unusually still until about
4 O'Clock in the afternoon, when an alarm
OF fire was sounded from Box Z, at
the engine-house on Main between
Twentieth aud Twenty first streets.
In five minutes the second alarm was
turned In, and this called out the entire
fire brigade. and created considerable ex-
element. As hot as il was, men aud boys
from all parts OF the city made their way to
the fire. The street-cars suddenly found
popularity so great a. to make it impossi-
Bile to accommodate the patronage offered.
In some cases more people were counted
on a single street-car than are allowed TO
ride on regular railway coach. The
quantity OF flushed faces was remarkable at
the scene OF the fire, and the Precipitation
was equally marked.
TIE ORIGIN.
The fire broke out in the building occu-
pied by the J. &. Smith Ice Company rs an
ice warehouse There are several theories
as TO it, origin, the most plausible OF which
is that the cause was accidental. a mum
ber OF small boys had been playing about
the siorage-rOOm. in which was a quantity
Of comLusti5le matter, and il is thought
that the careless handling Of match. or a
lighted cigar. caused the fire. Coniirma-
tion Is given 10 this conclusion by the fact
that one OF the boys was the first TO give
the alarm a; the cnginc-house, which is
only little more than a square away.
The iircmen were quickly on hand.
They found the ice-houSe fully ablaZe.
The building was partly brick and partly &
wooden structure, and 1t burned freely.
II stood on the corner Of Nineteenth and
Cary streets, and directly opposite is Henry
MctzgeT's barrel-flctory and coOper-shops.
This is a large brick building and was filed
with thousands OF barrels OF different kinds
and material for making them. The wir-
dows had been LEFT open Saturday night,
and through these sparks from the destroy
/ Ing element made their way, and soon the
/ entire interior OF the building was mas.
| Oi dense smoke. heat, and flames. II was
| an Ugly place TO enter and an awkward one
/ 10 fight fire In. owing to the vast number
| oi barrels that were stored therein. The
/ building and contents We're badly dam
/ aged. the stock being almost ! total los.
/ Adjoining MetZger'S factory Is the ware
+ house OF the Orchilla GuanO Company,
/ Mcssrs. Trayers, Sncad & Co.. 3gcnt-. a
| large quartily OF this guanO wa, stored
! here. but fortunately, instead Of it, beiag
/ . combustible article, il i uon.iullammAb.e,
! and il acted very much 20 preserve tho
/ fOors aud the interior work Of the build
| inc. The ciTorts Of the firemen here were
more successful, aud the llames wert
| stopped here. On the north side Of Cary
street stands the extensive tObacco-factOry
Of Myers Brothers & Co., and at one
i time IL was feared that this would
20, but the windows were closed.
men stationed on the roof. and & was
| saved. The wind. too, was favorable, else
| perhaps all precautions would have failed
! Lower down on Gary. between Ninetecn,l
and Twentieth slrcot~, next 10 the ice
house. Is Charles ii. Pages coal md wood
yard. The fire extended TO this and burn
The Office and a large quantity OF wood
The fremcn succeeded in arrestlng th'
| further progress OF tie flames in this direc
tion, and saved a considerable quantity o
coal and wood.
ACcIDESTs, &C.
The heat OF the weather and the Gr,
proStratcd many Of the iiremen. Captain
Herman Paul, Of Steamer No. .. had TO sue
eumb early i the fight having been seize'
with congestion OK the lungs. Firem.,
Goodman fell through a hatchWay and Wa
disabled. and Fireman figg was hurt whil
! coupling q hose. and was sent home.
| citizen whose name could not be ascertain
: cd was struck on the head and severel.
/ hurt by piece OF falling timber. one en-
cmc Wa- dieablcd early, and was Gscle
throuc hoUt the remainder Of the fire.
INSURANCE AND Losses.
Tbefollowins is a correct list Of the lo'se
and insurance:
j. {. Smith lee Company. insurance ol
building $4,000, apporionad oS follows
7 Niagara Fire-lnsurancc Company. Of New
York. 81 $50. Samuel II. Pulliam. agent
fl,500 III Hamburg Bremen. John ". Coz
don. agent. Traycrs. Snead x Co., stock
1880. IN Niagara Fire-lnsurance COMPANY
Samuel II. PuIliam. agent; $500 IN tn
star. Of New York. Samuel II. Pullam
agent; 1880 In LonGon Assurance, Joh'
/ II. Claiborne, agent.
The Richmond and Danvllc Railroa,
Company owned the houses occupied b.
/ Mr.. Metzger and Nessrs. Travers, Sncad
Co., and held policies FOR $4,000 in th
North British and $1,000 in the lIartfor,
Insurance Company, W. Blythe Moore
/ agent.
Neither Mr.. Page nor Mr.. Me,zgcr va
/ insured at all. Mr. Mctzger's loss i
/ about 5000. He has rented 4 new facto
~. and will 10 right on with his work
| Mr.. Page thinks his loss about s2.000. Tn
insurance on the j. C.. smith lee COmpsn
/ will not cover the loss by good deal
/ They lost none Of their cart. Or horses. an
/ Yesterday delivered ice as usual, and vii
! continue % do so without interruption.