The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-13

watched for some time the progress Of the
flames. and an at once saw IRE break out
through the roof Of one OF 'nc inrne mills
On the side fdrftest from tns burning
warehouses, the flames from wiz" scarcely
reached half way up the sizes OF lne mill.
IL was considered a 6re-pfooI pudding,
and extra precautions bad peeu taken by
the owners. I cannot conceive now 1t
could have caught In such q pace, unless
set on fire. have been told that Mr..
Crenshaw found his mill full OF plumber
ers, whom he got out by agreeing 10 give
them all the provisions In the mill, and that
they were In the act OF building IRE on
the floor Of the upper story when dlseov-
cred. tried TO find out II this were true.
but no reply has come TO the letters writ
ten for that purpose. II correct, II affords
exact proof of what am firmly convinced
Is the case-tbat the burning OF Richmond
was the work Of incendiaries."
(signedl X. s. EwELL.
HOW THE FIRE SPREAD.
1t has not been the opinion here in
Richmond that the city was burnt by in
cendiaries. Dispositions taken in the
Creme suit show that "the IRE lsaid
Major Carringtonl was applied tby the
at Shockoe and Won Gro
ning's warehouses" 1.-The
night was remarkably still, but very
soon after the warehouses were bred The
wind rose from the southeast, and in q
short time quite breeze was blowing from
that direction" IThe track OF the fire
was the course OF the wind.l Colonel
EwelI deposed that the +" fire spread rap
idly. Even the wind from the southeast
became brisker, and the entire city
the flames began at the southeast
was in imminent danger Of falling
a prey to the advancing cOnflagra;ion."
1t was checked about / u. NJ. by the
United States troops. Judge John A.
Meredith stated. 81 am satisfied the wind
was strong enough to carry the sparks over
several buildings and catch at more remote
points, and that the fire was by that means
spread over larger extent" DR.. +. David
son: Saw the man 90 in 10 fire Shockoc
warehouse. Saw the smoke issuing TO
great height from that warehouse. then
came home [south side Main between
Ninth and Tenth, and went up to the
upper part OF my house and looked out
lilu SAW L " tDluiluN VI SiuOAC liNlllE
For some time 1t seemed
TO stand perfectly still and straight,
without moving except upwards. In
a little while il commenced to bend
towards Main street. Very soon |
could feel the wind blowing-the morn
ing had been very still beforehand the
smoke was drawn up toward my house and
over the city by the wind. After breakfast
| went down to Cary street near the Gal
lego Mills. The wind blew the flame
right against these mills, and very soon
thew were fred. The fire progressed in the
mills until very soon the roof fell in.
When the roof fell III shower OF fire
that is. Of coal and shingles, chunks or
burning brands-and Goals were carried
by the wind over toward Main street,
and fell on the tops Of houses even beyond
Main street. The wind was then
blowing very strong. My house was con-
The wind grew stronger
until somewhere toward II or IL O'Clock.
by which tirle n large portion Of the city
had been burned. About the time
the fire got to Ninth street the wind seemed
TO change its course, being more south or
southwest. The charge Of wind gave the
Federal troops an opportunity TO stop the
fire -