Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-17

DEsTROYED-THE LOSSES SUSTAINED BY DIFF
FERENr PARTIES-sesSNEs ATTENDING THE
CoNFLAGRATION, &C, ~,
A disastrous fire visited the Post building, at
the corner of 10th and Streets last night and
swept with great rapidity through the structure,
oolhg much damage TO the four newspaper Of
noes ana the other business concerns located in
.he ouiiolng. The aggregate loss was estimated
iaSt night at S1o0,000. OF the newspapers the
1seenangCrftc, which occupies offices in the build.
Ing, was most badly disabled, its whole mechan-
icaiequipment being almost complctelydestroy
ed. The Fosfand National Republican forces were
quickly transferred to THE STAR building,
which was at once placed at the disposal of the
publishers OF those papers by THE EVENING
STAR Company. Both the morning papers were
published to-day from THE STAR office. AS the
fire occurred early in the evening when thous-
andS OF persons were on the street. the streets in
the vicinity were blocked with the crowds OF
spectators
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Inc nre originated in the workshop of the
United States Electric Lighting Company,
occupying a two-story annex in the northeast
corner OF the Post building One of the bear
lhgs Oh the main shaft, it is said, became heated
Iof want of oil and set fire to the building. The
1laines spread with marvellous rapidity. \ few
minutes before eight o'clock cry of fire from
Ine puliulnS was passed rapidly along the
street, and an immense crowd soon assembled
In the neighbOrhood. An alarm struck from
box lo2 at five minutes to eight O'Clock
served to bring u detachment of the fire depart
ment rapidly TO the scene and Also to swell
the numbers OF excited spectators To an inn.
mehse tnronS. Subsequent calls on the fire
alarm bells brought the entire fire department.
TO the spot: So rapidly did the fire make its
way that flames reached the clock tower on
the southwest corner of the building and ilu-
minated the face of the clock when its hands
pointed to ten m nutes past eight O'Clock.
IN RUINS IN TWO HoUES
AT ten O'Clock, or two hours after the alarm
was struck, the fire was about extinguished
The building was then a picturesque ruin.
The Offices fronting on u street, ON the first
iloor, bad not been visited by the fire, but had
been damaged considerably by water. Some of
the rooms Oh the second floor also escaped the
Iia.neS, which did their greatest damage in the
rear OF the building and on the upper floors,
where The newspaper presses and composing
rooms were located.
TIE SUFFERERS BY THE FIRE.
The breaking out of the fire caused great ex-
citement in the building. Editors, compositors
and employees of the various business concerns
located in the building, soon rs il became ajl-
parent that the structure was doomed. set
themselves to work to save the portable effects
OF the several establishments. The sufferers by
The fire are the Post, the National Reuu6licun,
the u'nshinAton Critic, the Sunday Gazette the
Electric Light company. the Gas Inspector,
whose office was in the building; Joseph Short
er, VINO kept a barber shop in the street 'front.'
OF the building; A. NJ. Alien 4 Co, the
written by Messrs. Stison Hutchins and JOS
West Moore and Mr.. Sid ii. Nealy, the artist,
WHO had offices in the building, and Mr. Timo-
thy Lee, who kept restaurant on the first
floor. The chief losses were sustained by the
newspaper publishers and the Electric Light
company: con the barber shop; the restaurant. and
only by water. All the records in the office of
Gas Inspector Ford on the second floor We're
struments was destroyed. The adjoining office
OF the S"n4dy Lat.j,ct on 10th street. and Ken
nedy q odi"rnes restaurant on u street, sul-
cred some damage by fire and water.
THE SCENES DURING THE FIRE,
To the spectators the fire presented a grand
spectacle The red glare of the flames could be
seen from nearly every part of the city, and
served as guide to the crowd to the scene of
the disaster. The fire engines, coming from
every direction in answer To the general alarm
were followed by immense crowds. Almost as
soon as it was discovered the fire had enveloped
the back and upper part of the building, and
during the few minutes it took to get the
engines in position it 1eaped from easement to
easement, tapping up the woodwork as ii it
were were paper, and sending showers o; sparks high
into the air. In IL few m inutes the Avenue and
the streets in te vicinity were blocked with
people rs close rs they could stand. for the dis
t:snce oi square in every direction. There
mast have been assembled between eight and
ten thousand people, MANY OF them ladies'
watching the battle between the fire and water
For nearly an hour the flames had the best
of the struggle, and huge volumes of tire an
swcred to every well-directed stream from, the
engines. In short time the flames had cir
cIed around the clock tower the corner
jumped To the easements and swept into the
rooms below, and the crowd watched the
flames lick up the partitions and pass from
room to room. Two or three slight explosions
caused the crowd to press back to a safe dis
tance. Then the walls were seen to bulge Just
clock tower, and the crowd again rushed back
10 get ont OF danger. The flames flashed aIon.
the roof On loth 3 stree, towds the offices OF the
at the partition line by band of fremen who
had climbed upon the Hatcha building and
struc lure. Sleunwhile, the fire on the i
ct possession Of Frank Wards tow
efIEg dairy building, and the
attention OF the crowd WAS directed to the
struggle going on there between the flames and
band OF fireinen and employees OF the dairy,
who were in Il line upon the ROOF and on ladders
For Il long time 1t tSecmcd doubtful to the crowd
which would get the better OF the fight. The
flames steadily advanced upon the building
dairy has, caught, and for a Time it seemed as if
tic fire would spread all along the square. But
at the end of all hour II huge black volume Of
smoke rose up where the glare OF the flames
had been minute before, and in 90 minutes
alter the alarm was raised the fire was under
control, though still making fierce struggle
for the :lscendancy.
THE LOSSES AS DETERMINED TODAY
The insurance men and owners were about
the Post building this morning looking over the
ruins and making estimates as to the loss. The
Hfc SeeInS 10 nave Deen cOnnned chiefly to the
northeast corner OF the building and burned
out through the third story to the ID street front
Ii Is thought that the building is not Il total
wreck, but can be rebuilt to some extent The
value OF the building, as given by Mr.. Walter
StIison Hutclins,is SO,0OO,and it was insured
together with the fixtures, in the following
companies: Columbia, Washington, $4,25O;
Corcoran, Washington, 81, 4,25O; Franklin, WASH
ington, 81, 500; Continental, New York, 81, ,25O
Hanover, New York 81, ,250: Orient Hartford
$4,000; Providence-W ashington Insurance COM
pany, Providence, $4,000; Howard Insurance
company, New York, $4,000; Merchants In
surance company, Newark, $1,000; Northern
Assurance Company, Aberdeen and London,
81. 500; City OF London Fire Insurance com.
pany, London, $4,000; Northern Assurance
company, Aberdeen and London, 81, ,0OO How
ard Insurance company, New York, "a, ,OOO
York, $4,000; Norwich Union Fire insurance
company, Norwich, England, $4,000; Fire
Association Philadelphia, $4,000; Royal
insurance Company, liverpool, $4,000.
Inc editorial rooms ana composing rooms OF
the Post are total wrecks, but the Hoe revolving
the pressman, Mr.. McGuire says that it is prob
able the repairs can be made for 81 500. The
engine ana boiler are only slightly damaged
ana IL Is probable that they will be able to issue
u paper from the Office early next week. The
severcst loss to the Post is the mailing list of
The Electric Light company is q heavy loser
The entire value of the plant as given this
morning by Mr.. VIM. Dickson is $15O,OOO, and
Of this there was $50, 900 In the building. The
loss IN the dynamos, boilers, engine, and stock
mas not yet been estimated. The insurance is
$1,000, in the following companies: Conti-
mental of New York, $1,000; National of New
York, 81, 600; North America of philadelphia
$3,OUO; Fire Association OF Philadelphia So QUO:
rennsyiyania Fire OF Philadelphia, $4,000;