Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-28
A BIG BLAZE.
A Destructive Fire at Barbour & Ham
ilfon's Warehouse Last Night.

| A destructive fire at the store and ware
! house of Barbour & Hamilton, wholesale
| grocers, on the south side of Pennsylvania
| avenue, between 9th and 9TH streets northwest,
| about nine O'Clock last night afforded spec
/ tacle which witnessed by thousands of
| people. The fire made very rapid progress and
the flames were ascending high in the air before
/ the first alarm ceased sounding. The proximity
Oh the blaze to several large hotels gave rise to
the report that one of these hotels was afire.
. Thousands of people poured down from every
| part OF the city 10 witness the conflagration.
The fire appears to have originated ia the third
floor OF the building, and To have assembled at
once to the fourth or upper hOor which was
completely Quilted. The adjoining building on
( the east. occupied by l.. Lulley, dealer in
| furnishing goods, was damaged slightly by fire,
while the contents of the building were dam
aged considerably by water The only persons in
Barbour il Hamiltons building when the fire
broke out We're Theodore Tucker. the engineer,
and Walter Hawkins a clerk. Mr. Barbour had
lust lett the building 10 go to the City post office
There was q fire in the furnace on the
third floor attached to an engine, which
had been used during the day TO work pump,
as the cellar was filled with water by Monday
night storm 1t is supposed the fire originated
from this furnace. MeSsrs. Hawkins and Tucker
discovered the smoke and attempted to get to
the IRE, but were uaable to make their way.
They came in contact with an electric light
wire ana were both severely shocked. The
naines soon afterwards burst forth, and
alarm was turned in by Officers Acton and
Lamb from the Baltimore and Potomac depot
This was quickly followed by general alarm
The flames were raging with the greatest fury
In the upper floor OF the building when the fire.
men arrived, and il seemed as though the
whole structure was doomed. The f1remen had
hot work, but they attacked the flames with
great Figor, ana succeeded In combining the fire
almost entirely To- the two upper floors. Chief
Engineer Paris, while going over roof, fell
through kylight and received a severe cash
on MS right leg. He had the wound bound
up and continued on duty. During the
fire number OF tiremen received shocks from
electric light wires. After the firemen had APP
ukp mi
suddenly with renewed intensity. This was
when The flames had reached large quantity
OF Whiskey and other liquors which were
stored ON tie upper floor OF the building.
The heat was SO intense to make it almost
Impossible to approach near enough to the fire
to do effective service with the hose, but the
nremen fought manfully, and soon reduced the
hanes. When the blaze went down and gave
way To volumes OF black smoke this signal OF
the success oI the fremen was answered by
cheers from the crowds in the streets below.
Within an hour after the alarm sounded the
hreme n had eXtlnSuished every spark.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Barbour * Hamilton's insurance on stock is
$4,000; on building, S15,OOO-total, $50 900.
They have not yet figured up their losses, but
do not think the insurance will cover the dam
age. Mr.. f. Lulley has Insurance of $4,000.
tie upper stories of his house contained costly
furniture and goods, and all i'll the third story
was destroyed. The second story was the dwell
ing place of his family, and was fitted up with
costly furniture and some valuable oil paint
lng>. The paintings were removed, but the fur
nl!ure Was much damaged, and some OF 1t de-
stroyed. Water was thrown in great quantity
on the fire in the upper story, and everything
throughout the house is saturated. Hardly an
article even on the lower floor or store escaped
a wettlng. The insurance will not cover his
losses, Mr.. Luley thinks.
FIRE NOTES GATHERED TODAY.
Chief Engineer Paris was laid up to-day
from the effects of the injury received last
night. DIR. Magruder sewed up the cash on his
leg. Ii Is probable that he will be confined to
ms mouse Tor several days.
During the fire last night four sections Of hose
were cut by horse cars running upon them, and
the fire department was crippled at critical
moment.
FIRE Marshal Drew, after thoroughly examin-
Ing the scene OF the fire to-day, Came to the con-
cilsion that 1t started in the fourth story, and
hot IN the third, and that IL probably originated
from an electric light wire.
MI Earnshaw, the manager OF the Electric |
Light compan stated to-day that it is impos- |
slbIe Tor an electric light wire to set any place
on nIe without the fact being at once discovered,
lor the reason that when wire becomes de- |
tached large flashes OF electricity issue from the
uy nalno. which makes all the lights Jump. |
lien this Is observed by the person in charge |
IL man Is sent out at once to repair the break |
lie also said that the lights in the Baltimore |
and Potomac depot, which the same |
circuit as Barbour & HaMilton's, burned evenly
last night, and the light which was burning
down stairs i'll Barbour & Hamiltons did not |
Jump, which ii would have done If the electric |
light wire had become detached.