The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-22
FIERY FLAMES
THBTiTEV TO DESTROY NESSRS,
BIVSWiNGER d co.

The Fire Discovered ABOUT " ci"'N'
Dense and stiaing smoke-The Depart,
ment Promptly Respond street Cars on
Eoth lines stopped Losses
Yesterday afternoon, a few minutes
pnst o'clock. smoke Was seen ISSUING
from the cellar of the store OF Ness,. y.
Binswaocer & Co.. No. l421 East Main
street.
An alarm was al once turned IN from
Box q, corner OF Main and Fourteenth
streets. Engines Nos ,. ,. and !, ana
Truck No. | and the Tenih-sireet nose
company quickly responded.
The three steamers prompt y 'ook TO,
sitiog. being located No 4 in Lom6ard o
Alley and Fourteenth street No. , on
Main. between Thirteenth and four-
teen,h. and No . right opposite Bins,
wanger's establishment. The lines OF
hose were quickly spread, and in short
order the fire was being delugei Win
water
THE PRiyLTE SIGMA TURNED on.
Chief Puller arrived with promptitude
and ordered the private signal to be turned
in for steamer No. ,, which soon arrived
and was stationed at the corner OF Gary
and Fourteenth streets.
Two streams were taken in from the
alley in The rear, and,iwO from the Nam
s,rcct entrance. Dense clouds Of smoke
caused by the burning oils and turpenline
and chemicals stored ia the wholesale de
nar,ment. filed the air, and for iiteen
minutes prevented people from breathing
in the neighhorhoOd, and forced 'Le sur
rounding stores toe lose their doors. lie
tiremen placed
WET sPONGEs - THEIR MOUTHS
and went diligently 10 work. They sue.
ceeded i'm cOntining the FIRE 20 the place
where il originated, in the basement oi
the establishment.
The basement was literally flooded with
water. and the cool action Of the fiemen
and The manner in which the fire was
managed was greatly admired and ap-
plauacd The flames were praciicilly
OIL in one hour after being discovered,
and by half-pas' . o'clock the hfemcn
were rccling ND their hose.
now THE FIRE ORIGINATED.
isnst known The cellar j. filled with oils,
psint. etc and q lamp is KEEP; burning I'd
II forlhe benefit OF employees going there.
The fire WAS hrst discovered about
twenty feet from the place where TINS
lamp was.
several parties thought that the ire
was caused by the accidental dropping OF
a lighted match by n colored employe'
which igniied the oily floor, sending the
flames up The oily steis.
Mr.. Biuswanger himself thinks II was
caused by spontaneous combus'lon' ana
il ioined in this belief 10y many person.
who inquired into the matter.
STREET CARS STOPPED.
When the private signal for No ,
engine. which does not respo 10 Boz
81 on the first alarm, was given It caused
the s,oppage of all the electric cars Inc
wav il harpened was This: The priva,c
sirnal for Engine No. is 2-2-j repeated
twice The signal % The power-house TO
cut of the current is 90. The party in
charge al the motor house hearing lhr
signal 2-2-j twice repeated, and ihe
sounds on the gong fdding uP .. TOOK
wha, be considered reasonable precau-
ton, and cut of the current NupeF'n'
tendent Thompson, who turned IN the
sicnal the moment his attention was
called 10 this, went TO his office and sig
nailed the power house TO turn on the
current, and so but little delay was
caused in the operation of ;he cars.
The horse cars were all punched on
either side Of The building on fire because
of two lines of hose crossing their tracks.
Finally. when the fire was about out, the
cars were enabled, by means OF stride,
10 cross the hose without interfering
with them.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Mcssrs. Binswanger 4 Co. estimate
their losses at about $4,000 land their
insurance at about $ls 900. reveral bust
ness houses have heartily offered TO MI
their orders for their customers until tn y
can straighten up their affairs. Tie sash
and building department OF the house
was not injured.
Later investigation shows that the
stock of goods belonging to Messrs. Bin
swanger Il Co is $4,000 and IS placed ia
agencies represented 10y d. y. Walker
& Co. and Julius S,raus.
Mr.. Binswanger in conversation WITH
The reporter said that he was satisfied
that $4,000 would not cover his loss.
The reporter went in the cellar and
saw the floor flooded with water and the
barrels of goods there partially or wholly
burnt. The insurance men do not think
the loss Will equal $1,000 on the stock.
The building is owned by Mr.. =. !.
Cannon and is fully insured. The dam
age to the building is triiing, consisting
only of some damage TO the floor which
docs not amount to 500 1t will, how
ever, cost something more 70 pump the
water from the cellar.
Iortunc-Te!ier.