Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-30

DESTRUCTION OF SMooT's TANNERY. =
,sortIv after y O'Clock last night the build
' 7uU' of Smoot's tan yard were discovered to
,on fire. An alarm was soon sounded,
u "a though the fire department lost but lit
' "'' lime in fastening to the scene of the
~ d,cration, all the buildings save the
W.. street end, where the office is
''.,oted we're completely destroyed. Almost
.a'Titsneous with the discovery of the fire,
.licb originated III the lurnace room, the
ms shot upward illuminating the south
Nv heavens. aud before they could be got
.'a Under control the eutire structure was
ssn iiercely. The firemen worked
gg-.oicsiiy. but il s0on became apparent
tSat he buildings were doomed to destruc
. 80 and that their ef)rts would have to
,''@ 5irpcted towards conGning the conf agra.
~ .;on to the tan yard and prevent its spread
Nv - the niles OF bark and houses close by
T H. Ere burned fercely for four or five hours
80. baat in the msantime becoming intense,
~ inch 50 that tie rails composing the
- in front of the premises were warped
,aj me lies destroyed The oil and tallow
- The building fed the fire continually, and
-. - vas on the ground floor rendered it
S,gardous for auy one not acquainted with
,aa ,remses 70 enter and remove the ipfi am-
NC material, and this morning all that re-
ms nj what had long been successful
ssYaedria enterprise is the office, the re-
der being mass of smoking and char
~ ruins The ward was established by the
n,sn,,f.lhey of the present proprietaiS, the
s,,ar c Sinoot, sebout 20 years ego, and
baj nng been looked upon as an Alexan
5ris institution, about sixty-fve men having
han empoyed Tne STRUCTURES frouted on
V-i-,,s rect. and ex tended a fol, square,
.,cm Washington to St Asaph streets.
Tbsre we're stored in the bn ding and on
,5a PREMISES at no time Of the fire about
- 06A hides mud 3 900 sides of leather, besides
tosipnnmernrie articles required in tam
erv A3ou fifteen years ago all the build
ioG= s,ye the Office We're renewed and
,re facilities OF the es. ab!ishment increased.
The ~ nj present cannot be definitely a.
cerio,urd a. it is Impossible TO tell what
damage has been done to the hides In TIE
yn,s bnt the Messrs Smoot sey tha' it wi
amount to between $40 600 and $50 600.
On ih;s there is total insurance of but
$1,000 on buildings machinery. stock q: d
everything. including horses, &c. The in
snrsnce was divided as follows: Alexandria
Compeny, 81 400; National OF Baltimore,
- 500 Norwich Union of England, 81 AGO;
London and Lancashire, 81 200; West
cbs.tero Nv York, 50 400; Georgia Home,
g coo and Queen, 81 200. OF this amount
lis -sid the Insurance companies will not
lose over Sl2 600, as the bark, horses, and
some other things insured were not damaged.
The Ire was II st discovered by Mr.. George
Walker, The Waterman. who tried to sound
the whistle, hut not having sufficient pres
sure of +tenm, the blast was not loud enough
to b. heard any distance. A locomotive
happened to be passing down Wilkes street
a, tue time, the hands on which heard the
aarm and sounded the engine whistle. and
ina few minutes tho alarm had spread over
the city. Il reporter of the GAzsTTE inter.
viewed Messrs. Harry and ]. Clinton Smoot
this morning, and in reply to his interrogs
tories was told that the tannery would not
in all probability be rebuilt, though they
could lot give definite answer until after
consultation with Mr.. w. B. Smoot, one OF
the ii7m, who is In Sperrvville superintend.
ing the taunery there. That it will be re-
bui!l, however, is extremely improbable, as
experience has proven that the remunera-
ton tanueries in cities is small, tan bark
being delivered 10 Sperrgvile at IS per ton,
while it costs 50 to bring the same here. The
destruction OF the tannery, with the exoep-
ton of that Of the market house building,
is the largest fra that has occurred In tnls
city for the past twenty years.