The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-02
THE BIG FIRE.
VISIT TO THE SCENE THE DAY AFTER
THE DISASTER.

The scene OF tne ulSdotiOus NV
Wednesday night. or rather Thursday
morning. was visited Yesterday morn
ing by a large number of people. The
mud was still there. and for few briei
hours the sun seemed like as though IT
wanted 10 shine but could not. Many
went there really to inform themselves
but the major portion OF the visitors
were merely curiosity seekers. and they
had the mud and water for their pains
Superintendent st Armand, in CONVEX
sation ycstsday with TINES reporter
said that he believed that certainly fifty
horses and mules had been burned.
Mr.. St. Armand worked like Trojan
during the fire. He got wet to the skin
and knee deep in water and mud. lie
worked in the stables until fireman
said "ycu must 60 out. "
why
Don't you hear the timbers crack
/ ing. " replied the fireman.
The superintendent then got out and
| in a few minutes the roof fell in. The
/ fireman understood his business.
The horses and mules, Mr.. st. Armand
said. were housed in the Leigh street
stables. These stables were for num-
Der Of years used for sailing all the
horses and mules on street railways IN
Richmond. 1t is only in recent years
that the new car building and stables
have been erected on west Main street,
Just outside Of the city limits.
SCENE OF THE DISASTER.
The question was asked the reporter
yesterday how far the city railway
property on which the fire occurred
was outside the city.
Lombardy street is the one at the
confluence with Main street, is where
West End school building stands. 1t
is the handsOmest in the city though
having a counterpart at the corner Of
Marshal and Nineteenth streets. Cross
the street and walk about fifty yards.
and YOU have to cross the boundary
line between the city Of Richmond and
the county of Henrico. Crossing the
line you are in front of the property be-
longing to the Richmond City Railway
Company.
Yesterday morning the debris re-
NAMED where it was left. At GoclOck
the fremen gathered up their hose and
departed homewaTd, having done the
hardest night 5 work. OF six hours du-
ration. since most Of them became
members Of the Fire Department.
THE STROKE Of LIGHTNING
which caused the disaster struck the
building at 1883 Z. NJ. The peal Of
thunder which followed shook up all
the people in the neiehbOrhool. Every
one believed the bolt struck something
but did not give the matter very much
thought. and turning over went again
to sleep. One well-known gentleman.
who lives on the Grove road within
three hundred yards Of the line, was so
sound asleep that he was only awakened
when the mules were driven past his
house to their new quarters on Leigh
street.
Mr. st. Amand said Yesterday that
the entire building was Quilted. Moth
ing remained but the walls minus a
part of the south gable wall. which fell
in while the TINES reporter was stand
ing not more than thirty feet from it,.
As stated yesterday the wind was from
the South and blowing North. which
kept the flames from reaching the car
building, in the front of which the
offices are.
The accurate dimensions Of the build
ing burned was 90 feet by l65. II was
two stories high, but reached from the
floor to the rafters Of the roof without
any intervening floor.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Captain Andrew Pizzini, the secre-
iary and president Of the company. was
seen yesterday and asked as 10 the
amount of the losses. He replied the
losses were as follows:
Building. $1,000; horses and mules.
1000. harness and material. 81 800;
feed. &C.. - 600. Total. Sl4.lO0.
You can say. said he, that the
loss. including damage 10 cars, will
make the loss anything between $4,000
and so 600.
What about the insurance."
The total insurance on this particu-
lar building and all its contents amounts
to $40 COS There were a large mum
Der of policies covering all the property
of the company in one place or another.
Mr.. Pizzlni promised two reporters 70
send the exact amount that each COM
pany owed on this particular building
the horses harness, and feed to their
respective papsrs, but did not do SO.
Captain Pizzlui was sent for 20 his
house, but the reply was that he was
not in the city, which, no doubt, &c
counts for his failure to send the list.
The amount $40, $50 is divided among
the following companies Scottish Union
and National Insurance Company, Of
Edinburg: Sun. Of London. England
London and Lancashire. of Liverpool.
German American, Of New York. Ham
burg Bremen. Lion. of London: London
Assurance, Corporation and CONNER
cial Union, Of London.
RUNNING THE CARS.
Dlr St. Armand yesterday quickly got
cut six cars on the Broad street line
and six on the Main street line making
twelve in all. This morning he VIII DO
a great deal better.
THANKS TO THE DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. St. Amand suggested to Captain
Andrew Pizzini yesterday morning 10
write a letter to Chief Fuller, thanking
him and his men for the valiant work
that he and they did. Also. To write
one thanking the employe, of the COM
pany for the work they did in saving
horses and cars from the flames. Cap
tain Pizzini said he would write each
letter with pleasure. aud assured the
reporter that he would send copy Of
each TO HIM as soon as the originals
were written, SO that they could be pub
lished.
superintendent Thompson says that
the bolt OF lightning entered the build
ing by the copper wire connecting with
an electric moter. The same bolt Jump
ed to the roof because the ground
wire was not large enough to carry off
the current.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT
from Superintendent Thompson is a.
follows.
we received the alarm from station
81 at 10 10 A. NJ, about ten or twelve
after the flash of lightning.
l am Of opinion, after a careful ex-
an nation. that the fire was caused by
passing over the branch wire /.
which Is connected to the feed wire OF I
the Union Passenger Company 5 wire al /
Reservoir street and used nj the stable I