St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-08
WORST SINCE THE WAR.
Fire Destroys the Best Business
Block in Petersburg.

t1re destroys tue bcSC DuSincSS
Block in Petersburg.
PETERSBURG, Va, Nov. This city
sustained the heaviest loss by fire to-
day it has experienced since the war.
Flames were discovered about o'clock
this morning in the rear of the store of
A. Rosenst0ck & Co., or George H..
Davis & Co. Owing to the density of
the smoke it could not be ascertained in
which it originated. Soon flames burst
out of ROsenstock'S front door and
spread themselves with frightful rapid
ity. An alarm was sounded and the
fire department responded. but being
unable to make much Roadway, help
was asked from Richmond. That
city sent two engines but the
fire was practically under con-
troll before their arrival, the train hav-
ing been delayed Ell route. The build
ings in which the fire started were
located in what is known as the "lrOn
'front.' block OH Sycamore street, near
Tabb. The block consisted of five
stores, each five stories high, and was
the handSomest in the city. The block
was soon mass of flames, which COM
municated to the buildings on each side
and swept across the street. consuming
sixteen places of business before they
were stopped. Tho stores burnt on the
east side of the street are j. II. Rob
ert. furniture dealer; S. S. Bridgers,
general commission merchant; A.
Rosenstock u Co., dry goods and no
tons; George Fl. Davis, wholesale and
retail dry goods and n0tiOns; M. NJ.
Davis Il Co., wholesale and retail dry
goods and fancy goods; w. t. Plummer
q VI 10 nfnH 1f.a l.ar.r ~,
hardware: Il. w. Price, wholesale and
retail dealer in groceries; E. P. p. Har-
grave, grocery; q. G. Brooks, stoves
and tinware. On the west side of the
street the buildings burned are those of
P. NJ. Steward 81 Co., carriage and har-
ness maker: Western Union telegraph
Office, Odd Fellows hail., Young Mems
/ Christian association hall, store of A. j.
Clements, boots and shoes and leather
dealer; law office of W. L. T. G. Wat
kinS and Mayor Charles +. Collier; auc-
ton house of p. s. Seabury, and Office
of William Il. Nichols. coal dealer. The
total loss is estimated at 100000, and
the insurance is estimated at $3.50, 600.
The individual losses as far as obtain
able are as follows: Robert 4 CO., $780,
600; insurance, $4,000; Ettricks, Ma
toaca and Patterson Cotton Manufact-
urlng company, S9,0U0; nearly covered
by insurance; George II. Davis & Co..
100000; insured; M. M. Davis & Co.,
$4,000; w. Il. Plummer & Co., $40, 200;
partly insured; A. RosenStock Il Co.,
stock $4,000; insurance, $4,000. The
iron block in which the foregoing stores
were located cost S125,000 An unfort-
innate occurrence was the killing of
Lieut.. George Crichton, of the police
force. He went into the store of Eppes
Hargrave while it was on fire, with
Joseph W. Hargrave, to get a small
amount of money that the latter had in
the money drawer. He was caught by
some heavy timbers and the partition
wall of A. w. Prices store and was in
stantly killed. His body was terribly
burned. Capt. Eanes, chief of police,
helped to get Hargrave out of the WIN
dow. He also endeavored to get Crich-
toms body out before it was burned. but
he was driven back by the fierce heat.
Hargrave escaped with a slight cut on
the hand. Crichton leaves widow and
six children. The origin of the fire is
unknown, but it is supposed to have
been caused by defective fiue.