The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-31

Fif cen minutes past ten O'Clock last night,
while all the interest was asconcentrared a. the
heatre and It's vicinity. the cry of"FIro" VAS
heard on Main and Tenth streets. smoke
was seen TO come on. OF she upper STORY win
low OF II +. Phillips & STEMS csockcry store
at 1913 east Main street. AZ the same mo-
ment an slarm was turned Ia nom box i3by
rOliceuan Farley, who. on his round, bad
oass, d through the ally between Tenth and
Sleventh streets. and seeing the smoke
preakiDg our, run nj fpn speed "
notify the hose company. hlnloss
| passed The front 81 the store am aaNe ,he
| alarm from box 81. At the Sa1e moinent
frivate Waterman Smiihers was on hsna
md he. With Mr. Fleming, ofoke 90 u nsS
| lr0nt door OF the store and cndeovorcd u dis
cover the origin OF the IRE. They did not get
| f'r however. On account Of ila utter dark
| ness In the building and the dense smoke.
Meanwhile the police officers, secing mat
| the hose company would be OF no avail, tnfn-
| -d IN second alarm. and In very ntlo
ume which, however. seemed an h0ur ~
nose anxiOusly Whiting. NUMBER OF sieahi-
eis put In an appt aiauce. steamer No was
| he first one 10 a. rive, but was almost Inn =
| lately followed by oilers. No. took POSI-
non 0n Tenth street opposite tbr alley, ana
| ran line Oi hose up the alley Considerable
,t the fire It took several minutes
before the nremen. aided by some
| citizens, succeeded IN breaking open
the doors OF the sub cellar and base
| ment. leading into the alley. The doors were
tll covered with heavy shect-irOD, and axes
were OF little avail. As soon as the doors
were forced open big column OF fire brOko
out, and the three lines OF those which. IN
the meantime, had reen directed against the
building, were entirely insufficient TO check
The force OF the fire demon.
ATTEMPT TO CONFINE 1T.
The whole square was by that time encir-
led by steamers, and all that human power
could do was tried to restrict the iirc 90 tho
place Of It's Ori in. steamer No. D took posi-
ion at Tenth and Main, No 2 at Iwelfth and
Main. No. at Bank and Eleventh street and
No. Sat Ninth and Main. Hook and lndder
truck No. took OsitiOn In front of Phillips
* STEMS store. and Truck No. followed uD
| closely and drew up 10 mont OF the rOsiOftice
tor about haifan hour ms flames could be-
| noticed from Main street, tut Il appeared
soon after that the IRE had ma f. rapid head
Aay There were large quantities OF hay and
straw storcl away N the basement near the
illrN entrance, and the suhcellar was nlled
with parking boxes and harrolsOt all descftp-
uun. II j. supposed that the nro broke
3ut In the rear part oi the second story, a a
through the elevator found nn easy com.
muncatlOn with the other stories. II took
Jnly "a few minute until the whole building
40 the rear was ahlaze. lhe two streams OF
Natcr directed ggainst the flames in the
a>cmcnt and tho one used in the sub cellar
Veic Of lutlo avail considerable timc
elaps Il until ladders could he brought into
'he alley, hut ana tuis time TIE ire
Lcn worked Ncrr hard lp prevent the flames
nom making aHN more ilu.iWuY soon ailer
he breaking 0ut 90 tlc Nunl 4 some Z the
D emcu a. the Telephone .LXrnauge and tha
Western Union Telegraph Company cnucaV-
1frd 10 cui lhe wir's 3D. ssf lhe hremen
Jelt,r nee As t1 goo btilIl 70. george AM
'ou ni ilc clrphuI. htchlnHr, was lhe nist
luc tu climb ul .Ic- pI-,D,t nnt began
|H d d.. IL
.hr eIec'uc cu.r.ni wa turned oI if7m tle
uw,r. house. aud utier dul>ucss reisuei ia
ue vicinity Oi tluiI U4l ltuiu sire O.. fne
ii,m. 90 We're cuulrrIl.l tn DDS ny tht light
li o. ieW n.r. hes uutI li Nas possible to ID fht
tieN ts lamps neif los.
WoAhIso LIKE EEAyEAs.
WIFI, tne nDueni in tla rear were work
us lfNr beavers. 100 .r In fIp lIuuf We e. NOT
.lr. big crowd nud gather. d .fouui The
.ellty, pnd police officers auA nrcmeu hld
ncu hluts iuli to claaf enough b aace frr ihs
workers TO nlht the iic. ihef VIE no possl-
nlllty Of grtIiugaf inrs nt uf fhe nro ln ihc
Ja>eue ut from the Maiu street side 'nlv
alter some pieces az lluh.r hfi been secured
10 Nus possible iO bic.h some col tIu heavy
lron frames which nnd leen loi into the side
wal.sln mont OF fup store. Whom tlis was
done the flames broke cut 100 large columns.
iud in ID lew moments ih.' r-achnd the
Imc.a a oy,p bniy wasi in hopes ihni ihc
rre might ba confined q" these hoois.
| However. this hop' proved to ba an
dlc one. aid for suiue tmf The ener-
ztt.c Efforts on tus Iaft cod the n'c depart
mttt seemed 90 d. lDWrrlo-s. Ihr hrHt WIS
intense ana s.Nfrul 0f tlt large lla a. of the
wludoWso of tIe adjoining building 90 me Nr-
elnll llf- aud Maune lusumncr company
lufsted DO r0ncOusDquencc OF 20 The Oul-
GERS of tnst company were on nand eaflyHud
! lO ne prepared or the WuIsi. removed Their
| books 90 SOME safe place.
! Wtcu truck 40. dr ye mp lu mont of tho
I fN.. I..
Wis impossible. o. IeIn To against the mont ~
| thc buildius. ilr tuo NUM- 'us wires stretch
"a across lu mont &C the hou o. prevent 'd tue
Ia.pr0aCn. Two OF three nremen, however.
ritiubed up fne ladder about half way alli
Diityed y $ rtam 81 water nom n distance %
! the building While they aero putting 4
the hose lt broke AWAY from inem and ~
stream of ". ter for several minutes dFfneii-
ed the crowd ln It's re- en-.
BR0GE AFaf-M
About J o'cloc, % seemed as B, he fro.
men in the alloy nnd the hrc under cOniiof.
but only a i,W seconds later it bir8c Out
with renewed force lu lh- ltunt part ~ thc
building. Half an hour lat"r Tie whole mont
vas "A sea Of fire. and the pig crowd very Will
| ingl retired iOf some distance, icailnf inat
at any moment HE non mont 81 tie building
might tumble IN.
turned on again west of ienth street ani the
| work WAS made somewhat easier Tor the
| men could rec again what thcy were
IdOlug Although ~ seomei al one time ~
| If he haIncs uad been stayed IA the rear ot
! fhe building they soon & una some adii-
| +t,pal fuOd and brH lle out again with renewed
| f,rce. Il was necessary 10 bring additional
! adders ln requi,itiDn in order 20 protect tho
,diolnmg hundinEs. he Wo had already
,p,lpg over % T.. g. laylor's buildiug ana
! rbe foV nOor was surrounded by "a dense
! smoke ladder Was Eun up IA tho
r,ar ~ owens x Minors dTu1 store and
| A nall fdo zen ircmeu TOOK nose up pHlih thfm
fNaa.f fIIn. Ia fl.la lIf.
| snildinQ.. Matters looked very serious ~
| III fiune ana rave fears were entertained
| mai the whole block was doomed. Ihs
o,gue = Of the several places oi business m
ne bl0ck mad reached tneir Offices aud began
! =. ,rruare themselves for the WOfft. Looks
| a., ne lacked up and numhet OF men were
| t,t.y rrmOyug the record books from tho
| yseyk f, Office Of the Circuit court ibt0~the
! p,stofnce building. The crowd On sioln.
| hetwcsn Tenth and Eleventh. sirrcts. IN
! .,.a.ed - time wore on ana "A long string
..,s was blockaded On either Siue Of tbs
,eene Of the dis1stef'
UNpEK CONTROL.
| A. balfpast twelve u became evident 20
the on-lOOkers that the nfeinen were benin-
oine 10 sain the mastery. The glare begoD 10
t'rn,, t'n, ,,risD and the flames cOuli only BE-
ssef. al intervals above the fooL IHfe@
peavy streams were kept col staniiy ON
| ~ fyout and as many playing in the az,
enJbyI 1 o'clock their efforts were plainly
atou, ~ o'clock all the books and papers
,.o,o H.. tity Circuit court and from tho
,,la,e,s and rherins Offices we're removed
| - safely stored IN the postoiiiee.
1 me loss on the building Uf tbe Virginia
rirs and Marine Insurance Company was
| rtnciostly from water. although ihe BNes
| -, ,icEs OF the rtemcn fDa ie sad havCe.
ri 'rhs ofice Of the Central Presbyterian was
.,.nseed by tho nrc only slightly. but The
ne vas haily pied hg ~ oral streams %
w'gar,er Tne Office ~rss Hooded ami the dam-
ace Is suite neaVy' $50.
-. cen burning under the northwest cOF-
10, - the Virginia Fire and Marine build
- ~. 80 must have done considerable dam =
l,,-. Is a. tns foundation of filc house.
COZ 0N rOP
! .noot 1 o'clock :he rtcmen reached tEe
80, a., III the Rosfan ard cft fhclr ssy
a. tr,,,,n several Tuck wQlls vntii fhcy eject
.o ,.ntuanre ivfo ne tup "a 81 VI v A..
, 'rar1.,fs Ihey thea Gus n Lolc through the
'',-sf aud after geiiiut On TOP fii sVO6 ser-
80 'rbe latlii ocfupied bf h. fayi0r
- f,,tl, huf, b ihr irr. except the top
-, IN. Uas badly buliiril in several
,,l.s std a large rart 0I the ceiling aud
- eat aaay by IN nrelneu. Maier
',a,evrr. dld lmmeass daioaac. Tbs old
.',,.vsrb of the bull IA ne cnina shop WIS
p'.s, sealy Illustrated. The Immense st0e,g
~ s,,,e alsss ana orOcksry ware WAS kn0c4e
0sirer.sxslier. aud every noor Was uctAiiy