Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-20
1HE EIRs ALTERNATE.
The Scene Of the Site Of the Burned Eie-
vator Yesterday.


The Scene of the Site Of the Burned Eie-
vator Yesterday.
An that remained of the grain elevator
Yesterday was q smoking mass of IRON,
grain, and scorched timber. Huge piles OF
delris met the eye on almost every side, an9
the very air smelled of burned wood ana
Of smoke. For hundreds of yards around
houses in the neighborhood were biistered
and scorched by the heat. while vegetation
in the vicinity was completely, withered.
In the southwestern corner OF the former
site of the immense building mere Is
huge pile of partially-burned gram wnlcl
appears In some manner to have escapeu
the rayages of the flames. The cereals.
however, are so badly damaged by water
and smoke that but little If any use can DC
made of them. The tall brick smoke-stac 4
OF the engine-house is the only survivor OF
the confiagration and il stands amidst
mass of twisted iron bolts, brick. ana TIM
Der.
There seems TO be great uncertainty as
TO the origin of the fire and its real cause
appears 10 be unknown. Many persons ~
the workings of the elevator say that the
grain stored in the building has been IN
tenselv hot for several DAYS, and that on
one or two occasions recently hre mas
been discovered IN 1t.
CONFLICTING REPORTS.
Tho watchman could not be found by
the DISPATCH reporter yesterday, but a
gentleman who had conyersed with MN
Stated that this official attributes the
cause Of the flames to hot box IN one OF
the pulleys. The railroad authorities say
that no grain was stored in the building IN
the place where the fire originated, ana
therefore they discredit the report that
spontaneous combustion was the cause Oh
the catastrophe. On the other hand, per-
sons who were familiar With the workings
of the machinery say that they can hardly
see how sparks could have originated from
the pulley.
Mrs. Salari. the lady whose house and
store on the opposite side of the street
were burned. was one of the first to DIS
cover the flames in the building and quick
" raised the cry. which resulted IN tue
alarm being turned in.
MIR. Duffer. an operative of the railway,
who resides on Buchanan street, saw the
fire when II broke out of the third-story
windows. conductor on the electric car,
which passed the structure just before the
alarm was turned in. failed to observe any,
thing wrong.
Ii is exceedingly difficult to estimate
the loss caused by the fire, but conserva-
tive estimate would hardly make the total
damage more than $4,000, as the structure
and machinery had been built for a num-
Der of years and therefore could hardly be
valued at its original cost, $8l 900. One
of the Chesapeake and Ohio officials said
that he thought another elevator OF ex-
actly the same pattern and dimensions
could be built at much less cost. There
were about 10000 bushels of grain stored
in the building and of this quantity, Mr;
Charles l.. Todd had three carloads OF
oats and one of corn, which were insured
in the Scottish Union Company.
THE INSURANCE.
The elevator building and machinery
were insured for $4,000 at the time OF
their transfer to the railroad company
placed as follows: Williamsburg City
Fire Insurance Company, $500; Peters
burg Savings and Insurance Company,
81 500: London and Lancashire Insurance
Company, 81, 800; Phoenix Insurance Com
pany. $2.5O0; Queen Insurance Company
81 800 Norwich Union Insurance Com
pany, 1880; Queen Insurance Company
81 $50: Queen Insurance Company, $4,000
North American Insurance Company,
81 900 German-American Insurance Com.
pany, Sc, $50; Liverpool and London and
Globe. 81, $50; Liverpool and London and
Globe, s., 800: North American Insurance
Company, S2,500; Portsmouth Insurance
Company, Sl.25O; Home insurance Com
pany, S2,500 National Insurance Com
pany, 81 $50; Underwriters Policy. $1,000
Hamburg and Bremen, 81 SEQ; Hamburg
Bremen, $1,000 American Fire-lnsnranc'
Company, $1,000; Lion Insurance Com
pany. =, 500-total, $4,000.
A railroad official, however, stated that
these blanket policies would bring the in
surance uD 70 $50. 900
The elevator property was leased to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Company on the LIST
of last Juno for q term OF ten years, AnC
the company were to have met few days
ago, but as no quorum was present the
meeting was postponed until yesterday
when all of the old officers resigned. A
reorganization was effected and Mr.. Il. d.
Hotchkiss was elected president and Mr.
C.. e. Wexford secretary. In the last three
weeks over 200 shares OF the stock of the
company have been transferred TO New
York parties.
MRS. sALLARI's LOSS.
The loss of Mrs. Annie Sallari will prob
ably reach over $4,000. as her stock anC
store were entirely destroyed. while hel
furniture were damaged almost be
yond repair. She carried about y, 800 in
surance. The heat from the blazing ele
vator was so intense that the fruit on the
trees in her back yard was cooked on the
branches.
Several shanties on the street west of the
elevator were badly burned, but were
saved from destruction by the efforts o.
the firemen.
The rumor that Mr.. Valray N. Campden
the yard-master of the Chesapeake anC
Ohio railway, was badly burned is ground
less. This gentleman was hale and hearty
yesterday.
1t has not been decided whether the ele
vator will be rebuilt.
DIR. Hawthorne on Ugh Kicking"
The Atlanta Constitution says that on Sun