Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-16
AN EARLY MORNING FIRE.

A Blaze on Third Avenue Suspected to b
of Incendiary Origin-The Third At
tempt Within the Last Twelve Months
For the third time in the last IL months &
destructive fire broke out in the large tir
goods warehouse of John Hamilton, at Nos
81 and 63 Third avenue, and indications
strongly point to incendiarism.
About 1:3O o'clock this morning Wilson
Adams, the young watchman Of the two
buildings which face each other from op
posite sides of the street, was making his
customary rounds when he discovered
fire burning rapidly in the rafters
of the building. He Immediately
sounded the alarm and upon the
arrival of Fire Company No. 1, second
alarm was sent in. Such q period of wait.
ing ensued before the arrival of the other
companies that the building was wrapped in
flames before tine 6remen had the hose at
tached to the neighboring water plug.
Decay With the Water.
After playing a few moments some acci'
dent befell and for nearly five minutes
there was but one solitary stream of water
upon the consuming flames. The
fremen worked hard and those
from Company No. l endangered
their lives by mounting the fire escape,
outside the warehouse, to the very top,
where the sitting smoke and flames poured
out upon them in dense volumes
The fire had vigorous headway and the
department was at last powerless to
check the consuming element The
sky was of an inky blackness,
overcast with heavy clouds, and as
the bright, cracking flames gushed and
rolled out of the windows from all sides of
the building and leaped madly upward,
the sight was an impressive one.
People stood in large numbers upon the
each other in their efforts to more
closely approach the rapidly burning
building. Officers from Central station
stood beside the fire lines and kept back
the crowding spectators.
AComplete Wreck.
Streams of water began to play upon the
with terrible crash, and the
heavens were illumined with great
red glow. The building was completely
gutted. one floor falling in after another
until nothing was left to burn and the four
grim walls formed bed of insufferable
heat.
The building and stock was owned by
John Hamilton, formerly of the firm Of
Fleming & Hamilton. During the last year
three fires have attacked the building, each
time with much damage. The last
fire occurred about month ago and was said
by the watchman to nave been set afre by
some man who has not been ap-
pretended. Mr.. Fleming withdrew
from the firm after the last fire, and the
business was conducted by John Hamil-
ton.
The watchman said he did not think the
fire was Of incendiary origin, and had proba-
bly, been burning some time before he dis
covered it. When asked few questions
he insolently replied.
"You fellows want to know too much. I
have talked all 1 am going to-" and he re-
fused to say more.
What seems to give credence to the sup
position that the fire was more than q
natural one is the fact that all fires were put
out at o'clock last evening, and no kind
of 3 fire was upon the fifth
floor nor near the roof between
that time aud the discovery Of the fire.
Another thing is that both of the previous
fires broke out in the same place and about
the same time of night.
The loss is roughly estimated at $50, 900 on
stock and building. The proprietor could
not be found this morning.