Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-12-16
euickly as he had entered it. AT that


time the entire second floor and the hun
dreds of chairs, cushions, stock ofplush,
material, &c, &C., was ablaze. As is
known, the Deis factory was located
some distance from the power house Of
the electric railway, and the operatives
of the latter were all in the house at the
time with the doors shut, and it was
some time before they discovered that
the factory was burning. BY that time
the light had become visible in this
city, SO much so that Mr.. Geo. Il. Hill
saw it from his residence, Oh south
Washington street, and repairing TO an
upper story beheld flames !eaping from
the furniture factory. He quickly tel
ephoned TO the office of the electric rail-
way, asking the occupants if they knew
the furniture factory at New Alexan-
dria was burning This was the query
which caused the stampede described
above. About three months were re-
quired to erect this structure. which was
of brick with a heavy slate roof. TWAS
2SS feet long and 6S feet S inches in
width. The boiler room was Il sort of
annex separated from the main build
ing by heavy brick wall. The
store-room was isolated from the
factory proper, and was of wood not
one splinter of which remained this
morning. The plant originally cost up
wards of $50, 600, and with the machin-
cry, workmen's tools, material and the
thousand and one adjuncis to such an
establishment. is said to have been
worth when the Knockout whistle blew
yesterday evening not less than SO 900.
The insurance is but $1,000. Messrs
Janney & Wariield had been directed
to place $50 900 insurance on the prop
erty, but had placed only $3l, 900, the
policies for the other 81, 900 not having
been signed. OF the $3l 900 81 900 had
been placed with Mr. l.. Stahler, $4,000
with Messrs Wise & CO., $1,000 with
Mr.. r. +. Knox and $4,000 with
Messrs. Janney & Warield. Neither OF
the Alexandria companies held policies.
There are all sorts of theories as 10 the
origin OF the fire, many not worth re-
pcating but the most authentic is given
by Sir. Geary, who was the only person
in the building at the time, and he says
it started in the wood room on the sec
end floor, but how, is query apparent
" as unanswerable as that connected
with thousands of fires. Some of the
officers of the company believe the fire
to be Of incendiary origin. The build
ing was heated throughout by steam
and lighted Ivy electricity. Smoking
was positively prohibited, and no fire
was allowed, nor was any required, eX-
cept in the engine building, which, as has
been stated, was an annex from which
the main building was protected by
heavy brick wall. Six hundred thous-
and bricks had been used in erecting
the factory and millions Of feet of lum
Der One hundred and fifty chairs were
turned out each day by eighty-four en-
ployees. 4 representative OF the Ga
zETrE mad conversations with DR.. Mof-
fat and Nlessrs Dunn and Fletcher, Of
the Deis Company-the two-last named,
while they feel the loss leenly, don't
seem to be men 10 be crushed by any
ordinary calamity, and sensibly say
they are not the only ones who have
had such set-backs. ana can, like many
others, emerge phoenix like from the
ashes of the fire which has so material
ly retarded the progress of their COM
pany. DR.. Moflatt however, said en-
phaticaliy that the building would be
replaced as quickly as possible, and
th..t this calamity would be a mere
temporary setback to the Deis COM
pany. The far tory was owned by the
Deis Mandatory Company. the aapi,
tai stock OF which is $4,000, $4,000
worth of which is held by the Land
aud River Improvement Company.
Mr. 7. II. Deis, President Of the COM
pany, has been telegraphed, and will
be here in few davs-Wheu sumo ac-
ton in ysga,d to rebuilding will be de-
termined on. The company are en-
dcavoring to procure offices in this
city, and it is said the officers are Sc
riously contemplating leasing sG-ip suit
able structure ion u temporary factory
until new one shall have been erect
ed at New Alexandria. The electric
cars have been crowded al dsy in
transporting pes5on irom this city and
Washington TO the scene of the fire.