Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-18


wero rigid with ice. and the courageous
fellows looked as If they had been dipped
in water and then subjected TO some RAPID
freezing process. On the other hand,
many Of the men had their hair, eyebrows
and boards singed while fighting tho de;
vounng element. Mir. +. Loslie P0well
had HIS waving locks scOrched, and his
helmet almost burned TO crisp Wuiie
passing near the flames.
Measrs. Joseph Hefley and William j.
Lucas, members of Engine Company NO:
B. became exhausted from cold and fell at
tneir posts of duty. The former was
placed In a carnage and sent home In q
half-frozen condition. Mr.. Lucas was
taken into Ferriter's place, where he was
the recpien. OF every possible attention.
His suffering was intense, and 1t was some
time before his friends summoned con
yevance and carried him home. little
later Mr.. Hicks, Of No. 2 Truck Company
received q blow on his head from pipe
falling from Mayos factory warehouse de-
partmeutJ. which lncapGclteted hlm fron
duty for several hours.
Mr.. w. L. Smith, fireman belonging 70
No. / Truck Company. while pouring gaSo-
hne-oll on the screw OF the truck IN ordtr
10 tbaw the ice which had gathered on ~,
accidentally spilled some of the oil on his
clothing. The fame on the screw set ms
clothing afre. As soon ss he realized MS
danger he Jumped INTO pile OF snow near
81 hand, thereby eXtlngUsnlng the Dre.
With the exception Of his hair beng siBDt-
~ siuged he was not hurt.
The two fremen who came so near belng
frozen had pretty well recovered last nlght
and were getting along very well.
How AND WHERE IT STARTED.
As above stated. there are several con-
flicting theories about the cause ot tae nre
and the exact place Of its origin. No one
seems to know positively Just now IL
started, cnd tho flames appear 20 nave
made considerable headway before they
were discovered.
Messrs. Mgcr Angle and 7. W. Collins,
the watchmcn who look after the factories
were both on duty when the tames were
noticed. but when approached by a DIS
ptrcH repoTter YESTERDAY they were either
disinclined to talk, or, owing 70 excitement
could remember but few Of the details,
Nr. Angle SAID he made his last round at
A5g o'cI0ck While his companion COM
pleted bis inspection half an hour later.
The FIRE broke out IN the back part OF the
bn,ldipg near the electric-pOWer house. 1t
was first discovered by Mr.. Collins. who
called 10 him and told him TO turn IL the
alarm. which he did at j:25 o'clock.
Mr. Collins also stated that he first saw
the flames near the power-house. After
telling Mr. Angle TO turn in the alarm. he
bastened up 10 the third floor of the burn
ing building with the intention OF turning
on the small hose. wniOh are located on
overy floor The heat and the smoke
forced him TO abandon this undertaking.
THEORY or ELECTRIC wmEs.
Mr.. John Pope and other officers OF the
Alien a GInter Branch incline 10 the beliei
fhot the IRE WAS caused by some OF the
electric wires connected with the power
house. Mr. Pope SAID yesterday that he
vas almost certain that the flames orgl-
mated III tins way, as they had small hre
! IN the roof OF their building some tine ago
which had IT'S origin III precisely the same
manner. ,,-.,.
and Electric Company dlscredlt this
| theory. and say that II would have been
! absolutely impossible for the building to
! have caught IRE from any OF their wires, as
none of them passed over the burned
structure.
Nr.J. :. Huntington, the engineer OF
| the electric plant. was the first OF the men
/ at the pow .r-hou-e to see the names. IN
| conversation WITH o representative OF the
| U1sr,TcH Yesterday afternoon he stated
| that be saw the IRE at 5:1j O'Clock. IT was
then leaping through the windows OF tn"
| small brick iuldlug between the engine
and flr h0lIer-hJuses, which are about
! frtv feet apart. Mr. Huntington SAID
| me- fmmeIiatcly got the hose at Ills e5tab-
! rsbment. and as soon rs he could get the
stream into play he put water on the burh-
ing structure, and subsequently eX-
tiuaulsaed the ire, which had got
len q start on the window-fraInes
and root of the power-house. He
thinks that possibly the fire may have been
caused by some of the steam pipes IN the
factory certainly not Dv an electric wire
or quvfhIug connected with the power
house Nir DunnlngtOn positively assert
ed that no electric wires crossed tho burn
cd building. There were some heaYy IRON
rirders, or guide wires holding the tai
ke-stack ot hIs plant IN position,
which were fastened to the roof of Allen
K Glutpr'- bat these could not in any pos
sible manner have caused combustion.
They merely served as Hracers and had no
connection with anything pertaining TO
elcctrlCltv.
lLe southern walls of the burned fac
tory are seudrated from the pOwer-h0use
bv "a sort OF alley, and. Judging from their
auptarauce, the flames could not ea-iiN
have started from any Of the fires at the
electric plant.
REPEATER BURNED OUT
The formation OF ice upon the fire
alarm wires caused them 10 sag so that
they go crossed and came IN contact with
tine heavv-curreut wires that the local re-
pcater at the tire-alarm headuuarters was
burned entirely out. The casualty caused
q great blaze In the apartment II winch
/ the instrument was situated and gave
quite a shock 10 the man on duty there.
SUPERINTENDENT Thompson and his assist
[ ants worked nearly all last night repair
( ing tie machine. The accident in no way
/ intcrforei with the affairs Of the office, as
! the other Gcpcatcrs were adequate 10 re-
| celve all alarms no matter OF what nature.
NTGRoEs WE'RE DIsoRDKRLY.
Several Officers Of the Second Police
( Station had a nvely tussle Win three us
orderly negroes at the fire about IL o'clock
YESTERDAY morning. Officer Sowell arrest
| ed Sidney Mayo for drunkenness and
b0isterouS conduct, but "A he was about
( 10 take the prisoner TO the statOn-hOuse
/ Grandson and haddcus Mayo, brothers
/ of sidney. jerkrd the accused from
| the policeman Captain AngIe, Sergeant
| Shiuhergtr. and Officers Griffin and Bailey
/ came to the assistance of their comrade
aud took the trio into custody. On the
wav 10 the statIou-hOuse Sidney pulled
! away from Sergeant Shinberger, who bad
! hold OF him. and struck Ohcer SOwell III
l the eve, Whereupon the policeman al
/ mini>tered good clubbing, which quoted
! the obstTeperJus captive. lho negroes
were very disorderly at the FIRE, and Their
! outrageous conduct might have resulted
| in "a serious row had not so many white
/ people been present
/ When tie prisoners were searched al
/ the stAtiOn-hOuSe a razor was found upon
! the person Of Grandson, and the addl-
tonal charge Of carrying concealed Nea-
| pons was entered against him.
MIR. IERRITEB GAVE THEM COFFEE,
As soon as the fire broke out MIR. James
/ Ferr.ter, whose place ls on the southeast
corner OF Seventh and Cary streets,
started his whole force TO boiling coffee
and distributed It TO the hremen free OF
| charge. When an order was sent 10 him tor
| coffee for the department by one OF the
parties whose property was burning he re-
( fused 10 take the money, but SAID he would
| furnish al the beverage needed. Liquor
was freely offered to the tremen, but as u
| rule they preferred coffee.
TIE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS HoME.
Thema building OF the Allen 4 Ginter
| branch that was burned-the one on the
southwest corner of Seventh and Cary
| streets-has quite an interesting history.
| In the early part of the war 1t was used 10y
! the C0ufederates as q soldiers hOme-that
( is 20 say, for a resting-place for soldiers