Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-27
BOX "13" .TURNED.IN
A SMALL BUT vEaY EXCITING FIRE
LAST NIGHT.
for tho Second Time Within
Week.

Thirteen--the DISPATCH box-the most
dreaded fire signal ia Richmond. was
turned in at 1890 o'clock last night and.
as is always the case when that number
sounds. created great excitement and
brought thousands of people TO the neigh
borhood of Twelfth and Mein streets.
The fire was III the Rough AshLdr office,
on the second floor to the rear Of the City
Bank building.
The flames were discovered by Captain
Houchins. watchman of the state BANK,
which - the adjoining Duildlng on the
east. and he reported the fact 70 mr.
Henry Boudar. who was at work IN the
State Bank, and ono OF the regular clerks
OF the bank, VINO was similarly engaged.
The latter telephoned to SUPERINTENDENT
Thompson. who turned in - from hre-
alarm headquarters, the ban6 clerk saving
that ne could not leave the bank 70 90 TO
the box at the corner below.
PRE- BARD TO LOCATE.
The signal brought out Engines Nos. g.
4, and and Truck No. /. but these were
upon the scene for some minutes before
the fire could be located. The rumor
spread through the crowd that the State
Bank was on fire and that d man was
locked up in II. but 1t was with dlfhculty
that the firemen could detect either flames
or smoke. It appears that what little fire
there was could only be seen from one
point, and that point was the head OF the
stairway leading to the lower vaults OF the
State Bank. II was while ascending these
stairs that Captain Houchins saw 1t.
STORED THE BcoKs AWAY
As soon as everything was made fast in
the State Bank, Mr.. BOudar, who has
KEY 10 the City Bank, entered the iatter;
A of Dnrppll
other clerks who had arrived. stored all
the Citv-Bank books in the vault OF that
institution SO as to protect them from
water.
The department responded with the
greatest promptncss The telephone mes
sage coming as II did from the state BaEk
"phone." and It's wording produced the
impression at headquarters that the nre
was in that bank and even when the fire.
men found that IL was over the City Bank
they had to break down three doors 70 get
M il. A good many Of the crowd had
started to g home under the impression
that there was no fire at all when Its actual
location was determined.
THINKS IT WAS INCESDIARY.
Tho rooms adjoining the Ro'tqh Ashidr
Office and TO tho front Of the building are
occupied by Bradstreets Mercantile
Agency. Mr.. Whltty, the agent OF Brad
street. expressed the opinion last night
tta, the fire was Of incendiary origin.
When he went to tho Office last FRIDAY
morning. he said his employees reported
to him that the boy in the Rough Astlm
Office had told them that the night before
an attempt he'd been made TO fire the
Ro,t7l Astldr office. He went back TO the
rear OF that Office. and IN the tolet-room
discovered a lot of charred straw ana
paper, which he thought undoubted evil
dence OF incendiGrism.
LAST NIGHTS FIRE.
The flames originated last night in a
storace-room at the southern end OF the
Eut3h AShldr apartments. This room was
filed with old papers. boxes, straw ana
other combustible material. In II were
all the papers of the British consulate,
which were practically DESTROYED. Among
these documents were complete accounts
Of tho battles of the late war and many
! other papers OF value. Mr.. =. A. >. BRINE,
Acting Nlce-Consul, had stored these IN
this place simply 10 get thom ont ot the
the way There was no insurance on them.
The FIRE was confined to this little room,
although other parts of the building,
which Ia owned by Mrs. Ann h. Grant;
were slightly damaged by smoke ana
wafer and by the necessary cutting ana
breaking into doors.
There was some injury TO the carpet and
furniture OF the hoVph ANUW Oiaiy'
which ia probably the finest and best
equipped Masonic library in the Sonth.
None of the books are thought to have
been injured.
MIR. c. W. Dunstan, proprietor of the
Ro,,qh Ashidr, told a DISPATCH reporter
that his effects were insured for $500 IN
the London Insurance Company through
John If. Claiborne. He remarked that he
exunguished fire in the same place
about week ago. This vas probably the
one referred TO by Mr.. Whitty.
Mrs. Grant, owner of the building,
proposed 10 begin somo improvements on
the house to-day.
4 Chimney on Fire.
The alarm Of fire during the storm yes
terday afternoon caused some apprehen-
sion. 1t was due. however, TO the burning
of the chimnev of house near the corner
of Hancock and Broad streets, and the
damage amounted TO but little.