The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-15

| Mr.. Julius StrauS IN tne palllnloit l"Su-
| rance Company. 1900, and Mr.. George {.
| Jenerson IN the Hartford $1,000.
The water poured into Jahnke's estab-
| Hshment. and holes had 20 be cut IN the
| third story floor. The water then fell
| into the bedrooms OF the Messrs.
Jahnke and then into the store itself.
! Plastering fell from the ceiling Of the
first floor, and. with the water did con-
siderable damage. Fortunately the most
valuable of the stock was locked in the
safe, but a great many tools, clocks. etc,
/ received a drenching
The Messrs. Jahnke's property Is in
| sured in Messrs. Howard Swinef0rd's and
| r. Morris Shuman's companies 10 the
| amount OF 5000, which Will fully cOYer
| the loss.
Mr.. W II. Howard did not lose much
| by the fire. He reached the place soon
| after the blaze was discovered. and,
! unlocking his safe removed all Of his
valuable papers tickets. sc. lie did
not carry any insurance.
The most dlllgent inquiry failed 10 cs-
| tablish the fact as 20 who IS the owner
OF the property occupied by Leftwich.
The most definite information, however
was that It was owned by a Philadelphia
concern. and is fully covered by insurance
in the Mutual Assurance Society or Viz
ginia. Mr.. J. II. Crenshaw. on north
Eleventh street is the agent Of the prop
erty. which was damaged 10 the amount
OF about 5000
The wire which fell on the trOlly-wire
was dead one. and IS possibly
remnant Of the old Clay line, which was
established here several years ago In
opposition 70 the Bell Telephone Com
pany. The wire may also have bech
used as n burglar alarm from NoWlal
7.fn ctr
II was not Il telephone wire as none or
the latter are on Main street, and Che
telegraph wires were uninJured at the
time the fatal wire fell.
The alarm 70 shut off the electric cur
rent was sent I'm quite a long time before
the lights went out on the circuit ana
the reason Of the delay, said Superintend-
ent ". II. Thompson IS that some one
interferred one Of his men sent In
the signal 1910, but at the same moment
some one thinking that they knew what
they were about turned in the same
alarm from the Cary-street engine-houSe'
The result was confusion, and the power
house officials received three tens on their
gong. That not being the signal for the
current to be turned Off, they paid no
attention to it. thinking. naturally, that
when the fremen wanted the current
turned off they would do so. It was
n natural superstition, ana important
concerns. including The Times office. be-
ing on the circuit, the power-house men
had no right to deprive any one Of light
until they received instructions from
the man who ought 10 know-the chief
Of the Fire Department.
The fault is evidently upon the head
Of the man who went TO the Cary-street
englne-house. He should have let proper
m 1 4 4I.rf.r rffr1 Ifr1a
what a great many people should do at
fres-attend 10 their own individual
business. Al any rate. It proves that
there are many wires strung across
Main and other streets that should be
taken down and also proves that every
step possible should be taken by the
Richmond Fire Department TO prevent
confusion in the sending in Of alarms.
Had the signal been properly received
Septon Lucy would not have met with
his unfortunate accident.
The house burned was the first one
built on the block after the devastation
Of evacuation day. 1t was built bv Fair
banks & Robertson. wholesale paper deal
ers. who also built one Of the present
paper mills. BY n decree Of the court
Il was sold and during It's existence
10 had many occupants For many years
Ramos & Moses occupied the stand. after
wards by Walter y. Moses, and lately by
the Plymouth Rock Company.
Henry Cohn, an eX-hreman. while NOV
ing away from fallen glass and window
sashes, was cut severely on his right
hand. he was taken 10 the drugstore
OF Poy,hress & Co. and his wounds were
dressed by Or. D. 4. Kuyk.
A fireman during the fire fell from a
ladder a distance Of fifteen feet. and
4 o,,Ixy o.
was attended by DR.. J. w. Pierce at Polk
Miler's. and was soon able to resume
his duties.
Fell from the Third Story.
About 1890 o'clock this morning young
man. w. J. Nichols known as Buck,
fell from the third story Of \. +. Jahnke's
jewery store The fall was about thirty
feet. and his skull was badly fractured.
The ambulance was summoned. and he
was taken TO the almshOuse, where the
doctor I'm charge examined and said that
while his case was one OF severe concus-
sion OF the brain. his chances Of recovery
were toerably good.
Why he was I'm Jahnke's establishment
was not definitely settled. Mr.. Jahnke
remembers lighting lantern for man
he took TO be a fireman, and this man,
who was evidently Nichols, was seen
10 70 up fldlfS 10 inc luliu Elplfs iiI
may have been overcome by the smoke,
and. regaining semi-conSciousness, crawled
60 the window and fell out, or he may have
gone asleep after the fire and fallen out
of the window. lie had been drinking.
Nichols Is correspondent of the Sport
ing News, and was employed as collector
by n. y. Hargrove. Son q CO. Where he
lives could not be ascertained last even
ing. and he had not regained conscious
ness this morning at o'clock
Notes About the Fire.
Mr.. Joseph l.. Levy, Fire Commissioner,
in q conversation. emphasized the i'm
pOrtance Of burying the wires, and re-
marked on the danger to life and limb
Of the fremen in fighting a blaze with
a network OF fire-alarm, police-telegraph
and electrc-light wires 10 hinder them.
A large crowd Of sympathizing and
curious men and boys gathered around
the body of jim. the police dog, who lay
stretched out in the mud and water,
frcom burst hose I'm his last sleep.
Everybody struck a match, and read the
inscription on his collar, and sighed
farewell 10 "Our jim"
Mr.. Craigie, Of the Electric Light Com
pany. ran 10 the works himself, and said
that just as he reached there the three
tens" were coming in The report there
was that only zone ten" came in, which
meant nothing, and as soon as the proper
signal came in, il was instantly respond
ed 10.
All the electric cars were stopped, and
Bank and Main streets were filled with
them, waiting for the fight with the fire
10 end