Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-08
conclusion. which may have killed many
people. and would have spread the flames in
all directions --,-, r.

conclusion. which may have killed many
people. and would have spread the flames in
all directions. ~. -
An Excited Man.
Just after the hremen got into K street a
tall man, with a broad-brimmed felt hat,
caused considerable excitement by rushing
TO the middle of the bridge and shouting
out to a policeman some incoherent direc-
lions as to the best way to fight the fire.
He insisted on going to where the firemen
were working. and was dragged back sew
eral times. until Sergt. Daley. who was in
charge Of the men, fancied that he detected
resemblance to a man who escaped a few
days ago from st. Elizabeth's Giving the
officer the wink, he told the latter to take
the ma n. who said repeatedly that he was
from West Virginia, to the chief fireman.
This satisfied the fellow. and he and the
policeman started down the hot street on a
dead run. the countryman in the van.
With wild leap he cleared q telephone
wire that had burned down and was
stretched across the street. and went
through the crowd like knife through a
cheese. At last the policeman overlook
him and escorted him to the fourth precinct
station, where he gave his name as Chas.
Lynch. He gave a coherent account of
himself later, and. it being ascertained that
ne was not the escaped lunatic, he was al
lowed to go. His naturally nervous tenn
permanent had been overbalanced for the
time by the fire, aided by a bit Of fire
water.
Origin Of the Fire.
When the flames began to die out of their
own Accordion nothing could exhaust them
but the failure Of the oil-there were expla-
nations made as to the cause Of the fire.
One OF the proprietors, Lawrence Nicolai,
was at the home OF his father-in-law, MIR.
Gregory. on q street northwest. when the
fire broke out, and arrived after 1t was
nearly out. The other owner, his brother,
Charles NicOlai Ral
clerks said that all they knew was a sud-
den burst of flame and then a mad rush for
the outer air. George Nes on, a bricklayer,
was Under the building repairing an under
ptnning when he was suddenly aware of
cries OF fire, and he had just time to creep
out into safety, and that was ALL Fritz
Benton, employed in the cooper shop of the
establishment. heard a slight explosion like
the report of a pistol, and when he raised
his head he saw the flames coming from
every direction. There was a sto-y that q
man was rolling in barrel of gasoline.
when 1t exploded, and thus the fire was
started, but this was denied by the officers
OF the company, who said that though a
tank OF $3.50 gallons of gasoline had been
received during the day. 1t was put into the
building with safety, and that none was
handled again during the day. 1t is thought
that the fire was the result of spontaneous
combustion. There is no better or moe cir
cumstantial theory at hand.
The Probable Loss.
The loss from stock wSs probably not
over 5000. although much higher figures
have been given, ranging from $25,OOO to
10000, these sums ircludiEg structure,
tanks AMI empty barrels. The insurance
Is said to amount to but 5000. Several
wagons were completely destroyed The
only thing OF value saved was the great
sate, which. after the first rush out of the
building. was rolled over and over into the
street by gang of a dozen men, like a dry
goods box. There it lay just out Of the reach
or she flames, until the fire had abated
sufficiently to allow il to be approached
and II was then found that the combina-
ton had not been set.
Although this property was located in a
comparatively vacant section of th,, city
there Is considerable value very near IL
AS stated. the gas retort is just across the
street, while the great plant of the Stand
ara Oil Company Is across the canal and
Few hundred feet up the bank The RAN
dali school building is within a hundred
yards OF the Nicolai plant and the Penn
syivania railroad roundhouse is but q short
distance to the north
BY 4:3O the oil had been all burned and
there were left only few piles of buried
barrels, a smokestack, and the tottcriny
forms OF the five great oil tanks that form
ed the center of the establishment For
tunately these tanks were uncovered when
the nre broke out, or there would have been
an explosion from each of them see .terinv
the OIL In every direction.