The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-10
4 DESTRUCTIVE BLAZE
The Largest and Most Serious ConfIagra-
ton Occurring in the City for Years.
THE SEABOARO ROAD LOSES HEAVILY
rae Origin Of the Fire is Unknown
Norfolk. Berkeley and the Navy
Inrd Kindly lend Valuable Aid
Wen Jtinpcd OVERLOOKED to Escape
the Heat.

Last night about 7:l5 O'Clock an alarm
OF fire was sounded, caused tY WALL
house ID. OF the Scaboard Air Line be
ing on fire. \ stream from the Com
pany'S electric light engine was turned
on. I'll" department turned out. but 10y
the time they got to work the entire
building. about 400 feet long. Wa+ in
blaze, owing to the amount of in
hamable material in the building such
as powder. oil. etc. ii sent flame of
fire several hundred feet high in tuc
air. The wind which was very high at
the time. caused ii to cross the dock to
Peters X Reeds wharf which set fire
to the slaves and the building. which
WAS filed with lime ANA Guano. The
heat caused the lime to explode ana
added to the other niiamablc stuff.
madc tho heat 50 great that it Was
with difficulty that the tircmen could
oct near enough 10 do much good for
Some time.
Assistance came from both Norfolk
ana Berkeley. and the Navy Yard The
tug Little Nell and several other tugs
also had streams on the lire. and after
lighting for several hours il was got
ten under control. During the fire tho
ferry house caught several times but
was put out before much damage was
done.
There Were rumorS floating around
that Mr.. Mayo TIL" Waterman, and
Mr.. Hall, a clerk in the building. had
jumped overheard ana We're drowned,
but such turned out not To Toe true
Both gentlemen managed to yet out
the building before the fire gained such
Roadway. Three Colored men Jump
ed overheard; two Of them got out
without much difficulty. but tho third
one was in the dock and the heat was
so intense that he could not swim \
bcatswain on the steamer Yorktown
named Pete Moscom seeing the men :
danger jumped in II boat ana started
10 him. The heat was SO Intense that
he was compelled To dip his head oyer
board several times to Keel, his face
from burninE. lie finally reached his
man. pulled him in. ana carried him
10 the "rposit" wharf. amid the cheers
CT an immense crowd. who Witnessed
the brave mans decd. who riskcd hi.
own life to say" another.
There was a rumur that another man
was overheard, hut it turned out 10 he.
untrue. The nrcmen fought the ire
nohiy. whilc fully 1000 people stood by
anu looked on, all helpless to render
and assistance.
Tn" Nir@inian's correspondent sous:t
Mr.. Whisnaut. Superintendent of lie
road. ana tried to learn the origin 81
the III" ana the amount of loss as near
rs he could approximate.
lie said that the origin was unknown
hut ii is supposed To have started In
what is known as the dead room. situ-
ated in the upper northwest corner of
the building where Old lilies and books
are Kern y defective electric liuht
vine Is supposed to hc thu cause When
hrst seen ii was apparently small. but
III lew seconds the blaze cam. out in
regular volume The building was
used as a ireisht depot for up freight
anu local. II was about half Iull of
freight Two thousand and five hun
dred bales of cotton had just been stored
~ there ana thu old Dominion steamer.
YORKTOWN had nearly finished unload
ing when the lire broke out iult wa.
compelled Ia lcaV" IN" wharf There
was over nine care in the huus,. an
loaded. and would have gone out on
III" night train. They were all burned
as we'll as the entire contents of I'M
building. Four cars. which wcr. on
the outside. Were haulded out and were
saved. The wharf ANA warehouse viii
he an entire loss
IN" property "f Peters X Reed. which
recently sold for $4,000 was entirely.
destroyed. with several hundred thou
ahnd slaves. Il quantity OF lime and
Eranu
The lumber yard of E.mmcrson 4. co.
was also badly damaged At II y. m
IN" me Is Still burning. but there is no
danger of it's spreading
Last night about 10 10 Il fire broke, ont
In Park View, while the nrn was going
on Gown town. III" steamer Virginia
was sent out, but by the time. sh. ~
there three houses We're all burned -,
the ground. They We're owned by,
Messrs. Watson and Phillips and were
unucCupied
NOTES OF THE FIRE.
The light from the fire was seen for
miles away.
There is an insurance on the ware
houses. but none of the agents could
rem lust how much or where IT was
located
Several small sloops lying in the dock
werc destroyed
Larg" crowds of people came from
hriNiey and Norfolk to see the fire
Chief Engineer w r. Robinson wns
uoStht in Augusta. Ca. attending the
convention, and Assistant Chief Joseph
hnapp was In charge
owing To the excitement pertaining TO
the IRE and the difficulty i'm seeing nro.
ptt persons no further information than
us stated above could Ice gotten In nl,r
next issue a much better account can
DC gwen OF the losses. etc i'm d.tnu
y telegram was received from Nrw-
pert News last night stating mat cam
J"hn AShleN, living ON Falkland street
NoItolk, MIR. Ned MalunoY and niu.ta.n
c"iured men. who wrr" working ON tbr
dock. had t. jump overheard. Inn y,nrn
picked up 10y the steamer Yorktown
am taken to Newport News. where th.v
were perfectly safe
Moiirrs Please Notice.