Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-08-19
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Eight Buildings Totally Destroyed
and Two Others Badly Damaged.

and Two Others Badly Damaged.
Five standing chimneys, piles of de-
bris, and twisted-up tin are all that re-
mains to-day OF what were yesterday
q, eight houses on Princess street, be-
tween Payne and West. Besides the
almost roofless residence and store OF
Mr. George Jones, on the southwest
corner Of Payne and Princess stree. S,
and two dwellings on the south,
damaged no little by fire and water.
added 10 the cherries picture. These
buildings were situated III the extreme
northwestern part of the city, IN
growing section, and the devastation
makes an ugly gap in locality which
everybody was viewing with PRIDE as
house after house was being reared IN
the spreading of Alexandria north
ward. 1t was q few minutes past
five O'Clock yesterday afternoon when
smoke was seen to emerge from Mr.
Jones's wood and coal yard in the
middle of the square fronting on the
north. A steam engine and machinery
for saving and splitting wood were IN
the frame structure and MIR. Jones's
carpenters shop adoined it. An alarm
was sounded and the fire department
responded as quickly as possible, but
the iremen upon their arrival saw they
had q stubbon confagration to deal
with, the fire being in the
centre OF a frame block of houses,
most OF which were occupied.
The flames grew more furious every
second, and although eopious streams
of water were shot into them they
danced higher and higher, until it be-
came apparent that the entire row was
doomed to destruction. The fire spread
to the east and to the west, and the
forked tongues shooting from the sides
of the carpenters shop and the wood
yard structure took one after another
of the dwelling houses into their en-
brace until the entire eight were a
roaring mass of flame. To the east
large pile of cord wood had been
placed, and this being in close proxim-
ity to Mr.. Jones's residence and store,
that structure was soon emitting smoke
and flame from the root, making it ap-
parent that that and the frame resi-
dences on Payne street were to be de.
stroyed also. The entire row was as
speedily as possible cleared of inmates
and furniture, and the former occu
pants, sitting beside their household
effects, watched with great APP
prehension the progress OF the flames.
The fremen were laboring heroically
to get the flames under control, and
were making considerable progress in
that direction, considering the fact that
the Hydraulon engine had become dis
abled on it's way to the fire and was
only half working. After about
three hours hard work the fire
was got under control, and not allowed
to turn into Payne street, to the re.
lief of all living both on that square and
on Queen street. 1t was about midnight
however, before the fremen deemed
il safe to leave the grounds. There
were some thrilling scenes during the
progress of the fire, though there were
but two accidents and they fortunately
were not serious, Mr.. E. S. Lead
beater, who was hard of work in pre-
venting the spread of the fire, having
picked up live wire, belonging to the
electric light, which had fallen, and
which he endeavored to remove out OF
the way of the firemen, and Mr.. VIM.
Simpson being slightly hurt by bu-
reau falling on him. Mr. Leadbeater
received q severe shock and was
knocked down, but soon recovered. 1t
is a hard matter to ascertain all the
losses. Mr.. Peter Aitcheson, who
owned seven of the burned houses on
Princess street, is insured for $4,000 in
the Loudoun Mutual and Falls Church
companies, and he also is insured in
companies represented by Mr.. A. a.
Warfeld for 81 200. Mr.. Jones is in
sured in Mr.. Lawrence Stabler's
agency for $1,000 on his stock. 1t is
not known what insurance he carried
on his house and other adjoining prop
erty. The entire loss by the fire, it is
believed. will aggregate $4,000. The
origin of the fire is unknown. 1t start
ed, as has been stated, in the engine
room of the wood yard, and some think
it was the work of an incendiary. In
the bath room of Mr.. Jones's residence
there were indications that an attempt
had been made either to set fire to the
house or to keep going the one which
had been started. Mr. Jones and bis
family were out of the city at the time
of the fire, they having attended the
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