Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-25
CAR SHOPS BURNED
Brightwood Electric dime Suffers Severe
Loss BY Fire
Several Others Alarms Last Night
Cattle Pcrisll In the Flames
PatrolsWagon Upset.

Fire, which started about 8 o'clock last
evening, destroyed the car sheds, business
Office and workshops Of the BrightWcod
Electric Street Railway Company. situated
on Brightwood avenue and Albermarle
street. BY extraordinary efforts on the
part of the employees of the company, the
power house and boiler rooms, which ad-
join the sheds, were saved from the flames
Me fire originated in the center OF the
building from an unknown cause, and the
structure, the original cost of which was
$1,000 was destroyed. The total damage
amounted to $4,000 the insurance being
$4,000 Three motor cars and eight tra1lers
went up in smoke. Of 500 tons of Cumber-
land coal stored in the building, twenty
were consumed, and a plant Of machinery
was made useless by the heat.
Prompt Repairs.
AS soon as the fire was extinguished, men
set to work repairing the wires and tracks.
which had been injured, and on schedule
time this morning the cars were running,
as usual. The first man to know of the ex-
istence Of the fire was Night Superintend-
ent Gilmore At the time, there were not
more than half dozen men In the ouliding'
and such small force was not equal u
the emergency. A few motor cars were
save the brick power house and boiler shed'
located to the rear of the car sheds. A line
of hose was laid, and with the assistance
of number of citizens from BrlgntWooo
and that vicinity, that portion OF the car
sheds adjacent to the power house was torn
down, and streams Of water forced upon
the brick building.
Fighting the Flames.
Mounted Policeman ]. N. Fiheld, upon
learning of the existence of the fire, rode
to the nearest patrol box for the purpose
of turning in an alarm through the Bright
weed police station. The electric system At
the box failed to operate, however, ana the
officer then jourLeyed to telephone IN the
residence OF a physician haIf mile away.
In response to q message, engine company
No FASTENED to the burning structure, as
did squad Of policemen from the eightn
precinct The engine could not De useu' as
the available supply of water mad by tnat
time been exhausted, but under the dlrec-
ton of Assistant Chief Lowe, the hremen,
with axes and hand apparatus, succeeded
in preventing the flames from spreading.
A row of frame houses on Albermarie
street, owned by the company, were IN
danger of destruction at one time, but were
finally saved. Shortly after IL O'CLOCK
glowing mass of embers had replaced the
car stables
During the fire considerable excitement
ensued, persons residing in close proximity
to the car sheds moving their household
goods to place of SAFETY In great HaSte.
Az soon as the flames were discovered the
engines furnishing power for the motors
were stopped and line Of cars We're thus
forced to remain all night On the entire
stretch of tracks, from Florida avenue to
Takolna Park.
Cattle Burned.
While the car sheds Of the railway COM
pany were bur ming, stable in the rear or
1884 Briehtwood avenue was consumed, and
with 1t three dozen cows horse, wagon
ard other property, entailing loss OF
about $1,000 The stock was owned by Mrs.
Lizzie Larkin, who conducts a dairy bust
ness The stable was rented by her from
Mrs. Rachel Weems.
AS the patrol wagon of the eighth pre-
circt was about to return to the station
after this fire it was upset, and number
of policemen were slightly injured.
stu Another.
A house at 1916 NORTH Capitol street,own-
ed by H. l.. Rudd. and occupied by John
Smith, was damaged to the extent of 500
about o'clock last evening. A small hoy
playing with matches caused the conf1a gra-
ton.
An Outhouscd Damaged.
An clubhouse on the premises of Theodore
Heyser on Whitney avenue between Bright
wood and Sherman avenues, was also dam
aged slightly by fire last evening.