The morning times., 1895-07-25
VERY LITTLE WAS SAVED
Continued from First Page.

although everything pointed to the theory
thatthefire was caused by the electric wires,
as the flames began and were fiercest in
the part Of the building in which the wires
were located, just in the rear OF the reading
Toonl.
1t is not settled whether the association
VIII rebuild on the present site. The secre-
tary said that in order to accommodate the
present membership they ought to have a
building at least four times as large as the
old one. This significant remark seems to
imply that The present site may not be
utilized for the new building. Since the
old building was purchased Y. NJ. C. A.
educational methods have been radically
and extensively changed. In other cities
the buildings cost from $276 Geo to $780,
600, which amounts are raised 10y general
subscriptions and by donations.
VISIT OTHER CITIES.
Mr.. Pugh said that perhaps a visit TO
other cities would be made by a rep
sentative of the association to inspect
the larger buildings and report thereon.
Washington is famous for its beautiful and
imposing educational buildings and for
the admirable work OF the Y. NJ. c. a.
The country looks to it TO have the eX-
ceptional Y NJ. c. a. building, and perhaps
this viii be the result of the disaster of
yesterday.
At the last enumeration, some days ago,
continued Mr.. Pugh, the association had
on the roll 800 members, the term of mem
berShip OF half Of whom Will expire very
shortly. In addition to the Sunday work
at Foundry CdGrch, the athletic park viii
be continued and every effort viii be made
10y the Officers TO hold and increase the
present membership.
Mr.. Pugh is the guest OF his brother-in-law
Mr. Olmstead
FIVE ALARMS TURNED IN.
The story of the fire is somewhat mixed
and confusing. The confusion arose from
the turning in OF two alarms from different
boxes consecutiveIy. The flames were dis
covered at 5:45 by Policeman Setright,
and 1t was near s O'Clock before the
streams of water were turned off
The first alarm was sent to headquarters
from box li7 at Fifteenth and | streets,
at 5.32 O'Clock. An alarm was sent in
from box 142 almost AT the same instant
Engine No. responded 10 the call from
l42. Engine NO. /, however, from Il
street, came down in response to the call
from box l47. Engine No. ? got as far as
Thirteenth and streets but thinking that
there was 4 mistake began TO return TO the
engine house. While this was going on
a general alarm was turned in at BOD,
and the whole department responded.
bN kille Nllllc lllc IRE ldu EdlAet SUCH
tremendous headway that ii was not under
control until about O'Clock. The first
corners OF the police We're Policemen XII
martin, Fathers and Parry.
When Chief Paris arrived, which was a
/ few minutes after the first alarm, he saw
/ that there was no hope for the Y. NJ. c. A
! building and directed attention to the
/ building OF Charles Bryan, the grocer,
I which had caught.
/ According to the best Information OBJ
/ tainable from Policeman Settright, the
! fire started in or near the air shaft between
/ the Y. NJ. c. A. and the Bryan building.
WIRES GOT CROSSED.
| This shaft is near Mr. Pugh's office, in
/ which are messenger call, a telephone
wire and an electric wire. The theory is
/ that the wires got crossed in Mr.. Pugh's
/ office, and then a spark to some OF the
/ papers, and then the blaze. The office
! was fun Of papers and combuStabes and the
/ spread Of the flames on the west side Of
1 the building IN that vicinity was, Of course,
/ exceedingly rapid. The shaft acted as a
4 flue up which the flames shot TO two open
/ windows in the fourth story of Bryan's
grocery, on which floor was stored the
/ furniture Of friends OF Mr. BRYAN.
The fire spread downward in TINS eStab-
hshment, despite the combined efforts
4 OF the whole department, the flames leap
]
MI James NJ Lambie
In the Y. NJ. c. 4. building there is little
! left hut charred floors and the walls. The
! library, the records, the handsome furni-
ture placed there last December, the plant
/ in the gymnasium, all have been burned,
! except part OF the locker-rooms.
ESTIMATES OF Loss.
Ouly estimates Of loss are obtaiUable
! The Y. NJ. c. a. gave $4,000 for the
property and put U $4,000 improvements.
4 including the gymnasium. Their debt
is $4,000, leaving Sal COO to be recouped.
To their credit they have about $4,000
| insurance, distributed in tie National
| Metropolta the National Union, the
/ Phoenix, OF Brooklyn, and the CUrcoran,
/ OF this city. on this basis the loss would
Toe about S26,O although it is rated as
high as $4,000 10y members of the asso-
citation
Mr.. Bryan said that it was impossible
| yet TO estimate his losses. His stock was
badly damaged and the loss has been esti
/ mated at $4,000, which is covered by
insurance IN the North western and Lin
| coin companies.
The fire did great damage in the third
/ story of Mr.. Lambie's building, the loss
being believed to be about $1,000.
| Fire Marshal Drew said last night that
/ he had yet made no Investigations into
that the cause was the crossing of electric
wires. 1t was impossible to ma ke investiga-
tions at this time.
Chief Paris was asked to explain the
delay in reaching the fire.
There was no delay he said, ION the
part of the fire department. 1t is a very
| simple matter The first alarm was sent
in from box l42, at Fourteenth and F
streets. Then there was pause OF about
1 two minutes, as well as / can judge, and
then there was a round from box lat, al
1 Fifteenth and 1 streets. It has been
stated, / see, that there was an alarm sent
from box l46. at Fifteenth and q, which
vas the correct box to strike. 1 only
give that as a report. Perhaps it was
1 When all these were pulled, so near to
/ gether, it confused the operator in the
| office, and he had to use his Judgment
which one TO strike. The operator is Mr.
Simpson, a careful and competent man
WAIT FOR SECOND CALL.
"An engine went out in response to the
! first call from box 142 The rule is that
the second engine to go out must wait for
a second call OF the box, but the next call
was from 147. The second call was from
| lz7 and the second engine waited for it
TO be repeated and went out, and that as
the only delay-the wait for two calls from
one box. The first TO arrive was engine
No. from street, between Sixteenth and
| Seventeenth. This engine could not miss
the fire and went to it direct. The only
confusion was with the first engine that
went out, and the call indicated a wrong
| direction for the fire"
LAS to the delay of the department
causing loss, went out Immediately OF
the first call and reached the fire within
q very few minutes after the first alarm
and / am positive that when / arrived
there was no such word as save' in the