Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-10-19
EXTENSIVE FRI.

b cr5es Q: 6-e. ne =ar.l 5oacd Q: u
visits and th= ringing 0: b@.L=
p-3a going 70 1indo1s try 1e.s
.z;te- 5tz..led 20 =ee tEe eltir= nor-1-
ez=- zecc:oa 0: the ci.E brilliantly L.
Eliminated. II tsT nirute= h1ld-edz
nsd r-gezir=d 20 ioe seeue of tne coz
6zgca-.on-.1= interior u TIE Eq1z-s
bounded " Cn:on, Lee. Prices and
Orococs3 streets. Il 81 Incredibly =cc1-
t5ne th= a2u@ were licEirg everything
c51o7=.ib.4 iron Eaa. point 20 tae E!Te:,
embracing a1 a1se O. { scQar= snd z
lz.f. -. 4 Suoot & Co. : iaFge frane
=.rucsQre. that 0: ne Alexandra
C1enicz: Company and about doz=l
small i-am= houses were q! roaring
lane 4 { :=g minui@ time y. =.
Slc5o- < CO. building aud that o. the
E=rt.!iz-- Company ~ere stored VIII
fertilizers AID chemicals, most 81 TElca
5Fece destroyed. TIE building n WHICH
ire ire originated was Just sou.b O. the
Alexandra cas- WORKS, and 80
close 20 the latter that il required
constant efforts 20 save the property.
l. vas Known g the NcCleizh building
ftrsueJ and vas stored with non-cou-
5Cs:io.e material. Some Think the ire
Tzs the work Of sn incendierv, out
otoe,s nave E theory that il IVES caused
o. spontaneous combustion. out TIE
officers OF tne fertilizer company 90
10. entertain this belief breeze
urged on the FIRE win great rspidity
and before i was arrested by the river
zboQ. fifteen buildings were DESTROYED.
In its progress 20 the river front il
passed over Mon street, On which are
the tracks OF the Southern Railway.
The tracks were lined Win cars, twelve
.. wh;cn were consumed. six with their
contents o! various merchandise. All
Of the houses burned, eIcep. one.
;he old disiillerg, were wooden struc-
lgces. Tnev were as dry g. finder
AID the FIRE made quick aud easy WORK
o. them. Fi=nto~n was completed.
wiped OUT again. On the railroad
| rack a car loaded with oil was
standing. and when it vas ignited
huge columns o. white flame leap.
81 up TO an enormous height.
For sore time there was practically 10
resistance 70 the progress Of the flames
% the FIRE eogines. The Columbia ana
the auxiliary engine Wm. =. Smoot
we're in service, but unfortunately two
stud bolts blew out OF the Columbia ana
It was disabled for further use. The
igh. vas, however. kept up with
streams from the plugs, bu. later the
Hydraulion was gottea in service.
D-.CtfCo M
ion that dozen fire engine
could not have stayed the pro.
gress Of the flames. The hou=e in
WHICH the blaze was first seen was les
than fifty feet from the gas work..
Streams from fire plugs within End out
Of that building we're kept playing W.
I'll the danger Of firing aud exploding j:
mad passed. During the progress Of
me destruction O. the warehouses Of
>moot & Co.. and the fertilizer con-
pany, explosions startled the city.
lhey we're caused by Inc explosion Q:
tanks OF nitrate Of =oda. TIE loss O.
ne river front 1ss on the fish Woarve=.
which are not ia Use Ct this season.
The loss TO the Southern Railway !
about : go Twelve cars were burned
aid one damaged-four were loaded.
Two partially loaded and SIX empty.
". a. Smoot & Co. and the Fertilizer
Company. $1,000; Insurance SI3. 100.
Jonathan Matthews, fsh merchant.
building and about 100 barrels OF fish.
500.
William Javins, f=h merchant, one
building, $50.
&c. Price & Co., FISH merchants,
500.
Tneophiluz Ballenger, dsh merchant,
building and lum Der, $50.
Hickman & Bitzer, fish merchants,
building, 800.
Mrs. Annie knight, building, 800.
Charles King & sons, carload OF -four,
80 barrels.
F. :. Harper, carload Of oil
Cotton Seed Oil Company, one tank
OF oil damaged
Smoot & Cos. buildings and most OF
the others were insured.
The total loss will not exceed $780, 900
The only accident was to Joseph
Smith VINO was badly burned while en-
deavoring to save boat which had
caught fire.
The fire did most Of its work in about
an hour and a-half, but the flames were
not e1tinguished till nearly 3 o'clock
this morning.
A stiff northwest wind had been
blowing most of the day and during the
early part OF the night. At the time OF
the ire it had veered more to the west
and had lulled perceptibly. Had the
ire occurred two or three hours earlier
there is no telling how great damage
would nave resulted. Probably the en-
tire river front and shipping would
have been destroyed.
When the fire alarm was given the
steamer Hydraulion was in the shops
of Dir. r. II. Atkinson where it had
been taken for some repairs and was
out Of service. Engineer Bontz, Fire
man Kell and Mr.. Frank Hough, OF
the Hydraulicn, went at once to Mr..
Atkinson's shops and proceeded to get
the engine in order They worked
hard in putting the wheels on the en-
CINE and in fitting some other parts
that had been removed and in about an
hour had the engine at the fire and
stream playing on the flames. The
action of the fremen above mentioned
was much commended.
Large crowds of persons to-day visit
ed the scene Of the fire.
The Fairfax Mutual Company held
j.. 900 10 risks on the property belong
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