The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-27
OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
Was tn, Fire That Destroyed the Merchants
AMI Farmers Peanut Factory.
THE LOSS is ESTIMATED AT $40, 900.
The Fro Department. Succeeded I'm
ConHning the Flames TO The Build
Ing in Which They Originated
Three streams OF Water were PIuy.
ing On the Burning Property.

About o'clock last evening the alarm
az IRE was turned In through telephone
loN IA. summoning the department to
The large five story building on the
corner of Water and Taylor street oc-
cunied bv Messrs. Etheridge & Wright,
doing business as the Merchants and
FARMERS Peanut Company. The flames
were first discovered eating their way
through, the centre of the building on
the third floor
Chief Ryan and his brave laddies
raised the extension ladder to the roof
AND shortly several streams were being
poured on the devouring element For
while II looked as though the flames
would he confined to the upper stores
but Notwithstanding the mast assidu-
GUS efforts and the concentration of sew
ernl streams the fire soon burned its
wSv TO the lower floors.
general alarm was turned in. sum-
moninE the entire department. the fire
tugs Anna. Dorothea, Primers Point
and Piedmont also responding render
Ing excellent service.
About quarter after the rear wall,
from the roof to the third story, col
laDsed with IL loud crash, causing q
general stampede In the crowd OF spec
tators and breaking the telephone wires
| OF the Southern States Telephone Com
panv. and dismantllng several OF the
same companyS poles.
Ii was thought for n while that the
Roper building would go. but n stream
was transferred to the top OF II, the
tank on top of this building brought into
| renuisition and danger avoided.
The large tank OH top of the burned
building remained in position until after
10 O'Clock then fell from It's supports
through to the second floor, carrying
with 1t ioists. flooring and peanuts. and
producing dense smoke. Two streams
we're then directed from the top of the
nrkO oh mr. taI
spread of the flames on that direction,
and about ii o'clock the fire was vir-
.uallv under control
The building was completely gutted,
only portion of the walls being left
standing. 1t is complete loss, together
with the machinery therein and the en-
tire stock of peanuts on hand.
The building was the property of the
Tnvlor estate and Richard Baylor, Esq,
and is partly covered by Insurance. the
stock lis reported to be fully insured. The
total loss is estimated at $4,000. Mr.. Eth
orldSe, who was down town at the time,
was completely Frustrated with ner-
vousness and was assisted to the Man
sion House, where he remained for some
time before returning home.
The origin OF the fire is unknown. A
theory exists that 1t was caused by
spontaneous combustion.
AT the height of the fire the steamer
Edward Church blew her surface valve
moment Mr.. James Ridgewell. Of Geo.
w. Duvall & Co., came along and see
ing the condition of the engine, set to
work on II. and had 1t repaired and in
operation inside of half an hour-a re-
markably quick job. Mr.. Ridgewell Is
he same gentleman who repaired the
Thomas b. Rowland. so badly injured
Al the last big fire. The Rowland was
upon the scene last night. and working
beautifully.
The police did good work keeping the
crowds from breaking over the ropes.
which were stietched across the streets
contiguous to the big building
The work done by the department was
splendid. and nothing but the well-di-
rected and nntiring efforts of the fire
men kept the fierce confiagration penned
up within the walls of the building
where 1t originated. The peculiar loca
tion of the blaze, when first discovered
rendered it almost impossible to reach
1t before the ladder was hoisted. but
even ere this was done, many OF the men
headed by Chief Ryan had broken in
the door Of the doomed building, climb
cd three Stories through the suffocating
smoke, and were ready to grab the hose
which was being brought up over the
ladder.
Considerable confusion was caused bv
the turning in Of three or four unneces-
sary alarms by different people, render
ing II difficult for the flremen to quickly
locate the exact scene Of the confiagra-
ton.