The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-23
S. A. [. SHOPS BURNED
The Fire Originated Osef the Furnaces and
Spread With Great Rapidly,
CONTENTS OF THE BUILDING DESTROYED
The Firemen Confined the Flames to
tho Building in which IL OriSina-
ted-The Loss ON the Machinery
Will Approximate $4,000, and On
the building $4,000 or.s2O,OOO.

Raleigh. N. c.. April % (SpeciaD. At
4 30 o'clock this morning fire broke out
in the main building of the large shops
of the Seaboard Air Line here. 1t was
of brick, one story high, and was built
in 1850. with an annex, which was built
in 1883. The roof timberS were of wood,
and the fire. which originated from the
furnaces and against the sides of the
chimney stack, spread with wonderful
Quickncss. There was q little delay In
turning in the alarm, the night watch
man. who discovered the fire, having at
tempted to cXtinguish 1t. The fire spread
so rapidly that none of the contents
of the building was saved. The build
ing was 210X65 feet. At one end was the
old roundhouse. filled with engines, at
the other oil houses. supply houses, &c,
and at one side many trucks and big
car shed. The firemen confined the fire
TO the building In which ii originated.
Some cotton and lumber on couple of
cars were damaged. The electric wires
were promptly cut. The firemen had a
good water supply and did excellent
work.
Master Mechanic James Maglenn in
forms your correspondent that the loss
on machinery approXimates $4,000 and
Division superintendent Moncure esti-
mates the loss on the building at from
$4,000 to $4,000. Both losses are well
covered by the insurance of $4,000. Not
much of the machinery was new. Some
of that taken from the abandoned shops
al Laurinburg was brought here, but
most of il was taken to Abbeville, s. G.
1t is the belief that the work of re-
storing and re-equipping the burned
building will begin without delay. The
walls are intact. The roof was extreme
" infiammable, and the fire raced along
IL from end TO end. The saddest feature
of the fire is the throwing out of en-
ployment of 125 men, The total number
at the shops is $50, the other % doing
road work. In the burned building We're
all the iron making machinery, FORCES,
engines and boilers, electric light plant.
a very large steam hammer and boiler
shop. Sparks from the fire fell on near
~ one-fourth of the city. but did no dam
age. a rain had fallen early in the
night. which dampened roofs.
Virgil s. Luck. one of the most eX-
IRENE Republicans in the State. is here
and says he is In favor of doing almost
anything to secure fusion with the PIP
ul!sts and carry the State. Rather than
see the Democrats carry It he wants to
give the Popul!sts the nomination for
Governor.
Another rumor has started, this be-
Ing that if the Populists put up n
straight ticket, Speer Whitaker will be
their nominee for Governor. Yet while he
has some earnest supporters he has also
some jealous enemies.
Ed Chambers Smith. who is rega rded
as the head and front of the Demo-
cratic free-silver movement in this State,
tells me that he never heard until today
OF secret meeting of twenty Tour of the
silver Democrats of the State Commit
tee. and the makinsi of a proposition
for fusion with the Democrats He saws
the only meeting of these silver members
was a; his Office the afternoon If April
9th; that ii was not a secret meeting,
but n conference of the friends of silver
10 discuss the situation. When asked II
any proposition had been made 10 the
Popuiists. he said: II am not telling
what took place. My statement above
ought TO be sufficient"
1t is quite evident that It will be hard
indeed. to unite Populists and Demo-
Gratis. The feeling between the masses
of them IL very bitter. The Populists
VIII In all events demand the naming of
the candidate for Governor. They ear
nestly desire the privilege of that. There
are people who say they believe tho Re
publ!cans will within thirty DAYS accede
TO this demand.
l.. Banks Holt. the we'll known Owner
of John II. Gentry, has a severe attacl,
OF Jaundice, at his home. in Raleigh
From the stomach of a catfish in a
little stream in Cabarrus county a niece
OF pure gold an inch long and a fourth
or an inch thick was taken yesterday.
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