The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-13
SMOULDERING ACRES
Scene Of Desolatlon Caused by Tues
day Nights Great Fire.
THE IMMENSE PROPERTY DESTROYED
Tho Atlantic Saw MnI Company's
Fine Plant In % Total Loss-Ihe
Scene Along the Burned wharves
Old Dominion Guano Gompnny's
Factory Completely Gutted.

During the progress of the terrible
ana extensive oonf1agration which swept
away Tuesday evening, the large plant
| or the Atlantic Saw Mill Company, the
factory of the Old Dominion Guamo Com
pany and one Of the warehouses and
| piers of the Merritt Wrecking organfza-
| ton in Atlantic City ward, few people
realized the full extent OF the damage
which was being done.
Daylight, however, showed that the
flames had done their merciless work
only too well. From Front street to the
river and for n space Of about eight
acres. where only the day before had
stood vast hive OF industry. giving
employment to many hands. Is now vast
area Of smoking debris.
Hundreds of interested spectators
throngeh to the scene yesterday and
their surprise was great at the full ex-
deyourlng flames.
AT the Old Dominion Guano Company's
works the destruction is most noticeable.
Here. where had stood a long factory
building and warehouse. together with
extensive wharfage facilities, only smok-
ing and blackened walls. capped by the
twisted and bent metal plates lifted
their melancholy sides al the western
extremity of the scene of desolation.
Thousands OF tons of Euano lying
loose inside these buildings was still
smouldering yesterday afternoon. The
room where the bags were stored was
completely destroyed, but the piles Of
tow-cloth burned all day long.
The wharf was entirely destroyed and
when the flooring burned through a
heavy and expensive hosting engine
placed there for use in loading and I'M
loading the cargoes Of ships at the wharf,
fell through and into the water beneath.
80 to- 4 l,,N H.
scorching It received from the flames
that burned all about 1t before the floor
ing gave way, will probably render 1t
unfit for use.
AT the Merritt Wrecking Company's
wharf the damage done IS not so obvious
as at the Atlantic Mills and the Guano
Company's. The warehouse which for
| meNy occupied the end Of their eastern
wharf, was completely destroyed, to-
| gether with sails, blocks, tackle, heavy
cable, several fathoms OF heavy chain,
etc. Most of the iron appliances stored
in this warehouse can be recovered, as
In the case of the engine. However, the
intense heat may have ruined them.
The flooring of the entire wharf was
burned. and SO intense was the heat
that the rails of a tramway running
to the street were twisted and bent into
| all sorts of fantastic shapes.
The wrecking schooner William Coley,
| which was lying alongside of the burned
wharf, was not damaged at all, as at the
! first sign of danger she was towed, to-
| gether with three wreclsinG 'barges, into
| the middle of the river.
Mr.. Henry Seymour, the local mana
| ger of the Merritt Wrecking Organiza-
| ton in this city, said late last evening
| that he had not had time to figure the
damage to his companys property.
AS to the matter of insurance. he was
| not prepared to speak until after he had
investigated the loss.
At the spot where once stood the magl.
nihcent lumber plant of the Atlantic
saw Mill Company, the scene of dcstruc-
ton Is complete. Eight acres of smoul-
| derins ruins. bestrewed with the re-
main of millions of feet of lumber, the
| wrecks of dry ki!ns, boiler and saw
houses. and commodious storage sheds,
\ Is scene to make one fully realize the
terrible destruction that can be wrought
| In few short hours by the fire fiend.
Here and there in the midst OF the
ruins. twisted smoke-staclS or steam
pipe tells where buried beneath bricks
| sills and mortar are the boilers that
furnished the power and the fine en-
CINE that once drove the extensive ma
cninery OF what was one of the finest
lumber plants in the entire South
Bent and blackened saws; broken and
twisted shaftng and red-burned ma
chinery of all kinds lie about among the
ruins. The wharves of the company
were completely destroyed and since the
recovery of the books from the safe,
which was in the burned Office the es-
innate of 100000 loss and $50 900 approx
mate insurance is regarded by the own
ers as correct.
The services of the harbor tugs did
| much toward allowing the city fire de-
partment to devote dts efforts to pro-
tecting property on the street front. The
tug Dorothea OF the Seaboard Air Line
did valiant service, tying up to the burn
ing wharves and putting all her streams
| on the fire. Her work at the Merritt
IWreck!ng Company's w1harves did much
| to save the larger warehouse of that
concern. The Atlantic and Danville tug
Balm and thoir transfer steamer Ches-
| ter ran their hose lines over her decks
and rendered great assistance.
Capt. Mansfield, Of the Dorothea, was
| overcome by heat. To the Est of those
| Frustrated must be added the name of
William Griffin, a resident Of Poole
street.
The fire was one of the most disas-
| trous In the city's history.
| The fire engine Thos. B. Rowland had
stream of water playing on the smok-
ing ruins all day yesterday.
Assistant Chief Wood and all the
other firemen who were overcome by
heat are improving and many Of them
VIII be out In few days.
Late Arrests.
| Martha Portlock and Charles Kenney.
| colored, charged with entering the house
l iocr