The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-12
A BIG CONFL LAGRATION
Many Thousands Of Dollars Worth of
Property Go Up In Smoke.
SEVEN FlREMeN OVERCOME BY HEAT
Badly Injured they nrc removed TO
NJ. Hlncents's Hospitai.-Thcir
condition is Critical -Atianti lie Snw
Mill, Merritt wrccking ana old
Dominion Guano Plants Destroyed.

! The Atlantic Saw Mill Company's i'm
mense lumber plant, covering eight or
ten acres. between the Elizabeth river
ana Front street, Atlantic City Ward.
the Old DOMINION Guano Company and
the Merritt Wrccking Companys ware
houses were destroyed by fire last even
| ing.
At $40 o'clock an alarm was gent In
anu the entire department, with the cX-
ceptioh OF one downtown engine. re-
sDonueu promptly. Some minutes be-
fore the alarm was turned in the whole
western sky was aglow with the rcllec-
| lion of the conilaEratiun, which had al
ready attained tremendous hcadway.
once on Tie scene the firemen went
TO work With a viii to subdue the raging
flames ard e save adjacent property.
IhousahdS or spectators. drawn from
the two cities and their suburb;
thronged the streets near the scene OF
the lire and it was found necessary to
| establish fire lines and exclude the
| crowd.
The fire originated in the saw mill and
the large area occupied by the plant was
soon one scething cauldron of fire and
about one-third the lumber yard was
also in flames. BY dirt Of hard work the
ircmcn succeeded In saving the greater
! part OF the lumber which will mate
| rally diminish the possible loss
The fire originated in the fire-room or
in the lumber stored between the fire.
room and the main building. Its origin
| is unknown. but the theory that IL was
| caused by a spark from the stack Is
generally accepted as correct. The fire.
room was of brick, while the main mill
building was brick and frame, with
| metal roof
The fire was discovered by the watch
| man. who promptly gave the alarm.
| and lie and three night firemen at once
got stream on the blaze. which, how
ever. spread so rapidly that the men
were forced 10 drop the nozzle and fly.
| All the hands living near the mill rem
dered valiant aid, but the flames resisted
| all their efforts to eXtinguish them, and
| they could do nothing. Length after
| length of hose was burned behind them,
| thus cutting off the stream n the nozzle
Three and a half million feet of lum-
| her was destroyed.
In The frame shed on the dock were
| l,5OO,0O0 feet Of lumber, while 750, 900 feet
| were in the brick shed on Front street.
| -Four dry k!ns were also destroyed
| Mr.. George w. Jones. the manager
| who gave these figures places his loss
at 100000, with an approximate insur-
| ance OF $4,000.
Chief Ryan, of the Fire Department.
however placed the estimate of from
| SiS,0OO TO 100000 on the loss. several OF
| the mn men agreeing with him.
The heat from the acres of flame com
bined with the amost unbearable tenn
peFaiure Of the night. was very intense.
|
| by IT,
| One by one the brave fellows sue
| cumbed TO what ordinary mortals could
| not have endured for moment. and
they were borne out by their comrades
anu placed In an open field 10 await the
| afIlNa! or an ambulance. The patrol
wagon was also brought into service.
| and several of the men were taken IN
their homes in that vehicle.
The list of The injured is as follows:
| Assistant Chief Frank Wood. badly
| hurt.
| James Graham.
Capt Richard Eastwood.
| w. a. Foster.
! Jos. Alexander
| Robert F,arnes
| Thos. Ewel
This Is the total number of Injured
oihcaily reported. but the chief fears
thai number of call men were injured.
Two Of the men were carried to ST Vim.
! cent $. the others were carried home
The Old Dominion Guano Company.
iocated on Front street just west of thu.
saw mill company, was DESTROYED TO-
sether with several thousand tons of
fertilizer. The loss could not be ascA,.-
tanned last night, but 1T will be heavy.
! me INN had orders on hand TO the
amount of several thousand tons. Their
wharf was also destroyed
| The Merritt Wreckng Companys ware.
mouse. fitted with wrecking tackle. was
destroyed together with the pier on
which 1t stood, entailing heavy loss.
The wrecking steamer William Coley
and three barges lying alongside the
| burned pier were only saved by towns,
| them out into the river.
The Atlantic and Danvile steamer
CltV or Chester. under command of
Can't. H. l.. Hudgins. had a stream on
the Atlantic Saw Mill Company's build
| ing: She remained along side these
| buildings until ii was found that they
were doomed. Their other steamer
Thomas H. Bain, under the command of
/ Capt. w II. Williams, which has one
of the largest fire pumps in the harbor
| throwing three-inch streams. came up
| from West Norfolk twenty-five minutes
after the fire broke out with the Attain
/ tic and DanVlle (West Norfolk) fire bri-
| gadc. consisting of forty men, under the
command OF General Forwarding Agent
Mir. J. a. c. Groner. The great heat
made II necessary for the tugs to keen
! a stream continually OH themselves
They made fast to the burning Merritt
WreckinE Company's pier and with the
assistance of the tug Dorothea, of the
Seaboard Air Line saved almost the
entire pier from destruction.
Residences opposite the fire were In
great danger, the paint pcelng off under
the Intense heat. but the efficient work
of the department prevented their
catching.