The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-04
NOTES OF THE BLAZE
There Were Picturesque Scenes on Rehras-
ka Street and In Fosters Lane.
HOW THE HOUSElESS HELD THEIR VIGIL
Firentcn HHrrison, West and Pulley
Were Not Badly lBJured-'Fhe
Rowland Can BE Repaired-L0 Loss
from Fire is Not as Great as Was
Mt First Estimated.

The curious thousands that thronged
70 the scene of Wednesday nights fire
round themselves we'll repaid for their
exp nditure of time and energy for rare
~ mas q confiagration ever left in Nor
folk ruins more picturesque and at the
same time more dismal.
Especially in the early hours of yes
terday morning would the sketch artist
nave round rich mat rial for his pencil
ana the poet. thousand situations for
ms ms pen while all In all. 1t was scene
lor the cynic and fraught with reflec-
tion Tor the casual student of human ma
ture.
In the heart of the city and In one OF
It's most desirable quarters in point OF
locality, stripped of environment n large
portion of the burned district Comprised
Tor It's inhabitants some OF the most un-
desirable characters and obnoxious fea-
lures. On lower Nebraska street for
many months an attempt was persistent
y ana futilely made to leglslate the
women OF that section out of their snug
quarters. Then. as II in the irony OF
rate. came the fire which knows no law
ana In an hour effected what the pre-
servers OF the peace and dignity of the
commonwealth could not accomplish in
two years.
Nebraska street was lined from Main TO
w ater with nondescript collection OF
household goods embracing in its varie-
" everything from a bed tick to a paper
ed by its unfortunate owner. These
houseless women. watching their little
all in gray dawn of morning and not
knowing where the next six hours would
ma them presented piteous spectacle
Tor they had suffered terribly from the
III wind" that blows no one good" One
OF these women had hand to hand en-
counted with man took unto himself
the privilege of sitting down in rocking
Snair G wnich she had saved from the
castigation to the man whom she caught
carrying off part of her bedstead that
ne dropped the article. and putting his
iingers TO his ea:s, fled.
On the west side of the street every
thlng had been moved from the rickety
buildings that stood blackened and dam
aged along the sidewalk bearing muto
evidence of the power of fire and show
ing better than words can describe. how
narrowly the Gladstone and neirhborine
ounces escaped destruction, for had the
department less watchful or had the
wlnd been lttti stronger TO the northwest
no one can tell how broad or how long a
path the monster would have eaten for
himself through the heart of the city.
over In Fosters lane which partly
pounds the burn, region on the east. the
observer saw scens' which battles des-
cription. The long dark alley with its
heterogeneous population, to a late hour
snnH IN one nOrning' hi, was still like sewer for
w
tnroush II Transforming the hundreds
or dusky figures that were packed to-
Sether there into queer uncanny. gnome-
ike appearing creatures scarcely hu-
man 10 the eyes of one from clearer at
moSphere. One old colored man nodded
TIL o'clock on roll of bed quilts. ,e-
pr senting his entire possessions Near
him lay an aged dame sound asleep upon
a trunk amid all the noise OF snoring
enslhts' howling men and shreking
n fCrh nv
was thrown about her shoulders and
upon her race rested and look OF peacp
IN strange contrast to her surr ,undines
and the state of mind one would natu-
rally expect. The trunk was all she
had except the quilt and an apparently
clear conscience.
Not ten feet away, upon n straw tick
sat two little halfnaked pickaninnies of
tender years and vast experience. totalIv
without the protection of any guardian.
natural or otherwise. The only reason
thty were not tramped on and killed
was because they kept up such CON
tinuous performance OF yels that the
rushing mob heard their howls and
needed. a score of excited groups were
gathered here and there discussing the
mount to frenzy. One woman remarked
soiemnly, If de Lord will excuse me.
I'll nebber lib in an alley agin." and
good sister sympathetioally ohimed in.
u lks Ter know whar yOu'Se gwine
to live den. in Ghen.?"
The Main street sidewalk between this
lane and Nebraska street was almost
blocked with furniture and ba aeyaee
which had been tdly tumbled out i'm
anticipation of closer acquaintance
with the conhaGratiOn. but fortunately
the progress of the flames was checked
In time TO save these valuable hu!ld
Jings, though in some cases calamity was
only prevented by Il liberal use OF buck
cts and water, for more than once n
number of the roofs were found smoItinn
and ready TO burst into blaze.
BY noon nearly all of the furniture had
disappeared and with 1t the owners
thereof. BY that time, too, the fi,e lad
dies had ceased from their Iabors and
the ruins had been left to smoke them
selves out. OF Young's stables and
stockyards. not a vestige remained or
the Anderson row on Nebraska street
there were left a series of shells In n
number of Instances, the walls had fal lion
and those still standing are considered
dangerous. In the rear of the where
the stables were located rise a number
of charred posts firmly planted In the
ground-all that remains OF the tenant
houses that stood there In Fosters
lane are the shells of several more hum
bile residences. Just below which stand
three lonely chimneys like silent sem
tinels guarding the ashes. Still further
down. giant chimney, which belong
ed to the White factory lifts itself to
the heavens In grim solitude. Where