The morning times., 1896-12-29

suits standing drapcd in canopies and rich
stuffs, caught and suddenly disappeared.
Long aisles between the rows offurniture
could be seen for Il moment between the
clouds of smoke and then they were shut
out only to appear once more blazing
mass.
Tue firemen worked heroically The
heat scorched their clothing and blistered
their hands and faces. Clouds OF sparks
fell upon them and burning brands thrown
out as though by intention poured down
upon their heads. Streams of water
were turned in from all sides only to he
swallowed up by the tIames and turned 10
steam.
Spread to Other Buildings.
The fire spread to the east and then
turned south toward q street. A long row
of sheds in the rear of houses Hontlhg
ON Thirteenth street caught and the flames
swirled down the alley as fast as man
could run People began to move cut Of
the row ard toen the street and sidewalks
were lined with houscE old goods.
The residence Of Dr. z. T. Sewers which
adj0ins the Lansburgh property on the
west began to sn. oke from the heat. The
firemen turned their sttentiCn n 10 it and
a half dozen streams OF water werethrown
on the wall and roof. Gangs of men We're
organized from tie crowd, and under the
supervision of the Ioiice part of the
PHYSICIANS furniture was hastily removed
To the street.
The heat became fearful. Firemen, po-
lice and the crowd were driven back al
most to III street A heavy truck which
ST, o on New York avenue was found TO
be in danger and volunteers We're asked
for o drag it further up the street.
A rumor spread that the rear of Epiphany
Church had caught ard a fire company was
hastily ordered up into the alley which
separated il from the burning building
The narrow way was choked with SIN Ike
and burning sparks, butthe firemen rlungei
in, dragging hose
The walls of the five-stOry brick build
ing in the rear of the Rink. which was
also used 10y the Lanshurgh Company. We're
topping, hut the men went on. The heat
inthealley was almost unbearable.
The church was smoking. large win
,'uw in the rear of the editicc, which is
valued at S15 900, was thought to be IN
danger from the heat and a stream Of
water was played upon it. As the fire
worked through toward q street, people
living on that thorou ghfare became alarmed
and many began to move out their furnl-
ture.
The walls of the brick addition to the
Rink gave way at S 40 o'clock, and came
down with crash. The flying bricks
narrowly missed the rear OF the chlrch,
but. fortunately, no damage was done iU.
FT~I. al
few moments previous was choied with
debris.
Poe House Damaged.
The row Of woodSheds in the rear of
houses facing on Thirteenth street was
demolished. The roofs and sidewalks of
the buildings themselves We're also badly
scorchcd and only prompt work by the
firemen saved them.
Adjoining the furniture store on the
east and facing on New York avenue, is
a large, square. double house, the property
of a Miss Burr. II is familiarly known a:
the Poe House, and it said that Edgar
Allen p Poe lived there while in Washington
The side. rear, and a portion Of the roof
Of the building were buried and scorched.
Adjoining the rear of the Poe House i $ the
back from No. T2S Thirteenth street The
rear porch was burned away, and a
quantity Of furniture stored there con
suned.
The walls of the building known as the
"Rink' caved in thirty minutes after the
fire was first discovered Fortunately
they fell inward. Had the heavy timbers
fallen outward adjoining property would
have caught and il would have been impos-
sible TO estimate the damage which would
have resulted.
BY Z o'clock the fire was under control
and all damage TO surrounding property y
at an end. Two small towers al either cor
ner Of the front of the Rink were alon'
standing an hour after the fire started
Between them lay the wreck. A number
Of engines still puffed away at midnighI
around the ruins.
Mr.. Julius Lansburgh, manager Of the
furniture company, was sen last night and
asked concerning the origin Of the fire
He said he was unable to assign any cause
The first lie knew OF the fire was whef
one If the clerks came to the office and
notified him that the building was on fire
He ran out to the main floor and saw The
Books Were Lost
Realizing at once that the fire had gainee
great headway in the basement and thai
it was impossbleto check it, he gave or
! deTs for the removal of the books and
/ money, which were in the office The mer
! had hardly begun this work when TIL,
| smoke and flame became so dense that i
| was impossible to continue and Mr.. Lans
| burgh ordered all from the building
In reply to questions Mr.. Lanbsurgh salt
| that the basement was used only for Stur
ing furniture, and that no combustible
| or material of an inflammabIe characte
was kept there The building, he sait
was heated by steam and the boiler wa
situated beneath the new addition in tn
rear Of the main building.
/ Mr.. Lansburgh stated that there wer
| a large number Of electric light wires i
the basement, and that the fire nigh
! have been caused by the wires becornm
! crossed He did not care to make
! positive statement To that effect. how
ever. He merely suggested that as {
possible cause. If he remembered cor
Tectly, the current was turned on apou
the time the fire was discovered, AMI i
was possible that the fire might nav
originated from that cause.
Mr. Lansburgh made acarefu!examinatio
Of his Insurance papers last night. The
were in the office of Wolf & Cohen, az No
$50 F street northwest, and so escape,
hefire The insurance on his stock amount
to SCI 900, and he estimated the total los
last night at between $4,000 and 500.
| 600. IT