The record-union., 1896-07-03
SCROGGS BUILDING BURNED.
Little Besides the Walls Remain Of the
Old Structure.
A Hot Fight With Flames at the Cor
ner of Tenth and K Streets
Yesterday.

About half-past IL o'clock yesterday
morning an alarm of fire was turned in
from Tenth and streets, and volume
OF smoke rising skyward proclaimed
that the fire was a considerable one.
Citizens hurried from all directions to
the spot and it was found that the old
Scroggs building, one of the old land
marks of the city, was on fire. Three
engines and two hook and ladder trucks
had responded to the call, comprising
the whole department, as Chief En-
gineer Guthrie realized Immediately
that he had nasty fire to fight, and
that he would need all his force to pre-
vent it from spreading. Some diff
Guilty was experienced in getting water,
however, and it was several minutes
before a stream could be turned on
the building
1t is not known how the fire started,
but Mr.. Scroggs was informed by some
one that smoke was coming cut of a
room in the southwest corner of the
upper story. He rushed up there, and
becoming excited, kicked in the door of
the room and the flames burst out. The
interior of the building was lined with
cloth and paper and the flames spread
rapidly. A stream was soon turned on
from the K-street front and soon after
three more were directed against the
fire from Tenth street.
The fire was a very hot one and the
firemen realized that i. was also a dan
gerous one, on account of the age of
the building and the condition of the
walls. The splendid discipline of the
department told, however, and Chief
Guthrie fought the flames SO success
fully and skillfully that they were con-
fined to the building and in less than
an hour were extinguished. The blister
ed faces and singed eyebrows of some Of
the men are mute witnesses, however, of
their daring battle with the devouring
element and the unflinching courage
with which they faced the fire and
smoke, the latter being so dense that
they had to lie down on the floor in or
der to breathe.
Several of them had narrow escapes
from death and injury. A chimney fell,
narrowly missing Assistant Chief En-
gineer Montg aillard as it came down.
Assistant Foreman Mallenberg of No.
l engine, with HoSemen Pritchard and
Swift, were on the upper balcony on the
K-street front, pulling UP the hose in
order to make the stream more effect
i've, when it gave way beneath them
and Pritchard and Swift were precip-
itated to the awning below, Pritchard
being badly cut in the wrist with glass.
With great presence of mind, Mallen-
berg threw himself partly over the win
dow sill and hung there, still holding
his hose. He coolly called to one of the
firemen who were inside to take the
hose and carefully climbed inside, so
as not to disturb the equilibrium of
the wall and bring it down. The crowd,
which had watched his perilous posi-
ton, broke into a cheer when they saw
that he was safe.
The two upper stories were COM
pletely gutted and the lower one dam
aged by water, and Mr.. Scroggs esti-
rnates the damage to the building to
be $1,000, with So, 100 insurance. ].
Donnelly, who occupied the saloon, will
lose several hundred dollars, and the
loss Of Lambert & Co., commission
merchants, Will be nominal. An East
ern capitalist had been negotiating for
the sale of the building and had an op-
ton on it, which expired on Wednes-
day
Chief Guthrie found considerable diff
ficulty in getting through the network
Of wires in order to get his ladders to
the building and states that he has
had so much trouble and delay from
this cause that he intends to go to
work at once and prepare and endeavor
to have passed an ordinance compelling
the companies to have all their wires
placed under ground.