The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-06-03
Hundred Thousand Dollars Lest
by This Mornings Fire.
ENGINES SLOW In ARRIVING
Washington Asked for Help and
Prompt in Readering 1t, But the
ObstiRacy of a Ferrybeat Captain
Caused Delay That Cost 1leaf.iy.
Most DieastroGs Fire ia Nears-

broke cut this In9rnfne aiseut 12: 80
O'Clock iu tie BOILER reem of Herbert
Bryaus fertilizer factory on the river
front, at the foot of Duke street. re-
ssllted an ti,e Aost destructive oouflasra-
ton thar ever occurred in Alexandria.
The origin of tile fire is still shTouded in
mystery, and many persons are of the opin-
ion that Lice obstruction was the work of
al inOendiary. Had it not been for the
1tneauoBs eXertionS of the nIeIa5ers OF the
CiFe depaftaAenl ana the assistance of The
oitizeRs of AieXaReiria, tessrhsr with The
valuable services of Chief Belt, of Wash
aasytsn. aRa Els Ilsen, tIse entire river frant
0f thls @, wuuld have iseen sllasS of
ruins this morning.
within ten minutes after the fire was
first dis, overed une iusaIense wooden wArr-
hoHss af Capt. BrgSn, on the north SIDE of
Duke street, between the Strand and
Union street. wds RIass Of flames.
Tongues OF fire leaped high into the air.
ana IT Eas-oEhy Too apparent Q Chief W ar
field and his men that the Alexandria
firemen had 10 contend with the Most
stubhorn ii,e of their lives. The ColUm-
bia engine was out OF service, but her
place was Tiled by the ". 4 sno0t. The
HydraI;lion engine was soon on the grounds,
but the Smoot was delayed in reaching
the ScaIPe on account Of one OF tht COlU;ir
bia horses beiHg sick, and had TO wait
until the Hydraulion horses could be sent
back for the second engine
Four powerful streams were soon play
iag on the flames which had by this time
spread 20 several OF the adjoining build
iugs A high wind prevailed, aud there
was Intense eKciteIBt Mt among bose who
witnessed the rapid spread OF the flames
The Washington department was ap-
I,ealed 20 ior ASSISTANCE, and Grief BIT
promptly responded that al engine was
~ readiness and OF the service Of this
city
Supt Ridley, OF the Wa shIIgton andAleN-
aniria FeiryC Comran \, could Eot be Teac ctfea,
bat Mr. John Tadgett. agent fol the COM
pany in this city, advised Chief Belt, that
the ferry Steamer Columbia would be in
readiness when he and this men reached
the Wi arr ia Washington TO transport them
t. TINS ,1ty. when the chief and his com
pany arrived az the wharf III Wasting Eton,
however, it was some time before Capt.
E>zrige, OF the Columbia, could be found,
and when that official was located ne fe-
fused most enphaucally TO pilot The
Columbia TO this city, Notwithstanding the
fact tnat he was advised that tie Ferry
Company 5 property assn immiuent dan
ger Of being deyoured by the flanes. II
was not until Mate Tally Folke had eK-
presses his intention OF bringing the boat
te AIes afr1Tia that the captain reiented and
consented 10 command the steamer.
The delay occasioned by the refusal uf
Capt ESkridEe 10 ACT promptly Doubt less
caused the loss Of thousands OF dollars
worth Of property. The assistance from
Washington should have reached AleXan-
dria about 2.l 3. but did not get feie until
3 o'clock. by which time the flames had
Spread through the entire block Of trick
warehouses bounded 10y Duke street on tbe
south. Iaince street on the north. Union
street on the west ana the Stand on tue
east The pioneer Mills, ali immense five
story brick "a the river front south Of Duke
street. and the bnathouSe OF the Old Dnluln-
ion Boat Club, on tue river front, between
King ard Prsuoe streets, had aiso sac-
cunbedf 30 the flames
Seeing that II was impossible 10 save
any oi tie buildings within the district
named. tie firenen turned their attention
to the smoking buildings on the west side
OF Union street, occupied as a foundry
by W :. Moore. and a a planning mn y
AitChcN5n * Bro. At this point the heat
was intense but the firemen worked 4 ai
oHSly and ssVed the buildings frosu tOJal
destruction. and prevented the spread of
the Flames an that direction. On the oppo-
site side Of Union street the flames Were
raging, leaping from one building to an
other until the entire block was con
su1ned fesvlnc only a few i,lackened waliS,
where. short time before had lowered
massive brick structures.
While two streams Of water from the
Siaout were being used TO prevent the de-
ssrue, ion Of tie property on th- west side
Of UaiOn Etrett, two streams from the
Hydraulion were pla ying ON the buildings
on Prince street, TO check the Flames
which threatened the large brick ware
houses on the north side OF that Thor
Uughfare Thus the fIIe within the ilock
destroyed was allowed TO burn itself out.
The losses, 80 far as ssceTtaiRed, are:
Herbert Bryant, about $40 GOO; the cid
BoiIiBian Machine ShUps- about $4,000;
De wilton AitChesons wood and coal
YARD, s. coo, Richard Wat'les' warehouse
81 GOO; Virginia Beef Extract Company,
So 1000. Pioneer Mills, $1,000; A. u ti ack-
eft. Ioss unknown: ATttlpeson storage bHild-
iaE. loss unknown: old Dominion club
house, with a number Of valuable boats,
S. GOO TO $1,000; other buildings, winch
are owned by out-oi-iown people, abOgt
S60 zoe. All the loss IS partly covered
toy Insurance.
Much damage was also done TO wharf
property on tie river front. The hUildihgs
ia J. Il. Zimmerman's wood end coal
wards. four tiocllS north OF the conflagra
tiOn Were set on fire. Sparks alse ig
nited the buildings as far north as the
Alexandria Fertilizer and Chemical Com
pauy's works, but the flames We're eKtin-
suished NitlloHt serious damage. 0nevery
housetop in tile vicinity of the fire men
we're perched with buckets Of water or
garden hose, III readiness TO prt Veat she
destruction Of their homes, Eilich were
Threatened.
Several sailing vessels and the steam
launches Ger1ie and Americus, Which
were nfoOred in the docks te; ween Prince
aud Duke streets, were gotten cut without
damage.
The Pioneer Mills, which was totally
Destroyed. wasa fire-story building and was
constructed in 1854 at cost of $4,000.
It was al one time used as a mill, tat Ie-
Gently has been used as a storage ware
house.
At $40 O'Clock the fire was under con-
trol, and at O'Clock tie engines returned
TO tfieir houses.
Chief Bell and his men were taeakfasted