Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-30
OVER A MILLION
Property Of Great Extent
Goes Up in Smoke.
A RAILWAY POWER HOUSE
Railroad, Tenants and Surrounding
Property Owners All Suffer.
INSURANCE GREATLY SCATTERED
Greatest Fire Spectacle Ever Wit
messed in This City.
INSURANCE GREATLY SCATTERED
O RIGIN is A MY STERY

Washington was visited last night by the
day the vast power house of the Capital
Traction Railway Company, which occu-
pied the entire square bounded by 49, and
18th and D and E streets northwest, is a
mass of debris composed of twisted and
misshaped steel beams melted machinery
and broken masonry. The loss of the struc-
trre and Its contents was complete. The
origin of the disaster will probably never be
definitely determined. William Gettnger
printer, who occupied rooms on the third
floor of the building, over the boiler rooms
on the d street side, was at work with a
small force OF employees up to IL O'Clock
last night. Mr.. Gettinger and a young man
named Samuel Moore closed the printing
office about that time Ten minutes later
John Schofield, watchman employed at
the power house, went out through the
boiler room on d street and discovered
flames issuing from the windows of Get
fingers establishment He ran back into
the building and upstairs to turn on the
hose ON the various floors, but was driven
back by the smoke and heat of the fire,
which had already rapidly spread Wber
alarm was turned in at II ID o'clock by
Policeman Hollinberger, the fire had reach
ed the 14th street side of the power house
and was extending thence rapidly through
the building toward 14th street. The en-
tire fire department was called to the scene,
but II was evident from the very first thai
the great building was doomed to destruc-
tion, and the efforts of the department
were centered on saving the surrounding
property. The spectacle when the con-
f1agration was at it's height was one of
stupendous magnificence. The long tongues
Of anne leaped from every window, while
the columns of fire that rushed through the
roof seemed to reach the very zenith itself
The heat was something tremendous, AMI
there was little need of the reserve police
men to keep the crowds back. The light
of the flames Illuminated the city and the
country for miles around, and the popula-
ton poured out of its homes to view the
spectacle.
BY o'clock the destruction of the ouiid-
ing and its contents was complete, and the
estimated loss Of over a million dollars had
been suffered by the traction company
and the tenants Of its building and the own
ers of surrounding property. During the
progress of the fire the residents and prop
erty holders in the immediate vicinity were
panic stricken. Huge embers were carried
up from the raging furnace and scattered
in all directions. Roofs Of nearby build
ings were thronged with people. equipped
with buckets and anything that would hold
water, putting out the sparks that threat
ened to carry widespread devastation wher-
ever they fell. Despite the terrible heat.
the members of the fire department worked
hike salamanders at saving the surrounding
property. and to their efforts is due the
gratifying fact that the flames were con-
fined to the power house and its immediate
vicinity.
Origin a Mystery.
Just how the fire originated no one viii