The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-27

The fronts of the surrounding buildings
upon which the water had been PLAYED
presented beautiful spectacle as they
flashed back from their icy walls the
rays OF the morning sun. The fire
mems rubber coats stiffened around
them and frequently some benumbed
man was borne away by his comrades
and hurried to the hospital by the wait
Ing ambulances.
a popularity of the fire as it grew
larger was the great quantity of smoke.
This further handicapped the firemeu.
This smoke at times descended to the
street in an almost solid cloud and the
liremen were driven back gasping for
breath.
LIKE y HOPELESS TASK.
1t was seen that the Hirsl building
was doomed and the flrcmen turned
their attention to saving The adjoining
properties. AT first this, too, seemed to
be hopeless task.
Building after building along Mar
ket street crumbled beneath the touch
of the fiery tongues of the flames, en-
of the H;rsh building fell into Silver
street the fire leaped across and enter
ed the seven-story double iron build
ing fronting on Filbert street, occupied
by Dunlap 6 Clark. printers: the Col
Inns Carriage Manufa curing company,
and numerous other firms. The entire
b b'ock at this time was honeycumb bed
by fire.
WANAAIAKER HELPED FIGHT.
The firemen feared that the great
Wanamaker establishment would go
and they watched it like hawks Mr.
/ Wanamaker himself had arrived early.
and d.smissing the greater number OF
his $500 employees. marshaled under his
| own direction the fire force CT the store
These men were on the low rluf of the
Market street front and they speedily
quencaed the burning brands that fell
| there. Then the Market street front OF
| the Hirsh building fell into the street.
n torrent of fire rolled out ana flowed
| across. the wide street and broi<e against /
! WaDamaker's. The building <nriveled
! and bl.stered beneath the fierce delure
and a tongue of fame shot up from The
/ high clock tower at the corner of Thir-
teenth and Market streets. The jets
| from the hose could not reacn the
flames IN the tower aud the entire
! building seemed threatened with de-
struction. The tower crumbie and fell
ana this proved the salvation of the
/ building, for the fireman were then able
| to fight the heart of tna nre, and soon
had II under control. although the en-
| tire Market street FROM nf the store was
deluEed with water, ana the whole
building was Observation-Disclosures
| Under the directions of Chief Baxter. OF
the Fire Department.; Mayor Warwick
! and Director of Pubic Safc5y Pillr. the
| firemen did magnificent woris. ana by
/ noon they succeeded in obtaining the
upper hand of the fire.
a SCENE OF .DESOLATION.
| Though the fronts of the bui! ling on
| east side of Thirteenth street were
| scorched the fire was confined 10 the
| block I'm which 1t started. Unsh Bros.
| building was completely DESTROYED and
all the other buildings on tho Market
street front. with the exception of the
grocery store of Showell & Fryer. at
Juniper and Market streets, Went down
10 destruction. The small stores along
| Thirteenth street to Silver straat shared
! the same fate, but the rest of me block
escaped entire destruction. 1t was
gutted and ravaged by the flames. but
| the losses at that part will not be total
| While the iiremen were STRUGGLING
| with the fire two alarms came il, from
| other sections of the city. and IL was
necessary to withdraw several engine
companies and send them whence these
alarms came. Fortunately these fires
were small and the companies were
| able to return to the scene of the
greatest destruction.
| The losses were distributed among 50
many that only an approximate idea of
| the total loss could he gathered, but
the greater part is covered nv nsur-
ance The total loss will probably not
exceed one million dollars.