The times., 1897-07-09
Police Have a Description Of the
Buehley Building Incendiary.
POURED Oil DOWN THE SHAFT
Third Attempt To Burn the Pennsy.-
vania Avenue Property Is Nearly
Sncces-fui-F Flames suhdned After
an Exciting Several Fire
men Jared Ciews TO lneendiary.

citct foiicefifea were engaged III an actiVe
iaan hunt last night. They were leoking
for the fireiJug W ho tried TO burn down
PENNSYLVANIA avenue northwest, yesterday
forenoon, for the third time iii six
weeks. told liz the Evening Times
TIE Officers have received a good de
scripsion of the man W bo Is believed TO
have plaae the. first two attempts 10
destroy the structure. They have also
secured important eiews and there Hsay
soen ae sensational developments in The
case. One man, against " hon ehere ls
STRONG suspicion OF being the incendiasy,
is kLoxn 10 be under surveillance.
Fire was discovered in the tall structure
about 10 O'Clock yesterday morning by
Samuel Z. Turner and Policeman n Il.
Her nGon, and a q alarm was quickly
turned in. The fire department responded
with alacrity, and Chief Joseph Paris,
with Assistant Chiefs Belt and kurtz, took
personal command of the fire fighters.
MIR. Taraer's ate Htion WAS first at
traeted by pufrs of smoke rolling up from
the basement door On the street side or
the builGing, but when the fire companies
arrived q few minutes later, the flames
had reached the south roof and were
fiercely burning about the caves and
cornices.
The incendary started the blaze III the
| basement, Immediately under the elevator
ssl ait, which is In the southwest corner OF
the building. He evidently saturated the
sides Of the shaft, composed of light pine
boards, with kerosene, gasoline, or some
other tnflanarn ahIe fluid, for the fire shot
ap the wooden flge with such rapidity
that in a short time it was Ike the in
terror of a roaring furnace. The flames
communicated With the dry roof timbers
and soon burst forth. sending long tongues
of flame and rolling clouds OF smoke high
into the suitry atmosphere
Ine .4i.., ,,'s,. - seeti for long dis
| tance and attrafted thousands Of people 10
the scene.
The roiicereserves from the First Fourth
ana Sixth precincts arrived in tie patrol
wagons and were assigned to duty under
Lieats. Amiss, Kelly aud Vernon CoHtnlis-
sioner Wight q Rsf Col. Moore, chief of lo-
hee, also arilSared on the scene.
Most Of the fire,fiehting had TO te done
I on the strEet, end of the roof, under the
elevator shaft. The firemen scrambled
up the iron fire-eseape and soon had two
streams of water playing on the fire fEgln
tnat siee, the ppeInen occupying pefils,ls
perehes GA tie caves Of the burning build
ing.
Truck C arffted with it's extension Iafi-
der, whici WAS raised orer the five stories
to the raol on the Pen rs ytvania avenue
side, and Sofa several streams were play
ingon the cTael5ing flames from that direc-
tion. ASmen also went TO work and
chopped great lsIes in the roof, while
number OF kIGrning cuffins, part OF the
pr0pe.t. us the late 4 nthony Buckley, un-
dertaker. We're sent cracking to The c
street sidewalk. The eoffins had teen
stored n tue attic rooms.
The lower floor OF the building was
occaTicd by Z branch of the Postal Tele-
graph Company, alsg as an office by, three
brokers Nessrs. Joseph + bonahoo, 9 r.
Weik and Vernon r. Norton The four
upper slorIes We're in charge OF Mrs. Ella
Goodwin and her son, messenger hoy. She
kept house in the second story rooms while
the others We're stored with yalua ble anti,lJe
furniture and other articles, the property
of the Bur HEY heirs.
The building was originally owned by the
late Miss Ann Bqchle V, who wiIled it to Miss
Hattie Rlichley. resident Of Arlington
Village, Va. The latter lady was in Perry's
dry goods store, on the opposite side OF the
Avenue, by strange coincidence. when
the fire was discovered The property IS
in litigation, there being a contest in the
COURTS over the VIII.
Mrs Cnf!Ivit, " in caao.1,t et-.r,x L Il
room when she was warned of the out
| barst of flames by man, who hanged
louG.y at her door. She escaped without
injury, but was badly frightened
After an hours work the firelnen ex-
tiRguished the flames, having in the mean
time prevented the fire from spreading Il,
the Two adjoining buildings The great
masses of water which We're thrown uron
the blazing roof timbers percolated through
the roof to the lower floors, playing havoc
with the furniture and stored articles
The totaI loss viii reach $4,000. 1t
vas aPproNinfated Iast cveniug- as Fsillf5svs.
To the building, $1,000; Mrs. CoGwin's
effects. and those of the Buchey heirs in
the upper rooms, $500; Postal Telegraph
Company, $50; Brokers Donahoo and
Wefk, $50 each; Broker Norton, SO, and
about 5000 damage by smoke and water
to the Knights OF Malta paraphern:tlia, on
the upper floor OF tie Independent Ice
Company building, No $40 Penns ylvan.a
avenue
Robert Anderson, an employe of the
Postal Telegraph Company. furnished the
police with description of the supposed
fire beg who infatle the first two ATTEMPTS
to burn the structure and is also thought
to have made that of yesterday. He is
described as mtaH white man with scrubby
beard, dressed IN dark suit Anderson
says he will know the fellow If he sees
him again, and any suspects arrested viii
be taken before him for Identification.
About six weeks ago this man sneaked
into the building through the c street
door at O'Clock in the morning. and
fired the buildin after pourin ginflamma BILE
liquids in and ABOUT u small pantry on the
first floor He made similar attenapt
about three weeks ago. being seen each
tine a few minutes before the flames broke
out 80
There Were, several accidents during the
course Of the are- John Mcmahon, a
steamfitter, residing 1t No. 644 Fl street
northeast chopped his foot with an ak
while assisting the fifetnen on the roof.
John NJ. Sauer, a member of No. 4 engine
company, had the tip Of lfisleft forefinger
cut off. Edgar E. Stuart wasstrGcs it'll
a flying coffin lisi, which was ablaze and
had been throwa fFeIn The attic One OF
the streams on the street fire escape
became unmanageable and sluisted with
fall force against several nrenen, nea rly
| washing them from their Lofty positions.