Evening star., 1897-04-29
AFFAIRS IN GEORGETOWN
Result of the Disastrous Fire Late Yesterday
Afternoon.
strengthening the NJ Street Bridge
Over Rock Crcek-Other In.
tercsting Items.

j. f. Dyer q co. OF .S5SO M street sustained
a loss of something like 5000, with lit
tie insurance. Shortly after O. clock fire
was discovered in the large frame ware
house in the rear of the store, and before
the flames were got under control the
structure and it's contents were entirely de-
stroyed. By dint of hard work the en-
ployes of the place and others prevented
the flames catching to the main brick build
ing. which was stocked with groceries and
other matter. including a quantity of dy-
Mantle and powder.
Just how the fire started is hard to state,
but it is generally believed that small boys
caused it, A son of Mr.. Dyer and several
other boys were playing in the place Just
before the blaze broke out, and they ran
into the store, telling a clerk that there
was fire, and then disappeared. They did
not show I'D for some time. and the moth
ers of the boys feared for a time that the
youths were in the burning place. and had
been cremateds The theory of spontaneous
combustion was also advanced, owing to
the quantity of hay and other stuff stored
in the place.
The storehouse is separated from the
main building by an alley connection be-
ing made to it from the store by means of
bridge. The storehcuse was built clear
to the edge of the towoath of the canal
No D engine was the first to reach the
scene, responding to a local. and by the
time 1t reached the structure it was moth
ing but mass of flames. regular alarm
was turned IN and this was followed by
second. or special. alarm, but it was nearly
half an hour before the other engines re-
sponded, owing to the fact that the alarm
was struck at the wrong box taking the
engines on x street, several squares from
the scene of the fire. The local engine did
NOBLE work during all of this time. and
when the other three engines arrived and
turned their hose on the burning mass the
connasrstlon was pretty well under way
and confined to the storehouse.
An Explosion.
In the building there was stored several
barrels Of coal Oil and gasoline, and when
the flames reached these there was an ex
p.oslon, the force of which threw blazing
pieces of wood clear across the canal. Sew
erai times fire started on the roof of the
Smith Transparent Ice Company on x
street, directly opposite the fire, but the
p'aze was discovered and extineuished
each time to prevent any damage.
Ihere We're several horses stabbed in the
stoFehouse at the time the fire started
oCt tnese were got out safely though
heaVy express wagon belonging to the
nrm was entirely consumed Several car
loads of hay, a carload of seed potatoes
quantities of meal, corn and oats pickles
and canned goods and other goods were
either entirely burned up or so damaged
by the flames as to be useless. The nro-
prietor, Mr.. j. E. Dyer, was absent in
New York at the time, attending the cere-
monies attending the dedication of tie
Grant tomb, but he was Immediately wired
OF the fire, and returned home this morn
ing 1t was quite late in the evening be-
fore the local fire company left the scene
The fire in the large quantity of hay was
smeidering clear to the bottom, and the
men were obliged to go through the whole
lot with pitchforks.
Strengthening n Bridge.
A very delicate piece Of work is now in
progress at the NJ street bridge over Rock
creek the progress of which is watched
by every person who passes by the vicin-
1ty. 1t is nothing more nor less than the
Strengthening of the iron framework of
the structure. The recent construction of
the big lntercepting sewer through a por-
ton OF the north embdnkment of the bridge
and the subsequent connection of another
sewer, together with the regular traffic
of the heavy cable trains and other vehi-
cles over the structure, is supposed to have
weakened it considerably. The sewer work
having been completed the attention of
mechanics is now devoted to improving the
strength of the bridge
BY means of boats wooden supports and
trestleS have been erected holding the iron
suspension work of the bridge in position
Whine the work of strengthening is going
on. The wooden trestle runs clear across
the creek, and the supports of the same
are given firm foundation on the Led Of
the stream. A large force of workmen
are employed in gong over the entire
structure, making close examination.
tighteneing all nuts and placing In new
pieces of iron where tie old ones show
signs of weakness. The work has been in
progress for some days, and will proba-
ply be completed before the end of the
week.
Georgetown Glee Club.
There was a crowded audience last even
ing al the CASTOR Memorial Hall of George
town University to witness a compliment
tary entertainment given by the Glee, Ban
jo, Mandolin and Guitar Clubs of the uni
Nersity. Every seat in the large hall was
occupied, and standing room at a
premium. The affair proved very success
Iul and the program OF fourteen numbers
was divided INTO two parts. There was
plenty of applause, ana many of the num-
Ders were duplicated, 1t being quite late be-
fore the entertainment closed. The pro-
gram for the occasion was as follows:
Georgetown March, Caltan, Banjo and Man
dolin Clubs; Tom, Tom the fIper's Son.
Kendall, Glee Club; Fin de Steele" Hogue,
Mandolin Club; Crowd of Coons,'' CalIan,
George H. O'Connor soloist, and Glee Club;
OriClc WaltZes,' Caiian, Mandolin Quar-
tet: old King Cole Dekoven, Glee Club:
koyal Blue Line March, Callan, Banjo Club:
Blue and Gray March, CaIlan, Mandolin
Club; The Owl and the. Pussy Cat,' De-
koven. MIR. Cronin. as soloist, and Glee
Club: 'Autumnal Festivities Planque,
Banjo Club; La Florera," Hernandez
Mandolin Club; "A Summer Idyi," tradi-
tioEal, Glee Club; Sons of Georgetown"
Carmen Georgiopolitanum, Glee. Banjo and
Mandolin Clubs.
Two Boys Held.
The arrest of the young boys as stated
in The Star yesterday has resulted in the
holding of two upon the charge of destroy
Ing private property. Their names are
Marghall Craig and John Lee Dale, and
their ages are less than fourteen each.
The other boys, some of whom were taken
frcm their desks in the public schools, were
released, because they could not be held as
committing the depredationS charged
against thtm, though they were with the
other members of the youthful gang. The
two boys who were arrested have been re-
leased on $lUO bonds, furnished by their
parents. The arrest will prove a lesson to
| ali. So far the police have found out that
the youthful miscreants visited over thirty
vacant houses, and -despoiled them of lead
| pipe ana other things, though In a majority
| OF cases the owners will not prosecute, on
account of the tender age of the boys. The
| two now held are charged with only one
ofrense, though there may be one or two
| other cases charged against their names
| later.
Funeral of w. j. Shaw.
William Jerome Shaw was buried today at