Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-22
DRUG STORE BLAZE
Flames and Exploding Chemicals
Makes Things Lively. !
CRlSWELL'S STORE TEE SCENE
Narrow Escape of Persons in the
Building.
H o w 1T CA UGHT
II o w 1T CA HIT

DIR. F. NJ Criswelrs drug store AT the
| northeast corner of 7th and streets, was
badly damaged by fire this afternoon. The
damage to the building. as we'll as to the
STOCK, was considerable, and IL was caused
by the accidental leaking of a big bottle
containing several quarts of benzine The
frid ran from the second floor to the base
ment where there was fire in the furnace
This caused loud explosion. and pieces of
broken glass flew in every direction. col
ored porter named Robert johnson, who
was at work in the basement, narrowly
escaped with his life, and he was so thor
oushly frightened -that he could hardly tell
the story OF how the affair happened for
al. hour afterward
The fire was 4 stubborn cne and the
fiiemen had hard work to subdAe the
flames. Although the fire started IN the
basement the blaze followed up the ele-
Nator shaft to the top of the third floor
ard laid low all comoustible material n.
It's path. On the top floor several yorng
ladies were employed putting up patent
medicines and they had TO run for their
lives, SO quickly did the flames reach ;ne
room in which they were working Excite
nent was at it's highest pitch when tse
smoke poured from the UPPER floor as We'll
as from the basement and people in the
crowd feared there was somebody in the
building
For few minutes the colored porter was
nowhere to be found, and as ii was known
ne was In there some alarm was felt for his
safety. Several persons who had realized
the seriousness of the fire rushed around
10 the eighth precinct station and a mes
sage was sent from there over the wire TO
NO q Engine Company, on II street While
this message was being sent an alarm was
sounded from box PA. This brought out
several fire companies, and IL was some
minutes before the streams of water SEEM
cd tn hax-a -irila
Smoke and Flames.
The volumes of black smoke were so
dense that it was with difficulty that the
firemen succeeded in getting in the upper
part of the building. Blinds from the up
per window had to be cut away, and sew
eral times the firemen were forced to re-
treat for fear of explosion. and also
because of the density of the srltiSe Soon
after the hremen began playing the several
streams OF water on the blaze the winter
found Its way from the top of the house TO
the store on the first floor and this did con-
siderable damage.
When the big bottle was first broken and
the nuid made its way down the elevator
alarmed.
L. S. Day, the head clerk realized the
danger in which the colored porter was and
he hastened to the basement to assist him
out OF the place where the explosion had
occurred. When he descended the stairway
there was so big blaze that he was turn
&c back, but 1t was not until he saw that
the porter was safe that he ascended the
steps ID the store. Mr.. Day was burned
about the hands, and the porter was also
burned, but not seriously.
The clerks and others went to work TO
remove some of the valuables from the
store. and then also removed many of The
liquids, which they knew were liable to ex-
plode, and probably kill some of the fire
men or cause the spreading of the flames
In the removal Of the goods from the store
some little property was destroyed. Dr.
CrlsWeil was not in the store when the fire
started having gone to Mount Vernon This
morning.
The Damage.
DIR. Criswell returned before the fire had
been extinguished and found part of his
store complete wreck. Most of the dam
age had been done or the upper floors
There was scarcely anything left on the
second or third floors. while the store
proper was water-soaked and somewhat
scorched. DIR. Criswell said he could give
no idea OF the amount of damage done al
though 1t will amount to several thousand
dollars.
The firemen say it was one of the hardest
fires they have had to fight for a long time
and 1t was only because of their prompt
ne ss that the building was saved. DR. Girls.
well thinks his property was folly insured