Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-07
BIG FIRE IN WASHINGTON
Immense Central Power Station Of the
Capital Traction Co. Destroyed.
LOSS MORE THAN HALF MILLION
From Spectacular Point Blaze
Was Grand.
GREATEST EVER SEEN IN THAT CITY

Washington, Sept. 30. -Firemen we're
still playing on the ruins of the i'm
mense central power station OF the
Capital Traction Co. at 10 O'Clock this
morning. OF the massive six -story
structure nothing remained save part
OF two walls.
The fire was one OF the largest ever
known in Washington, and nothing
approaching it from spectacular point
OF view has ever been seen In this city,
where large fires arc rare occurrences.
The exact cause OF the fire remains
unknown, though it has been estab-
lished that it broke nut 10 Gettinger's
printing Office, ON the second floor.
The amount OF the loss has not been
computed with approximate accuracy
bur it is roughly estimated that 1t will
exceed ihree.quarters of million dol
lars, and that the loss OF the Capital
Traction Co. will bs 5000, 600 or more,
OF which q quarter of million was
caused by the destruction Of the build
ing and the remainder by the loss Of
machinery and equipment. The COM
pany carried in the neighborhood Of
$500, 900 insurance in local and out-of-
town companies. The Liverpool, Lon
don and Globe, the Firemen's of
Newark, N. j., and tho Home Fire
Insurance Co. of New York carried a
large share of the insurance.
Ii is the purpose of the traction COM
pany TO begin at once the erection Of
another powerhUuse building, and as
soon as possible it will reopen its rapid
transit system. Horse cars wers put
in service to.uay, and department clerks
and business men along the company's
lines were carried 10 work behind m ules
and horses hastily gathered for the
purpose.
The loss to the firms having quarters
in the powerhouse building will aggre.
gate upwards Of SlJ0, 600. The Lanston
Monotype Co. lost SIS, 600 or more,
principally machines and tools. Tho
fire will throw 30 of its employees out
of employment. The Southern Railway
Co. had several offices in the building,
and, while its money loss s small, il
will take considerable time tn replace
the drawings, records and Documents
destroyed. The losses of the score or
more of other occupants OF the building
will range from 81, 600 to $40, 600 each.
A number of buildings in the i'm
meulhls NiClully buUereu from inc
fierce blaze, the largest loser being
Charles Walter, whose carriage factory
and contents were damaged to the ex-
tent of S25, 600; no insurance.
Philadelphia, Pa. Sept 30 The
handsome country residence OF DR.. II.
G.. Register, about mile from Ard
more station, on the main line of the
Pennsylvania railroad, was destroyed
by fire shortly after 2 o'clock this
morning.
DIR. Register, his wife and three
children and the servants were asesp
when tho fire started. DIR. Register
was awakened by the suffocating
smoke, which was carried into his
room. He aroused the others, and all
were gotten out safely.
Some furniture was saved from the
first -four, but in a short time the roof
and floors fell in and nothing was left
but the bare walls.
The loss on the house and furniture
is estimated Mt s25, 600, and is fully
covered by insurance.