The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-30
W HOUSE BURNED.
A LARGE PART OF WASHIN9roN's
HTREET RAILEAYS ORIPPLED.

The Bis Ceutrai Power station 81 the Capital
Traction Company Destroyea-soue ef the
Occupants Compelled 70 Sump Freu the
windows-The Loss viii Reach seOo
WASHINGTON. Sept. 29.-The most disastrous
nro that has visited Washington In many years
occurred tonight, when tho great central power
station OF the Capital Traction Company was
totally destroyed, with all its contents, entail
ing q loss OF many thousands Of dollars and
Gripping for weeks. II not monthA, tho street
railway which supplies the greater part of the
city.
The Gre started ut about 1880, and within
half an hour the whole place was q SETTLING
mass OF flames. From q spectacular point Of
view nothing could have been finer. The power
house occupied an entire block, and was ak
stories in height
The are burned regularly until the whole
building was enveloped in flames. and then IL
roared Dtn q furnace. Great columns Of flames
shot mp hundreds Of feet into the air. sparks
were waited in all directions. while tongues
darted from hundreds Of Windows, endsngering
all the surrounding property and. indeed. the
entire heart OF the city. Fortunately the Gre
10 on the south side Of Pennsylvania avenue.
and between 1t and the north side Ia q large
parking. or the safety of the business section
would be greatly endangered.
The power house was located between Thir-
tCCHth IL q I1hiI II Oht utICctb, Oppo-
site the building OF the Washington Post.
Within two blocks are the Treasury Department
and new Post Office building and tho large retail
stores.
1t Is possible that several more blocks may be
destroyed, as at midnight the firemen have been
beaten back from the building by the intense
heat.
The Are started, as near as can DO learned, In
the southwest corner Of tho building. on the
third floor. presumably in tho printing ONCE Of
Harvey s. Gettinger. Tho origin will never be
known, as within q moment after 1t was discov-
cred It was impossible to approach the blaze.
Word was rapidly passed around for every
one TO save himself. Men fell out Of win
dows. rushed from doors, and crawled through
basement windows. The alarm had hardly been
turned In before the flames had crept from the
third window. where they were irst discovered,
to a point halfway around the building.
The engineers were notified to Zee for their
lives. and they wero compelled to desert the
engines without stopping them or shutting OF
the boilers.
By tho time the first Ore engine arrived the
flames were breaking out Of tho fourth story
windows, and within fifteen minutes had gone
all around the building. Windows cracked on
all sides as the flames lespeo through them.
Chief Paris was on the scene almost immedi-
ately, and took active charge Of the work
Every engine in the city hurrte 10 the spot. but
all they could do was to play on the flames and
Ten Thousand people gathered on the side;
sons were on the avenue and $780, 600 moro
watched the flames from hopsetops.
At half past II the walls began to fall with
crashes that could DO heard miles away Tho
adjoining buildings were shaken to their foun-
dations-
In the mean time every available man In the
neiehborhood was employed in protecting the
and books, papers. and money taken to safe places.
After mitnight nothing vas done except to
which BY this time had caught fire.
was the attempt of q young man, E Eisleman.
posed to Be in the are: He dashed across
s ssen o 81 the S' oa a9n ING asas Su hdi Sp'hHaf His 'G %a 5t I
siSSn an 'p people DH'I sSeu 1e INC to him 6f1T to s stop, but 10 10
ran through the open doors and then was
Assistant Engineer Davis ' played a heroic
part He knew the boilers were full Of
place pGs hi ho dashed sS sdPPiT nso the h{ SThsins near and ' al.
s %G p4er lesG s an s tia%st in f TSis w to GRsR shsa
but the boilers did not explode. as they blew out
the fs ssP so at ses sn Rsif IF saH B pip l.rr. ONO. in
Several laundries We're in the building. as was
The building itself was erected four years ago
at q cost OF about $3.50. 900. In 1t was all tho
machinery for operating the car lines running
on Pennsylvania avenue. Seventh street. and
Fourteenth street. which amount to about If
teen miles OF track.
There is no possibility Of replacing the ma
chinery or operating the cars by cable for
months to come. The company has sold all its
horses, 80 the road will be tied up for several
weeks. This itself means q loss Of thousands of
dollarA The total damage will be about