Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-09
Two disastrous Conf|agra-
tons Across the Railroad.
! HuNDRs D HOMELESS
nearly Scare OF buildings e" Up J.,
Smoke. First Fire. jus. Rofor. N.,ou.
Thought to be Responsible
for the Second. ...

Inc dual conilagrations rendered over
nundred people, practically all me-
sroeS, homeless and DESTROYED nearly au
of their belongings.
Inc nrst tire occurred about noon.
originating in the second floor of
mousse on Ivy avenue, near the office OF
Justice Jones. owned by colored wo.
man named Virginia Harris, who lived
on the second floor. Charles Holzy.ie
Kept a grocery on the first floor. Tn,
usual defective flue theory is advanced
as the reason for the catastrophe.
Inc building went down before the
names IN marvelously short time and
they spread to the adjoining house. which
was occupied by ]. H. Berman, a dry
goods merchant. This structure was
soon in ashes. and the fire began on the
u block of twelve houses st the cor
ner OF Ivy avenue and Thirteenth street
extended. belonging to Mr.. w. +.
helms and occupied by negro families
The entire block was consumed. moth
ing being left standing but the Chin
neys and an insignificant portion OF one
of the walls.
Marx Nachman's house on the south
east corner, occupied by Jim Hill, who
kept bar in it. was damaged to the
extent Of about $500. U# ~.
Several other houses across the street
We're pretty badly scorched. the damage,
to them amounting to about 5000
The Fire Department was promptly
upon the scene, but SO rapidly did the
names spread. and so quickly did the
buildings burn, that all hope OF saw
Ing them had to be abandoned and the
attention Of the f1remen was directed
to saving the neighboring property.
Had 1t not been for pool constructed
some years ago by A1r Nelms to meet
such an emergency. it is proba BILE that
the whole vicinity would have been de-
vastated by the flames.
The total loss from this fire is stated
to be about $4,000; the insurance
amounted to about three-fourths of this
amount and was carried mostly by
companies represented by C. B. Nelms
& Co.,
of those who were rendered homeless
by the conf1agration. The tenants OF
the sNelms block were families, in the
majority OF cases; of laborers at the
shipyard. There were a number of
rooners there also, who had no fami-
lies.
Following, however, is a list OF those
In the helms block, as nearly complete
as possible:
Charles Green. wife and child.
G. c. Coles.
Woman. name unknown t.
Emmett Fultz FIVE in family: what
did not get burned up, was carried out
Annie Scott. FIVE in family: lost half
OF her possessions. remained saved. but
badly damaged
Liza Bates, six in family: she was not
at home, but some one broke into her
apartments and saved her stuff for her
Tom Hall. four in family; lost all he
hhd.
Willie Summers. nine in family: lost
half of his property by fire and theft
James Francis. three in the family;
lost about a third of his belongings.
John Dabney, five in family; saved
about half of his furniture.
James, Woodson. two in family: saved
nearly al of his furniture.
A. FoindeXter; nine in family; lost all
his possessions
man named Miller, and some six or
seven other negroes. working In the
shipyard; lost everything.
Jacob Withers and two daughters
saved their stuff.
Virginia Harris house cost $500 to
build. The insurance on it amounted
to $500. This house was occupied by
Virginia Harris. her husband and their
five children these lived nthe second
floor. Charles Holzveig. who kept store
an the lower part of the house, also
lived in the building. He lost all Of his
personal belongings. besides his entire
stock of groceries, which he valued at
81, 500 and was insured for only a third
of that amount. =
J. II. Berman owned the building in
which he kept "a dry goods store. He
states his entire loss to be about $500.
counting the building and stock. His
insurance was IS. COOS =. $50
Sol Bermc.: whp kept the grocery. in
the Nachman house. CoTi'G his stock
out lie claims that,flfs stock was dam
aged about $500 worth. 1t was unln-
sured. ,st@
Jim Hill. who kept bar-room- in
Marx Nachman's house. also moved out
and lost something in damage to stock
2 by the operation. ..,
The second FIRE broke out about
o'clock, in the row, OR block Of four
houses, about. fiyes hundred yards east
of the scene of the firstffire, and Oh the
opposite side OF the avenue This block
is better known as Poe's row; and was
owned bye. B. NeIns & Co.
It is stated that the fire started up
stairs. On the-second floor there were
two vacant rooms. Into these rolms
Jacob Writer'S and his two daughters.
who had been burned out. in the first
fire, moved their battered belongings.
Then they went out to see the neigh
bors.
The fire, it is said. origina ted in one OF
these rooms, the natural supposition be-
ing, of course that some Of the furni-
smouldered through the afternoon.
bursting into a blaze several hours after
1t had been stored in the room.
The block burned like finder and In
a half hour all four houses were In
ashes, the Fire Department arriving too
late to do more than save the neighbor-
ing buildings and some of. the telephone
poles, which were blazing. The block
was doomed, and. no amount Of water
could have saved it after the first fifteen
= minutes.
Among the families in this block We're:
Sue Watts, four in family; saved her
clothes and lost her furniture.
3SEs Mary Bates, three in family; lost
4 about all her possessions S.
saSs Sally Giles, four in family; lost every-
thing ..t "a al slsS M 5$
,sSs woman named Short with family
sEofs four;; lost all her property.
man named Singleton four in fam
sss1Iy e: lost $everyt thing.
Of :