Evening star., 1898-12-30
seVen-Story Building and Contents
Badly Damaged.
Loss ESTIMATED TO Be ABOUT $4,000
Barber & Ross, Corner of 11th and
G Streets, the Sufferers.
FOUR FIREMEN INJURED

Shortly before u o'clock last night flames
were discovered raging fiercely on the first
floor on the uth street side of the seven
story building corner of that thoroughfare
and G. street, occupied by the firm of Bar
Der & Ross. Before the fire had been con-
trolled the entire fire department with the
exception of engines Nos. IL and 10 located
respectively, at Mount Pleasant and Ana
costa. was put into rvice; the stock of
Barber & Ross, which occupied the three
lower stories and the cellar, was damaged
to the extent of $4,000 or 100000, while
the loss on the building itself reached
about S17.50O. Only the devoted efforts of
the members of the fire department pre-
vented what would have been otherwise a
conHagraton of immense proportions, and
IN their heroic determination to overcome
the fire four tiremen We're injured.
a tremendous crowd gathered in the vi
cinity and cheered the flame fighters time
and again as they Valianty attacked the
burning structure. The fire was discov-
cred by Policeman Oriani and Special Of
hcer j. {. Lee, who were on the north
side OF street, at the corner of 11th
street, in the drug store. They saw the
red tongues of flame shooting out of the
11th street windows of Barber & Ross
place, at the southern end. 1t was the
work OF few seconds for Oriani to turn
in the alarm from box 135. and then, with
Lee, he hurried to the building. The
flames were already making rapid headwav
and mad enveloped apparently everything
III SlSht OF the street
Response of Firemen
The engines responded promptly. but be-
fore their arrival it seemed to spectators
as if the fire was beyond the possibility of
control, The entire 11th street side of the
building on the lower floor was fercely
burning, and the flames were roaring up
ward sPoopd
through the stairways and elevator shafts.
Assistant Fire Chief Belt. who arrived
almost simultaneously with the engines
sWering the first alarm, which were Nos. l,
,, and H. with trucks c and D. and a
chemical engine, perceived at once the
great danger of a spread of the flames to
surrounding property, and general alarm
was sent out. This brought engines 3, 4,
>, 4, 5, 3. 10 and II and truck a into action,
and engines II and 15 were also brought
into the city to be on hand in case fire
Chief Belts direction the firemen bent their
efforts to cOnfine the flames to the lower
part of the building. below the fourth
floor and they repeatedly risked their lives
in carrying the order into effect. Tons
upon tons of water were poured in through
the windows and soon the effects of this
flood began to be apparent. 1t looked as
though the fire was out, nothing but vol
unes OF black smoke being apparent, when
suddenly the flames shot up again. seem
ingly with more ferocity than ever, and
the excited crowds were sure they had got
beyond all control. The firemen, however
Were equal to this additional demand upon
them and, tired though they We're with
faces almost blistered from the tremen-
dous heat, they renewed their determined
efforts. and after half an hour of as hard
work as they were ever called upon TO per-
form, confronted with numerous difficult
ties and threatened every moment with
danger, not alone of suffocatiOn by the
sitting smoke, but of being injured by the
shower of glass fragments that fell from
bursting plate glass windows. the fire was
beaten down into the first floor, and then
10 the cellar.
During this period Fireman O'Connor of
No. engine company had his wrist badly
cut by a fragment Of flying glass, and but
for the prompt action of Special Officer
Keefe, who bound his handkerchief about
the wound, OCOnnor might have bled to
death. He was taken to the Emergency
Hospital and his wound sewed up, but he
insisted on returning to duty. Mr.. Sam
uel Ross of the burned-out firm was also
slightly cut on the hands with the glass.