The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-15
The Richmond Paper Manufacturing
Company Suffers Again.
BUILDING COMPLETELY Quilted.
The Fire is said TO Have Originated
Through the Carelessness OF u Ne
gro Helper While at Work IN
the Machinery-slight Acct
dent 10 the Chief-Spien-
did Work of Firemen -

the Richmond Paper Manufacturing Coni
Many = D. Christian. president. situ-
a,ed on Arch and Eighth streets at $50
o.olook. last evening and in two hours
had caused damage. which a conserve,
tive estimate places at thirty thous@hu
dollars .,o,
TWO alarms. coming In quick succession
from BOX No S25. az the corner OF Arch
and Ninth streets. and another from RuN
No as in the same neighborhood startled
Richmonders and brought the engines on
o run 10 the scene.
The first alarm brought out engines
Nos 3. l. and T. chemical No. ana no.
truck. and the second call turned loose
Nos and engines ana NO. uucN'
QUICKLY AT WORK.
There was work ahead for all hands
and Chief Fuller and his doughty assist
ant Shaw rose 10 pitch al generdlshlP
that would have been a lesson 10 the
leaders now in cuba.
The brave crew of No. Z were frst
on the spot and within FIVE minutes from
the hrst alarm had two streams working
through I'VE hundred feet Of hose.
Fire plugs were lacking sadly there be-
ing only two which were At all available.
The engines therefore had only recourse
20 the waters Of the race
No As captain took In the situation
Immediately. swung his engine on 10 the
his suction hose into the waters below.
Two excellent streams were soon at
work from this source.
No and the chemical got up into
Arch street and began their work against
almost overwhelming odds
No 2 and took their stands on seventh
street and their efforts soon began TO be
felt.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The FIRE started through the careless
ness Of a negro helper named Joseph
Wood
The engineer. Mr. j. r. Kersey. had
shut down steam and was busy Wiping
up his iron charge. Wood was with him
in the engine room and picked up
lighted torch which stood on the engine
with the intention Of lighting the way
while he cleaned out the "clinch hole.
He swung the torch as he picked It up
and a spoonful Of lighted oil dropped TO
the floor near the engine.
The oil drippings caught in an instant,
and barely had the engineer time TO look
around than the room was in a blaze
Kersey and James Hair another en-
ploye who saw the origin of the cor
fiagration. dashed out TO the fire-box and
turned in the summons.
Wood was too BADLY frightened at first
20 move. He then bethought himself OF
his belongings. and in the getting OF
them nearly lost his life He was Sc
verely burned as II was. but was able TO
proceed 10 his home.
The fire gained headway In all direc-
tions with incredible rspidty. When he
returned from pulling in the alarm En-
rineer Kersey could not get TO his en-
gine again.
Quilted ONE BUILDING.
The buildings of the paper company are
three in number The largest is used for
storage and handling of paper and lies
alongside an alley. which separates II
from the Woodward Lumber Company
sheds In this building the flames ran
riot and Quilted II almost completely.
The paper stock which 1t contained
amounting 10 several hundred carloads
Is a total ruin. together with the lighter
machinery on its second floor.
The L-shape court which the buildings
surround proved of inestimable adVan-
tage to the firemen when an entrance
had once been gained through the hre-
locked gate The firemen were able from
this court to reach almost any point
with their streams.
me excellence OF the ire fighting ma
terial of which the department Is com
posed. from the gallant chief down. was
evidenced I'm the fact that the massive
sheds OF the Woodward Lumber Com
pany filled almost 10 bursting with sea-
soned timber escaped without a scorch.
This lumber interets amounts to twenty
thousand dollars and the proprietors are
loud in their praise OF the tremen
The boys Of No. Z. who mad only by
dint Of grit and daring beaten back the
flames from the court gate came near be-
ing exterminated during the beat OF the
conflict. by the falling OF the blazing
timbers of an immense skylignJ
They Jumped in time. however, and got
their hose out in safety.
ACCIDENT TO THE CHIEF
Chief Fuller also met with an accident
He was starting on the run around
corner wnen hose line dragged in the
opposite direction caught his foot and
threw him heavily TO the cobblestones. n
spraincd wrist resulted and the Chief had
20 direct operations thereafter with his
good len.
me employees Of the factory and OF the
neignboring factories helped the hremen
heroIcally and deserve much credlt lot
their efforts.
The vat building where the paper pulp
IS ground was saved and most of the
heavy paper rolling machinery, also es-
capped with wetting
The cars OF the Manchester line OF the
Richmond Railway and Electric Company
were blocked for three or four hours
and MAnchesterans were compelled 70
foot II over the bridge and back during
that time.
A young lady named Miss Lotte Car
rington. who worked In the paper mills
was so overcome by shock at the fire that
she lost CONSEQUENCES temporarily. She
was taken 20 the T. G. Williams Tobacco
Factory and the ambulance summoned.
DR.. Brown soon revived her. and she was
carried 20 her home on Arch street
LOSS AND INSURANCE.
The damage 10 building. machinery and
stock IS estimated TO be $50 900. Secretary
and Treasurer A. III. Christian said the
loss was fully covered by Insurance but
ne was unable 10 give The amount OF In
surance carried. The Home Company OF
New York, represented by Mr., T. l.. Al
friend. has policy OF $500 on the prop
ersy. and 81 so Was placed In companies
represented BY s. H. Pulliam e. co. Most
n not ali. OF the remainder OF the insur-
anoe was placed In companies represented
by J. B. Moore & Co. Mr.. Moore was out
At his county r. sidence near Bon Air and
could not be seen last night
About nine years ago rre completely
destroyed this plant
Tho operations In the burned section
will OF course be interrupted during the
rebuilding. which will begin Immediately
but IN the other portion or the plant the
work will continue as heretofore.