Evening star., 1898-11-16
THREATENED BY FIRE
Refrigerator Plant and the Center
Market Endangered.
FIERCE BLAZE CAUSED BY EXPLOSION.
Fire Department Quickly Gains
Control and Prevents Losses.
EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE

Shortly after IL o'clock this morning an
explosion occurred in the top of the re-
frlgerating plant at the Center market. I'm
mediately flames shot out the tall tower,
and an alarm Of fire was turned in. The
engines responded promptly, engine COM
pany No. IA being the first in service
The names were confined to the ice stor-
age plant, and the market suffered little
damage. The main part of the market,
where the cold storage rooms are located,
was soon filled with smoke Many of the
dealers had large quantities of goods stored
IN these rooms, and it was thought these
would be lost. Fortunately however the
interior was not seriously burned Had the
hre onc2 started in the interior rooms the
entire market building would have been
DESTROYED These rooms are built entirely
OF yellow pine, and it only required a spark
to set them Off
Value of Goods Stored.
Thousands of dollars worth of fine furs
and clothing are also stored in this part
e the building. The firemen realized the
Importance of saving this section from the
names, and the fire was attacked from all
SIDES
AT one time the fire threatened 10 get
away from the fire laddies
FOREMAN Sorrell, with engine company
NO T. was detailed to fight inside the
market, ami right gallantly did the men
Dattie with the f1ames Before they got in
service, however, the fire reached the rear
OF the Ice storage rooms on the north and
burned them slightly. They contained meat,
anu there was little damage done.
Damage Comparatively Small.
AT noon the fire was under control and
the danger to the market had been avert
ed- The damage will not amount to as
much as was at first Anticipated. The
eIectrlc hght and ice-making plants were
uanlased and the building containing them
badly gutted. The machinery can be mt
IN shape with small expense, and the build
ing can be repaired in a fortnight
MI r 3 Smith, the acting superintendent
OF the market company, was seen by a Star
reporter this afternoon. He stated that
some workmen were engaged in coating
some pipes IN an apartment adjoining the
e4ectfic room above the boiler room and
near the brine tank with a prepared paint
ana Wnle thus engaged a barrel containing
some OF the ingredients used. understood to
De bituministiC solution, exploded This
caused the fire.
Mr.. Smith stated that the fire DEPART
ment was prevented from responding earlier
by the fact that the fire alarm box in the
court of the market house was out of or
Ger and that when an alarm was sent in
from another box there was confusion on
account. he supposed, of crossed wires, of
the location of the box, and some delay
was OccasiOned on this account When the
engines arrived the firemen were shown by
MI smith just where the fire could be
fought to keep it from going into the main
u street building. and being fought at
TINS point II was kept almost within it's
original limits
Loss Aggregates S15.0O0.
He said that the loss would probably ap-
proxiHate TO the market company in the
neighborhood of $4,000. and that there was
an insurance of 100000 on the building,
carried by q number of companies all of
which had been placed by Mr.. Edward F.
Riggs of this city. Mr.. Smith said it would
be impossible to ascertain the loss of goods
stored in the storage room, but that no
loss had been incurred in the sections de-
voted TO the storage of butter. apples and
other fruit. furs and general storage arti-
cles, and he believed that the general loss
would be upon frozen meat and fowls,
which would fall upon these owning them
as the company took no liability upon arti-
c!es stored in the department.
He believed that the machinery was not
badly damaged. 1t would need a removal
of tIe debris before ascertaining what am
age had been done to the dynamo in the
electric room. 1t would be impossible he
said. to utilize the electric lights tomorrow.
and the company would have to depend
upon gas.
Mr. Edw. F. Riggs, representative of the
seventy-two insurance companies carrying
the risks upon the building, stated to a StaI
reporter this afternoon that he did not be-
Ieve the loss the building would amount
to more than 5000.
There was considerable delay in getting
out the fire department. y. F. SOwder
watchman, told reporter of The Star that
two attempts were made to turn in an
alarm. but the boxes would not work A
workman was engaged at the time of the
fire painting the boxes, and there was no
delay in opening them. They were SIM
ply out of order. it said, and would
he ran into the office of E. O. Whitford and
teleDhoned. There delay on the
part of the fire department.
a reporter of The Star timed Engine Com
pany No. IA and it was exactly one minute
and twenty-eight seconds in getting a
stream.
Under Disadvantages.
The firemen worked under many disad-
vantages the most serious of which was
the contact with fumes of ammonia used
in the making of the artificial ice This
was overpowering and the neighborhOod
was heavy with the odor.
Then the firemen were handicapped. it
is said, by the ammonia running over and
burning their hands and faces.
The foreman of Chemical Engine No.
had his hand badly cut in breaking in a
window. The injuries were dressed by
First Lieutenant Clarence A. Weaver, as
sistant surgeon of the 1st District of Co.
lumbia Volunteers, who at Center
Market Armory near by.
The walls of the storage rooms are pack
ed with sawdust, and this scattered, fall
ing like burning stars about the flremen
as the streams from the hose struck 1t.
Commissioner Wight heard of the charge
that the alarm boxes would not work, and
told n reporter of The Star that he would
investigate the matter at once.
Incidents In the Vicinity.
The crowds in the vicinity grew very
large in short time. and the progress OF
the flames and the measures taken by
the fire fighters to overcome them Were
watched with unusual interest This was
because the word was quickly passed
| through the throngs from mouth to mouth
that the cold storage department, where
ammonia pipes, which Were apt TO explode
and create havoc among those within reach
of their force. Then again 1t was declared
that If a pipe should be broken the fumes
would either freeze Suffocate the. fire.
men. The latter worked against these dis
advantages and against the cengested con.
dition of the streets in the vicinity which
were crowded. they always are, witt
wagons and vehicles. Had it been regular
| market day the conditions would have beer
worse, as the co Intry wagons would hay.
added their great number to the barricades
confronting the work of the firemen and
| the quick handling of engines and hose.
Under these circumstances the work OF