The evening times., 1898-09-20

lying districts could arrive. the flames
had spread in angry riot, and ten min
utes after the first alarm the big plate
glass windows began to break with loud
reports. Five minutes later the flames
were towering high In the air and the
whole structure was enveloped.
In less than half an hour the ruin was
accomplished and the building valued at
nearly 100000 was pile of hot smoking
debris.
The cause of the fire remains a mys-
terry. The members of the firm are at
a loss as to its origin, and Chief Paris,
OF the fire department. who has been on
the scene OF the confagration during the
greater part of the day, says that he has
not been able to ascertain the cause
He states that he is inclined 10 the
belief held by one of the statesmen in
the building that the fire is directly at
tributable to electric light wires coming
in contact with infiammable material,
and was started in the packing room
The spectacular effect has been equaled
by that of few fires in Washington, and
thousands of persons witnessed the de-
struction of the building. The heat was
intense and. famed by a light breeze was
driven hither and thither. forcing back
the spectators from. one point of vantage
to another.
For squares round, the city was lighted
by the seething, roaring fire. and as the
walls of the big building fell. the ad-
Joining houses were crushed to earth in
the twinkling of an eye.
The firemen worked with an intensity
only excelled by that of the flames and,
unable at first to turn the water upon
the fire. owing to the heat. they devoted
their attention to saving the adjoining
buildings, which were beginning to burn.
The efforts of the firemen were aided ma
teriaIly Mr. W. A. Mcfarland, the super
intendent of the waterworks, who in
creased the pressure on the fire plugs by
turning on the water from the 6-inch
mains used to supply Capitol Hill.
The wall on the Twelfth street side was
the first to give way. 1t fell with a thun-
derous crash, shaking even the streets,
and IL was followed in a few minutes by
all the brick work on the front wall, leav-
ing only the iron framework.
BY a peculiar and unexplainabie acci-
dent, this was prevented from falling by
a huge iron beam, a part of the frame,
which became loosened and fell outward.
As II fell one end rested against the top
piece OF the framework and the other be-
came embedded in pile of bricks on the
pavement below. 1t acted as a prop.
more secure than human hands could
have devised In such an emergency, and
6naDleQ Ine ITeDlen 10 Work near the
building in comparative safety.
There was wild scramble which
amounted almost to a panic among the
people who resided In the immediate vi
cinity OF the corner to reach place OF
safety, and many experienced consider
able difficulty in getting out, so intense
had the heat become when they awoke
In the Orleans Hotel, at the northwest
corner Of Twelfth and Streets. all the
fo had
who were asleep in upstairs rooms
These were Mrs Burchfield. an old lady,
with her daughter-in-law and the latter
little son. five years old
Their danger was made known to sew
eral bystanders. who ran into the hote
and aroused them. The two ladies were
gotten out in safety. and the boy was
rescued with some difficulty by Mr. Nc
Hugh. The occupants of all the other
buildings managed to escape without get.
ting hurt
When the walls of the Robinson Chery
building fell, smothering the blaze and
almost instantly subduing the intens5
heat, the firemen were able to work witt
greater freedom on the adjoining struct
ures. Those on either side of both and
Twelfth Streets. which had been crushed
In by the falling walls. were disregarded
available was directed against the Or.
leans Hotel and the five-story h:ci
building on the southeast corner, occu
pied as flower store and residence by J
Loose. This and the Twelfth Street sid,
OF the Columbia Theater had felt The
iercest part of the heat. and the Loos,
: building was on fire in several places in
side and out.
Two small buildings adjoining tn,
structure on Twelfth Street were de
molished.
These one-story buildings, six in mum
Der. which were located on the souti
side. are part of the estate of John W
Thompson, formerly president of tn
Metropolitan National Bank The tw,
which adJoined the Robinson building
and which were destroyed, were No. 50
Twelfth Street, occupied by the Melvin
lunch room, and No. SIG. occupied b,
Maurice Brick, the local manager OF tn,
Rex 1ncandescent Light Company.
An oyster house. at 52i Twelfth Street
was crushed completely, and the build