Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-26
Cherry & Moran, the Clothiers, Burned
Out Today.
ORIGIN OF The FIRE A MYSTERY
Smoke and Water Do the Great
est Damage.
SCENES AT THE BUILDING


by fire this afternoon. The proprietors say
that the stock was valued at about $4,000,
on which an insurance OF about $4,000 was
CO rried. The fire started in the basement
from some unknown cause. and while the
flames did not do much damage above the
basement, water and smoke ruined almost
everything i1 the building. 1t was just a
few minutes after II o'clock when dense
volumes of smoke poured through the ele-
Vator shaft and notified the proprietors
and clerks Of the danger. An alarm Of fire
was turned in from box l29 without any de-
lay, and this is what is known as n
four company box a number Of engines,
hose carriages. trucks and chemicals soou
came laundering along from different IL
rections. The work of flooding was soon
begun. and the fremen had a hard task
ahead of them.
Hard Fighting.
Because of their being unable to see Just
where the fire had started the hremen
found the job an uphill one. Several
streams of water were directed toward diff
ferent points in the cellar. Scme Of the
firemen acting under orders of their super
fors made their way through the dense vol
ures of black smoke and went - far from
the front opening that they were beyond
hearing distance. Then il was a case Of
SOou luck WIN lntln II tncA succeeded IN
reaching the street again. Ii there had
been blaze in the far end Of the cellar il
would nave been impossible for them TO
have seen il at times. Several times fire
men. partly exhausted, reappeared at the
cellar opening in the sidewalk. aud one OF
them could hardly lift himself from the
smoke-tilled cellar.
Water had been poured beneath the
building Tor some time before the fire lad
dies were instructed to make other open
ings. Then they tore away the frame
work under the big show windows, and
through these openings several streams OF
water were directed
1t was feared thai the flames would fol-
low the elevator shaft and reach the up
per floors. but this some OF the men in
side prevented. The flames did follow the
shaft to a point above the first floor, but
We're not permitted to gain amy headway
before a stream Of water well directed eX-
tinguished them
On Upper Floors.
All this time members of the different
companies had reached the upper floors by
means of ladders in the front of the build
ing and were exerting themselves to get
the smoke out of the building. Because Of
the condition of the windows the hooks had
to be used, and some damage to the build
ing necessarily followed. This, however
did not amount to much. Flags used for
decorating purposes were fastened at the
front windows OF The building, and they
were allowed TO float 10 the breeze in the
dense smoke until the fire was well under
control. At times there were indications
that the flames were spreading to the
upper floors, and although fremen and
others were able to enter the building. no
attempt was made TO remove the stock in
the store.
Even the books in the office Of the cashier
were no. touched until the floor began TO
give way. Then flames We're discovered in
the vicinity of the books but the hramen
did not let them give much trouble.
The Cellar Flooded.
Before it was evident that the flames
could be controlled, a second alarm was
sounded. This brought out additional llre
companies. AT this time the cellar was
rapidly filling with water, and nobody SEEM
ed to be able to locate the outlet.
Firemen were wais;-deep in the water,
receiving instructions from those on the
sidewalk. Chief Paris finally went down,
and he received a drenching.
Finally, when il WAS certain that the
flames were under control and could propa-
bly, do no further damage, an effort was
made to save some ot the property, and
several OF the show cases were ed to
the sidewalk. When ;he smoke finally
cleared away engine set work
pumping the water from the cellar, and
Fire Marshal Drew endeaVored to ascer-
tain something of The losses and insur-
ance, Well the cause Of the fire.
He told a Star reporter Ihat the stock
was virtually a total wreck, and he
thought $l.0J0 would cover the damage 10
the building.
Cause OF Fire.
The cause of the fire he could not ascer-
tain. There was 40 fire in the building,
nor had there been any since the store was
opened. Electric power was used 10 run
the elevator and the store was also lighted
by electricity. The wires in the building,
Mr.. Moran STATED TO a Star reporter, were
all lew, ana their manner Of being put in
approved by the insurance companies.
The machinery used in connection with the
elevator was, of course, oiled, and il is pos
Sible thai the fire resulted from spon-
taneous combustion. Nj. Cherry was at the
bank when the fire started, and he could
hardly believe that the fire was in his place
engines at work, knowing, as he did, that
there was no fire in the building.
In addition to other precautions the clerks
in the establishment were not allowed TO
smoke in the building. 1t was only in Sep
tember last that the big building of Robin
son. Cherry & Co, at 18th and F streets. was
destroyed. Mr.. Moran was then the head
clerk in the store. After that conilagraton
the firm known as the Cherry q Moran Com
pany was organized. Just about the time
the fire started an alleged pickpocket
arrested almost in front of the building.
During the progress of the fire John Bill
man, a driver in the employ of the United
States Express Company drove over the
hose and Lieut.. Amiss arrested him.
He drove through the crowd, it Is stated,
in a reckless manner, but nobody was
struck by the wagon. The police reserves
of the first and sixth precincts did effective
work keeping back the big crowd of specta-
tors and giving the firemen plenty room in
which to work
Work of the Firemen.
Among those who soon reached the scene
of the fire was District Commissioner
Wight, who has immediate change of the
fire department Mr.. Wight was an inter
ested witness of the operations of the fire
men.
Recently, as was stated in The Star at
the time he provided Assistant Chief Belt
with a small megaphone, to better enable
him TO make known his orders in the noise
and excitement Of a fire. Much to Mr..
Wightss surprise, the megaphone was not
being used when he reached the fire.
Asking the assistant chief where Il was. he
ives sold that it had been left in the latters
carriage. Well" replied Mr.. Wight, "go
and get 1t. i did not get it TO be left in
carriage"
There was another fncidpnf which did moi