Evening star., 1899-01-04
Fire Causes Loss of About Thirty
five Thousand Dollars.
MAYER BROS. & CO.'S STORE IN RUINS
The Damage Sustained Partially
Covered by Insurance.
OTHERS WHO SUFFERED LOSS

Smoke was observed issuing from the
grated ventilators beneath the heavy plate
glass show windows of Mayer Brothers &
Co.'S stores on F street few moments be-
fore . o'clock this morning. Special Officer
A. E. jana saw the evidence of fire and
rushed to alarm box No. 1874, nearby, and
pulled the lever. When the fremen step
ped work at 10 o'clock, five hours later
the entire stock OF dry goods and ladies'
furnishings was a complete wreck and the
buildings badly damaged, incurring a total
loss of about $4,000, largely covered by in
surance.
Mayer Brothers & Co. operated two
stores, Nos. 937 and 939 F street. The
buildings are three-story affairs and have
large Easements. The building No. 939 be-
longs to Capt. G. A. Sawyer, while No. 937
belongs to his sisters estate, Mrs. Bal
lirger. The buildings were erected in 1888,
and ware damaged to the amount of 81, 500,
which the agent, Mr.. r. Q. Hoffman, says
is fully covered by insurance in the Ar
lington and Columbia companies of this
city.
Mr. Mayer today estimated that he had a
100000 stock on hand. This is practically a
total loss for very few articles escaped the
smoke and water, which were the most
damaging elements. On the stock and fix
lures there was insurance to the amount of
$4,000, placed with Wolf & Cohen. Mr..
HoltZman's real estate office, at the corner
of 10th and streets, was damaged to the
amount of about $500, while the optical and
jawelry store of A. Kahn, at $50 F street,
injured to some extent, just how much
could not be estimated until the stock is
gone over ana thoroughly inspected.
Origin Unknown.
The origin of the fire is unknown.
There is every evidence, however that the
flames first secured a foothold in the 5ase-
ment, where the hot air heating furnaces
are located. The furnaces, however are
beneath the center of each store, while
the fire seems to have started near the
eastern wall of the building. Mr.. Mayer
was working late on his books last night
and stated this morning he did not leave
the store until 1870 o'clock, at which time
he pulled down the big electric switch near
the + street door, thus shutting off all
electric current from the building and pre-
Guiding the possibility of origin from this
source.
Fire alarm box No. 1874 is located on 10th
street betw ween E and F streets and was
the identical box pulled for the disastrous
fire in the Orme flats some days ago.
Special officer jana pulled the lever, and
soon engine companies Nos. l. 2, and IA,
trucks c and d and chemical engine No.
l were on the scene. Assistant Chief w.
T. Belt took charge of the confiagration
and directed the efforts of the men.
When the firemen arrived the smoke is
suing from the creVices beneath the show
windows and from the doors of the first
floor was black and dense, but there were
no flames to be seen. After some delay
the men broke open the front doors, when
it discovered the entire cellar was
burning. The absence of much draught
kept the flames in check, but made the
smoke mora dense, and the work of the de-
partment was consequently more difficult
1t was necessary to send men down into
the choking, black, suffocating smoke
The cellar openings the sidewalk were
utilized in getting at the fire, which was
one of the most stubborn and difficult to
handle, Assistant Chief Belt declares, since
he has been with the department.
The Floors Flooded.
1t was next to impossible to fight the fire
in the basement with any degree of direct
ness. Streams were turned in from all
points of vantage, however, and the work
of flooding the place and drowning the fire
was begun. The lower floor was filed with
smoke by this time and the dry goods and
furnishings were scorchng in the heat.
Holes were chopped through the rather
thin plank floors and additional streams
turned into the burning basement The
flames had by this time crept up the stairs
from the cellar and ran along up to the
ceiling. licking up the infammable articles
encountered. The skylight shaft and the
stairs were soon smoking and smolderng.
Assistant Chief Belt shortly after
o'clock sent a telephone message calling
out two additional engine companies, Nos.
and I, realizing the difficulty in complete
ly quenching the flames. The smoke filled
the two upper stories of the building. and
streams of water We're sent in through the
front windows of the second story. Kahn's
optical store and HoltZmans real estate
and insurance office were by this time also
suffering damage from the smoke which
had found its way through the separating
walls
raI hro,y t1,a
dark, pouring streams of water where the
smoke seemed to issue in the greatest
quantity. When daylight dawned scene
of wreck and ruin presented The
burned flooring of the first floor had given
away and fallen through Here show cases
and fixtures and a large portion of the fur
nishing goods were piled in elaborate and
widespread confusion. Fortunately when
the floor caved in no firemen were beneath
or near it, else number might have been
seriously, if not fatally, injured. AS it was
a number of the men were badly cut about
the face and hands by broken glass and
bric-a-brac and bruised by falling partial
ly through the numerous dangerous holes
in the floor.
The Stock Destroyed.
The bulk Of the Mayer stock was carried
on the first floor, and this was entirely de-
stroyed. Hardly spool of thread or pa
per of pins may be found undamaged. On
the second and third floors the ruin
wrought by smoke and muddy Potomac
water is ahnost as great as below. The
stairway leading to these floors was burn
ed and chopped down by the firemen in
their efforts 20 get at the blaze. Access is
had by ladders placed from the front side
walk.
A defect in the western wall in the base
ment allow I'd the flames to creep through
and set fire to the rear part of r. o. Holtz-
mans office. Mr.. Holtzman was on the
scene, and assisted the firemen in fighting
the flames in hi building. The department
force worked with discretion in this office.
and the damage from water is practically
nil. The valuable rugs and carpets, were.
brushed aside when the hose was led into