Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-28
HEAVY LOSS BY FIRE
Potomac Electric Light and Power
Company the Sufferer.
EXTENT OF DAMAGE PLACED At $50, 900
Street Cars Tied Up During Pro-
gress of the Blaze
CAUSED BY, SHORT CIRCUIT

An alarm was turned in yesterday after
noon from box 10 for fire in the building
of the Potomac Electric Light and Power
Company, at the northwest corner Of SD
and K streets. The fire was discovered by
George Harper, a barber, whose place of
business is at 1906 NJ street, between whose
place and the power house the canal flows.
Before the flames were extinguished consid-
cradle damage was done, but not so much
to the buildings to the machinery. The
loss, according to the statement of Super
intendent Sinclair to a Star reporter this
morning, is $4,000.
The fire originated in the northern part
of the large building. The floor of the
structure at this point is on a level with the
towpath of the canal. The front portion
is on a level with K street, twenty-five or
thirty feet lower than the machinery por-
ton, and contained seven large boilers. The
thoroughfare known as 33d street is SO
steep at this point that 1t is practically
impossible to use 1t for vehicles. The
plant of the power company occupies the
ehtlre west side OF the square from the ca
nal to X street, while on the east side sew
erai small dwellings are located.
me nre Is supposed to have been caused
by a short crcuit-that is, two bare wires
coming together-the heat from which
spread to the adjoining woodwork. The
immense generator known No. 2 and
east end OF the machinery room, was where
the fire started.
The big machine was SO badly wrecked
That it is practically destroyed, the heavy
iron frame alone being unnjured SO far as
can be seen. by the flames. The frame is
covered with dirt and rust however the
result Of the fire and water
Firemen Handicapped.
The alarm was answered by engine COM
panies No. of Georgetown and Nos. 1 and
or Washington, with truck B. On &C.
count OF the steepness Of the grade and the
narroWness of the bridge across the canal
at this point the engines could not go down
sd street. The fall of snow also acted as
handicap to the firemen but, despite This
the nose was quickly turned on The in
terror OF the machinery room was abIaza
especially the east end, and the large and
neaVy Dr1ck wall on that side was red hot
from the effects of the heat With the ar
rl'al OF the other engines streams of water
We're thrown into the fiery furnace from
three inherent points.
AT the outbreak of the fire the 1ar.a
pollers, seven in number, of stIInendons
proportions, were all in full WORKING. order
ne pipe leading into the machinery room
vas full of Steam and there was damon
IRON this cause. The firemen at the hoiIere
fdkea OH the fire as rapidly as they could
ana let on the steam, thus avoiding a great
LANCER from another source. Had one of
me pollefS exploded as a result of the IRE
me entire building would have been demol-
ished, and perhaps large area of buildings
adjoining.
~, me ftremen were also Handicapped in
lhelr efforts to extinguish the fire by the
hgnts going out after the greater nortion
OF the flames had been smothered bv rhe
water. With the turning off of the steam
the dynamos of the plant stopped working
ana consequently the current was cut off
eNtingmshing the various arc lights which
We're located in the room. In the darkness
tnere was considerable danger in fighting
Ranaa n he i0n 8 49,,
room were laid innumerable cables which
led from the generators in the central and
northern parts Of the building to The switch
boards, located almost against the south
vail Ihere was some fear that the cables
might be fully charged with electricity with
suElcleht power to cause fatal results in
Case there was contact.
Probable Origin
The fire for time seemed to burn with
severe intensity around the floor of the en-
CINE room, and this leads many to the be-
lief that the short circuit may have been
caused by cables beneath the floor The
wood was we'll soaked with oil which nee.
essarily covers place where there is any
quantity Of machinery, and this formed
excellent fuel for the flames. The roof is
perhaps thirty-ive or forty feet from the
moor in the center, but the flames leaped
through the intervening distance and start
ed to consume the upper part of the room
The glass in the skylight was melted and
cracked by the heat, and the fine particles
ieil down on the floor and were imbedded
in the machinery.
By the hard work of the firernen. who,
despite the difficulties, fought the flames
well, the fire was mainly confined to the
eastern end Of the room. The portion in
the vicinity of the switchboards also suf-
fered slightly. While the flooring was not
burned through in all places, there were
spots in which the flames had eaten away
everything. and on looking into the cavities
1t could be seen that the wooden beams
used with the irons ones as supports, were
charred and burned. The roof on the in
terior side. at the east end, was also char
red by the flames. The fact that there was
a heavy sheet-iron roof probably prevented
the flames from proceeding further in their
work of destruction.
While the damage to the building itself
was small, not exceeding $1,000, If that
much the machinery suffered greatly The
generator, where the fire is supposed to
have originated, Is practically destroyed,
: is stated in the foregoing, and will al
most have to be replaced entirely. While
the other machines escaped destruction,
the immense quantity of water thrown over
them, coupled with the dirt and pieces
of glass which fell upon them, will ne
cessitate their complete overhauling. So
far as known. only one machine escaped
injury in this respect. and that was the
one located in the extreme northeast cor
ner of the room. The switchboards were
also injured. and the superintendent stated
this morning that all Of the delicate ma
teal destruction of the switch connections
The Large Generators.
The machinery room contained two i'm
mense generators Of modern make and
said to be the largest of their kind in the
country. The machines are known as di-
rect machines, the power of which may be
Increased to $50 volts each and an am
perage of 30. This is about equal to 750
horse power for each machine. Each has
an immense fly wheel. twelve or fifteen
feet in diameter. capable of a speed of
ninety revolutions per minute.
The armature of machine No. 2 appears
to be totally wrecked, while the field coils
connecting with the frame and armature,
are equally as bad off. The heat was SO
intense that portions of the copper on the
machine melted. This machine and the
one similar to it. instead of being wrapped
with wire. as in the old-style generators,
nave layers OF copper strips. which are con-
sidered a great improvement over the wire
system Machine No. 1, while standing
intact and apparently unframed is said
to be SO injured that it will have to be
taken to pieces, cleaned and remounted and