The times., 1899-03-27
Fierce FIRE At THE
lexington Mills
Loss Estimated at About Forty
Thousand Dollars.
May Have Been the Work of an
Incendiary.
Quantities of Hay. straw, Wood. and
Quantities of Hay. straw. Wood, and
Coal cStroyed-Probabiy
Wei insured.

Fire was discovered at the lexington
Mills yesterday morning, and before it
could be extinguished. property valued at
eco was destroyed. But for the Fire De-
partment, the entire plant would have been
lost. As it was a large frame shed, ad-
joining the grain elevator, and containing
hay. straw, and mill feed, was destroyed.
The lexington Mills or the Washington
Grain Elevator. is the title of the establish
ment operated by S. S. Daish G. Sons, at
the intersection of Florida Avenue and
Brentwood Road. On the east side of the
central building is painted lexington
Mills, and the west side bears the
sign, Washington Grain Elevator" On
the south front is inscribed IS S. Daish e.
Sons, -four, feed, coal, and firewood."
Two men, drivers for the firm, are under
arrest at Police Station No. s. on the
charge of having set fire to the place,
though there is more than one theory as
TO the origin of the fire.
Another incident of the fire is that two
firemen were injured. These were Foreman
Wagner. of Engine Company No. Z, and
Tony Marshall, of Truck A. Wagner was
hurt about the back by fall and Marshall
disabled his hand.
Edison G. Daish, brother to the senior
member of the firm. discovered flames is
suing from the hay room of the plant at
S;45 yesterday morning. He ran to the
south front of the building and broke the
glass of Box No. 6l7. He pulled the lever
down three times before the box sounded.
The first alarm brought engine companies
Nos. and IL and Truck d TO the scene.
When Assistant Chief Belt came upon the
ground the fire threatened the elevator, and
he sent in second alarm, which brought
engine companies ?, 3, and and Truck A
into action.
The flames enveloped the frame structure
and the one-story brick building that ad-
joined the elevator on the north. The wind
blew fresh from the north and for an
hour ii appeared that the elevator was
doomed. The firemen directed their efforts
to cutting off the flames in the progress
southwark, and in this way the elevator,
stored with grain. was saved
The fire was under control at IL O'Clock,
though all the engines pumped water on
the tons of hay and straw that smoked and
blazed at intervals till late in the after
noon. One engine company remained at
the ruins throughout the night great
crowd of spectators watched the conflagra-
ton and were held back from the fire lines
by Policemen Rhodes, Mitchell, and Nc
Donald and the reserves of the Eighth
precinct.
The fire scene is a triangular depression
OF about four acres In extent. The south
side of the triangle has been built by the
filling in and extension of Florida Avenue
The west line is formed by the tracks of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the
other line is formed by spur of the Bal
timore and Ohio, which runs along a tres
tie twenty feet high to the north front of
the mill. which is in the southeast corner
of the triangle. This railroad spur along
the trestle is the property of the mill own
ers and is used for running freight ami
coal into and out of the establishment
About four hundred feet of this trestle was
SO weakened by the fire that it will have
to be rebuilt, and the rail, being warped
and twisted, will have to be renewed One
car of coal on this track was destroyed and
the heaps of coal at the foot of the trestle
blazed persistently. There was a large
force of men in and around the establish
ment when the fire was discovered. The
hay room adtoined the stables, in which
were quartered thirty horses. These were
quickly removed TO a place of safety.
When the engines got TO work, 900 tons
of hay, in bale and in bulk, 500 tons of
straw, tons of mill feed. the frame build
ing covering 10000 feet of ground and the
railroad trestle. were in flames.
Mr. Daish said 10 a Times reporter that
he could rot understand how the building
and stock had come to be on fire unless
some one had applied a match. He did not
seriously consider the theory of sponta-
neous combustion. Sam Smalley. the en-
gineer. said that yesterday afternoon last
night. and early this morning the plant
had been inspected. He was sure that the
fire had not originated in the machinery.
The day watchman said that the flames ap-
peared to have started in the center of the
hay room, and this part of the building
was removed from the machinery and there
was very little movement of men in and
out of this place.
During the fire Policeman Mcdonald. OF
the Eighth precinct at the instance of
Mr.. Daish, arrested William Lee, coIored.
| thirty-three years old. on suspicion of be-
ing an incendiary. Lee had been employed
as driver by Mr.. Daish and was dis
charged yesterday: 1t was said that he
had made threats. William Moon, colored.
also driver for Mr.. Daish, was arrested
at the same time. II is said that he was
seen TO come from the hay room a short
time before the discovery of the fire.
Each of the suspects maintains that he is
innocent of the charge
When S. s. Daish was seen by reporter
last night he said that he could not esti-
mate his loss until today, when he will
go over his stock. Neither could he saw
how much insurance was carried at the
| hay shed II is believed that the loss is
covered by insurance, but this Mr.. Daish