Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-23
BAD FIRE YESTERDAY.
Quick and SkiIIful Work at Henry
Wake Co.'s Store.
Loss, Chiefly From Water, Rcckoned Mt
$4,000. Fully Covered by Insurance
Origin Unknown, but Began in tho Rear
onioo and Confined There.

Quick and prompt fire service pre-
vented conhagration yesterday morn
ing. Because of the excellent service
said n representative of the Henry
Wake Company, "our store is standing
now. If it had not been for the elf
cheney of our Fire Department not only
the store. but this block might have
been burned"
AT 3 o'clock yesterday morning Act
ing Captain of Police Dalton discovered
fire in the store of the Henry Wake
Company, at Commerce and Water
streets, and turned in the alarm. This
is large store filled with hardware,
betting, mill supplies and tools. When
the engines arrived flames were burst
ing from the office windows on Com
merce street. The chemical engine be-
gan work at once and subdued the fire
sufficiently for the firemen to get in
side of the building with the water
hose.
From abundant caution Chief Ryan
gave the signal for the entire depart
ment. Then the fight went on in car
nest for nearly an hour till the flames
were practically subducd. and not only
confined to the building where they
started. but kept within the Office cor
ner of that building.
That was skillful and successful fire
fighting. The fire was dangerous and
was in one of the most valuable blocks
of warehouses in the city. It was
stopped there.
The store of the Henry Wake Com
pany fronts on Water street, has a side
entrance and windows on the lane in
the rear. The office, enclosed by glass
and frame partition, was in one corner
of the rear. The fire started there. No
one knows how. 1t burned the office.
all the papers, books and furniture in
it. except the safe and it's contents,
and destroyed the glass partition.
The fire reached to the ceiling and
burned the boards and joists there till
they are charred and useless. 1t came
out into the main store and burned
everything innammable that could be
reached before the water from the en-
gines was applied II it had not been
for the fact that the store was closed.
and not opened till the firemen sent in
the streams, first from the chemical,
then from the water engines, the store
and the block might have been de-
Stroyed. There was no draft, hence
the fire smouldered, perhaps for hours.
y representative of the firm told n re-
porter for the Virginian-Pilot that it
would be impossible to reckon the loss
for several days. He could not. he said
yesterday, approximate it because of
the loss of papers and the confusion of
the merchandise. The greater part Of
the loss will he from polished steel inn
plements, which are damaged by water.
An inventory will be requisite to deter
mine the amount of that The insur-
ance companies began that yesterday.
He said. Also that business would so
on again to-day.
Mr.. Richard Wake. president of the
company. speaking to n representative
OF the Virginian- Pilot yesterday. said:
1T is impossible to estimate the
amount of damage now"
Despite that. however there are va
rious attempts to reckon the amount
of damage, the most reliable of which
is that of Chief Ryan. who believes the
loss may reach $4,000.
The insurance is sufficient to cover
IL much greater amount.