Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-29
SUFFoLKS BIG FIRE.
Mad Flames Lick Up One Hundred
Thousand Dollars in Value.
The Thirteen Dry RiIns and planning MN
of the Suffolk Saw Mill Company Re-
ducod to Ashos--Norfolls Sends Firo
Engine-Bravo Fire Fighters Overcome
by Heat and Smoke.
Especial to virginiansPilo,.y


Suffolk, Va. June 2S.-If the wind
tonight had been from the north in
stead of south all the principal lumber
district would have been q pile of
ashes. as 1t is the blaze cost one hun
bred thousand dollars. The principal
values burned were four million feet
of lumber. sixty thousand dollars;
eleven dry kilns, twenty-five thousand
dollars; planning mills and sheds. fif-
teen thousand. There were no smaller
. losses. At midnight the fire is seem
ingly under control and the block of
Holiday street residences is probably
saved, as we'll as the big lumber
plants of A. b. Cramer. Virginia Man
ufacturing Company and the Nanse-
mond Truck Packing Company. The
tracks OF the Suffolk and Carolina
Railroad are four feet out OF line in
places.
Three thousand people saw the fire,
and its intense light frightened their
pale excited faces. The firemen had
hard nights work and no one Won
ders that there We're prostrations.
Mike Urquhart, an on-looker, fell from
pile of lumber and broke his right
arm and sprained leg and was other
wise injured. He was taken home on
Cedar street. The fire light was seen
lumber sent up a blaze bigger than u
block of city houses. The reflection
was easy seen from Portsmouth. Peo-
pie about the fire are not sleeping
much tonight. When they shall have
been assured there is no danger it will
be almost day light before their bed
, chamber fixtures are returned. The
insurance on the burned property is
about S65,000, $4,000 on lumber, S15,-
600 on dry kilns. $1,000 on planning mill.
and $1,000 on sheds, besides perhaps q
few little items.
The great towering, pillows of inky
smoke were pierced by the hungry.
sharp-tongued flames that devoured
everything they met, and leaped over
1.-TWO hundred feet into the air, casting
a CHASTITY. horrid glow on the scene OF
destruction, and intensifying the
frightened looks on hundreds Of pale,
terrified faces.
AS the early twilight deepened into
darkness the effect was more marked.
The yellow blaze became a deep red.
The whole eastern sky seemed an
awful raging volcanic eruption that
made the street lights look like twenty
cents. AS the heavy timbers We're
burned from their mornings and sent
skyward millions of sparks the scene
was sublimely beautiful despite its
weirdness.
The heat was almost intolerable
even at n distance of 200 feet. The
brave fremen fought the flames and
fought bravely. They were handicap
ped. The water pressure was very low
to start with, and when the engine
did make 1t strong the hose burst. The
fire fighters were not diSmayed, but
they kept on with the unequal bat
tie. Some of the boys were overcome
with heat Notwithstanding they kept
themselves drenched. Robert M. But
Ter had his left ankle badly sprained
and had to be carried home. There
were other casualties
An engine was ordered from Norfolk,
and 1t was promised on II special train.
The Suffolk engine broke down during
the ARRAY. and the boys worked hard
to get 1t started again. Claude Curry
and other hremen were overcome with
heat.
The fire was first discovered IN q dry
kiln Just after G o'clock. The blaze was
found en- top first, but so quickly was ii
seen i'll another kiln that the confi1gra-
tinn may fa.ve begun nearer the bot
tom. The origin is Il matter of con-
lecture.
The Norfolk engine was ordered by
Fire Commissioner Norneet at 7:1O
o'clock. and 1t was expected to follow
the train which gets here at S:1S, but
was delayed by extra trains.
The officers OF the Suffolk Sawmill
Company are r. Rowland Moore. SUI
folk. president; S. p. Ryland. IT.. Bal
umore. secretary and treasurer. Press.
dent Moore was in Norfolk when the
fire started.
The Gay Company's chief officers are
William III. Bosley. Baltimore, presi-
dent: George l. Barton, Suffolk, gen
eral manager.
The principal stock in both concerns
Is owned in Baltimore Mr.. Moore is
the largest holder of stock in Virginia
The wind, which blew strongly from
the southwest. was favorable to the
salvation of the Suffolk Sawmill Com
panys plant. That is the biggest lum-
Der mill in town. The breeze hurried
the flames northward. and the kilns
melted away like hoar frost in mid Au-
gust. The great piles of lumber on the
yards went with the rest Dozens of
men volunteered to move stuff, but
their work was only partially effectiv.e
They were trying to save the office and
commissary.
When the row OF eleven dry kilns was
takin in the fiery nav the planning mill
was the next obstacle. Streams of wa
ter played feeble all along the line and
1hndered slightly. but could not check
the onslaught.
When 1t was seem that everything to
The northward was doomed the fire
boys worked .obly on the plant itself
The wind was the only thing In their
( favor Had the big mill plant caught
at would likely nave mennt the end of
"a. B. Cramer's mills and the large
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