The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-29

the dense clouds of smoke, and remained
as if suspended for many minutes. 1t was
said that twenty men of a fire patrol were
in one OF the buildings when it collapsed.
The flames Ieaped to the elevated
structure and soon it was afre. The en-
gineers on the locomotives but on air
brakes, reversed their engines, and back
ed out of the way.
The fire rapidly spread south along the
west side of Washington Street. totally
destroying the four-story brick buildings
occupied by Phillips & Son. at No. 260.
coffee dealers; P. Ruhlman & Co., at 261,
spice dealers; Henry Liebman, at 26S,
commission merchants; Van ArsdaIe. Pen
nell & Co, at 257. also commission mer-
chants, and Evan, Smith & Co., at 267,
coffee and spices.
It is thought taat practically everyone
in these stores escaped with their lives.
The stores were separated froLa the drug
warehouse by a broad alley.
When the Tarrant warehouse. which was
five stories high, in Washington Street,
fell, the mass Of wreckage crashed across
the alley and carried with it the three
buildings nearest to it. In an instant the
flames swept up out of the debris and
leaped along the roofs of the buildings on
the east side of Washington Street until
it reached the corner of Murray Street
One hundred girls and fifty men were
employed in the drug concern, labelling,
packing. and shipping Only two men out
of all these are known to have escaped
On the south side of the drug ware
house in Greenwich Street was the Home
Made restaurant. owned by James Buck
ley. 1t is thought that everyone in the
eating place escaped save two mattresses
who have not yet been accounted fof.
| Buried in the wrecI<age.
One of the buildings partially wrecked
| by the third explosion was that of the Irv-
| ing National Bank. on the corner of Green
wtch and Warren Streets opposite the IRE.
In the basement of the building were the
offices of Mechlin Bros. bankers and brok-
ers- The two members of the firm, the
cashier, two girls, and an office boy were
in the basement at the time.
The floor above them caved in and a
part of the floor gave way and the six
were buried in debris. The office boy was
rendered almost insensible, but he groped
about until he had found one of the girls
of the name of Ella Van Bieu and drag
ged her up the stairs TO the street De
bris was falling all about him, but he weni
back into the basement and rescued the
second girl, May Dunkelman, who was
| found unconscious half way between the
| window and the rear office.
While taking her out young Hacken-
berg was struck by falling debris He
i sustained severe cuts and bruises, but
was otherwise uninjured The two girls
were taken away oy the police, and were
found to have sustained no serious in
juries The brokers and their cashier
are not known 10 have been rescued.
The boy says that $50, coo in the vaults
at the time was abandoned.
The explosion destroyed the wires of tht
Western Union Telegraph Company vn'e:
ran under the elevated railroad structure
in Greenwich Street. This resulted in cut
ting off communication between the com
pany's main office and all towns in thi:
State which are on what is known as tht
Western Way" This includes BufIaIc
and Albany as well as Montreal end Toron.
TO. Dispatches which were being received
in down town newspaper offices. were ab.
ruptly interrupted