The Washington times., 1901-07-05
FOURTH OF JULY BLAZES.
Many Slight ConnaGrations Add to
the Duy's Excitement.

the Dny's Excitement.
While yesterday was the quetest Fourth
that the citizens OF the national Capital
have experienced for years. it was one Of
work to the District FIRE Department. All
day long the engines wsrc kept busy re-
spending to small alarm s. some of which
were turned in at the fire boxes and 9TH
ers telephoned in or reported in person by
citizens.
/ While the fay alarms responded to were
numerous, the majority of the firemen be-
gan their extra Fourth of July work at
midnight. Within twenty minutes after u
o'clock Thursday morning six alarms were
sent in to the fire alarm headquarters on
| Eighth street northwest, and within
short time nearly every engine in the city
had departed from it's house Never be-
fore have the operators on Eighth Street
| been forced to work as they were last
night. An engine company would no
sooner report back from an alarm than
! the operator would send them out again
on another FIRE
While many of the conflagrations were
| OF a minor nature. some of them were of
considerable Importance. in some in
stances the loss running up into the thou
sands.
The hard work of yesterday and last
Department horses. For a time it was
thought that several engine companies
! would be forced to go out of service ow-
ing to the impaired condition of their
| horses
When the animals are brought in from
hard run during the hot weather they
are usually allowed to stand out in the
| cool air to dry off. Last night such an
! expedient was inpracticable owing to the
rapidity with which the alarms came in.
| During the earlier part of the evening
| the men themselves retired, but after
having ascended the steps at their respec-
| tive engine houses a score or more of
times and then slid down the pole to re-
| spond to an alarm. they finally gave up
| trying to sleep. Many OF them lay down
| in rooms adjoining the horses stalls in
| order that they might be prepared for
| the next call
| The first call, from box 212, sum
| mOned the firemen to the tailoring estab-
| lishment of John Hackstadt, 12lS Seventh
| Street northwest. A gasoline stove had
| exploded. and by the time the firemen
! arrived the interior was a mass of flames
and the saving of the stock was impos-
! sible. The firemen succeeded in confning
the flames to the one room. and soon sub
dued them. The loss to the building is
about $500, and is thoroughly covered by
insurance. while the stock was damaged
to the extent of $1,000. on which an in
surance of about $500 was carried.
An alarm was received from box 536 at
1910 in the afternoon, for a fire on the
roof of 100 Fourth Street southeast, oc-
cupied by Charles Teachner fire.
cracker was the cause of the damage of
s..
About thirty minutes later the fremen
Were called to 914 Seventh Street north
west by alarm from box 127 for fire
in the dry goods store of ]. Kohner 4
firecracker had been thrown on the avn
ing and the flames which were thus start
ed communicated to the woodwork on the
front of the building, entailing loss of
about $50.
a fire. supposed to have been of similar
origin. destroyed a barge at the foot of
New Jersey Avenue and Street south
east about 2 o'clock No Engine Com
pany was called out on local alarm and
worked faithfully on the burning hulk
but as the flames had already made too
great progress the barge could not be
saved. 1t was the property of John John
son, who paid 81 200 for il, but it had been
out Of commission for some time 1t was
provided with double bottom and sides
and made most tempting fuel for the
flames.
Shortly after 2 O'Clock yesterday after
noon. an alarm OF fire was sent in from
box 627 for small blaze in a grocery |
store at 3O1 Eighth Street northeast. oc- |
cupied by Samuel Gosack The fire was |
quickly eXtinguished by the members of |
No engine company. The building and |
stock were damaged to the extent of $50. |
The cause of the fire is unknown.
ND 4 i |
shortly before 3 o'clock by a telephone I
message, for small fire in bundle of /
waste paper in the home of D. B. Nc
Gerry, AS Q Street northwest The prop /
erty is owned by Mrs. Alice Nichols and |
was not damaged.
An alarm came I'm after o'clock last
night for fire in a shed on Jefferson
Street, Anacostia, to which No Is engine
company responded. The flames were ex-
tinguished without causing any great
damage.
At 9:45 o'clock, fire was discovered in
a stable In the rear of 1873 Fourteenth
Street northwest by Policemen Martin
and Norris, of the Second precinct The
Diuecoats at once sent IN an alarm. Be
fore the fremen could extinguish the
blaze, however, which had been caused |
by the discharging OF fireworks in the
building, the place was damaged to the
extent of $500.
Policeman Nevitt. of the Second pre-
cinct, while patrolling his beat shortly !
after o'clock last night. discovered a
nre in the back room of 12G5 Seventh |
Street northwest, occupied by Michael !
Schloss. The building was damaged to |
the extent of so.
a sltyroclSet set fire to house 1920 TWeu- |
ty-third Street northwest. occupied by
Margaret j.. Balliager, about o'clock |
last night. The blaze was discovered by
Policeman Cornwell, who turned in an
damaged incurred.