The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-10

and faQ Els Ele1C 1OOI cut i'yssuy1i Sass
Colonel II. N. Boykin, local agent of the
Seabo ard Air Line. also Of the group, was
thrown fat, but was not injured.
With this volume OF smoke in their
rostrils, the fire laddies made a 1bee-line
for the suddenly opened windows ana q
torrent of water was turned into them.
as il developed afterwards, however, use
lessly. For fight as they would, thefraS-
ing flames, burning as fiercely IS ever
and as duthlessly as fate, swept forward,
till in /; dazzling burst of glory score
of windows from the second Storysto the
roof. four stories in all, emitted one
glorious burst of rose flame.
Through the assistance of the flames,
fol, as this great burst came the CROWD
was forced away and down. into seventh
Street, the police were finally able TO 8es-
tablish fire lines This Kept the cro"a
af bay. and the growing heat in Seventh
Street had already cleared that street.
The line of shops numbering from Nod
to No. Z. on the east side of the street
were shrivelling up under the frlshtful
glare. plate-slass windows going with
crash.
Ernest Youngs art store, at NO. ;,
suffered most. beca'lse in addluon 10
blistering the front of the store, the FOOT
caught for moment rs tne inlnu - - ad
blew the sheets of flame toward it ana
tho tire11 en- had TO turn their hose on 1t
= 81
~ CRASH INTO SMALL STONES.
In.metiiately after fire lines had been
established at Seventh Street OIL inc,
east. and a couple of hundred 1eet each
way in the other Oil ection, theres.calne
another crash, this time the renolhsa Q.
the walls of the building, as the foors OF
~, north end we're dropped into the burn
ing. abyss: the Seventh Street wall dTenl71
b,ed minute after the shock, then with
crash which sent up millions OF SPARKS
it tottered and plunged in part at ieas. :
directly across the street.tstA party u
escaped death through
thjs fall as they had only a moment oe-
fore been driven away by Inc iii.eHoo
heat. ,.o,1
II was only a question of moments before
tho western wall should tumble. 1t came
sooner than expected, however, and WIN
astounding results, slightly ln1urlns sire
mar, ISemmerEr. On the west slde OF ttle
Hab,iston building, and on the north sue
of Main Street, there had been TO-" VI
small buildings. used for various pui-
poses No 6aj adjoining the burnllls
building. was occupied. by Snni.n q W.
ster. jewelers.; No. 62i by. Toe Bickerstsl!'
bicvcle repair shop; No. 622 by j. G. Lips
c6mh DYER. and CIV. McGinness, W;tc1
repairer and No. go was heingsp
for a plumbing shop to be opened on Mon
day by J. w. Sargent
With the fall of the wall Smith s. Web
sters' place was mashed fiat and made II
material for kindling; a good sthree-quaf-
tsrs of Bickerstaff's place was destroysu
in a similar fashion; a quarter Oh NO. " =;
was DESTROYED. and the cap of the wall
,,,,tted a hole in the wall of No. 60; Two
bricks went through. The other, division
of the wall crushed several outhouseS IN
the rear OF these, the apex reaching over
and smashing a window in the top story
of No Goa East Main. seventy feet away.
CONTROLLED AND PUT OUT.
From this time forward it was ques-
ton of a never ending supply of water.
The fire. through the simple fotce 81 ,.s
own intensity had become practlcaliN
harmless. and was well under the control
of the firernen by half-past three O CLOCK.
Then. at about four o clock, the deatil-
dealing electric currents, which had 'peen
shut of as one of the earliest precautions
by Chief Fuller. We're re-estabi1shed Inc
danger from this source would have bee'l
very great had the current remained en-
AS it was, half a score of wires, slnciud-
ing two Bell telephpne ana q aeiest<tH
main were burned.
With the dirnunition, of danger there
gradually came a loosening of restrictions
e:eventh Street, wherethes wall had fallen
was cleared of debris; and street-car IA
cilities were resumed on all lines. Su'
the pouring of water on. the ruins never
ceased until late last night. The bremen
worked under serious disadvantage from
a weak pressure. particularly from the
Cary-Street side, but they worked indie.
fat;gably and ceaselessly until the order
to return to headquarters was given.
The manner of the starting of the fire
Is, still a mystery. Chief Fuller. of tnc
Fire d partment, believes that II. was duo
70 an explosion of gas ignited by an eiea:-
trio spark in the Easements and that il
was through this explosion that The
flames spread SO rapidly. Further invcs-
tigation will be made. however, and deli
nite knowledge sought as TO how the fire
began.
One of the curious incidents of the fire
was the fact that both the vault and the
safe of the Tower-Binford Company. WIG
iaintlv occupied the building with tbs
- -s@-, c'e--non,- were left open when
the Office force left the building. In this
way it is probable that many valuable
papers. which wonld ordinarily have been
saved, have been lost in the flames.
FIRE DEPARTMENTS WORK.