The times., 1901-06-09


Feed the FInmes-No Explanation
of Their oriEin-A Loss of $1,000,
Partially Covered by Insurance.
A loss estimated at 5000 resulted from
a fire last night at the establishment of
Sylvan Bensinger & Co. junk dealers, pol
I Eleventh Street northwest. The three
story brick building occupied by the firm
and owned by L. d. Winston, of Winston
Va, was gutted. and the stock of junk
and Government stores, mostly in the
. hands of contractors, was badly dam
aged No sign points to the origin of the
fire, for which three alarms were sounded,
and about which 10000 people gathered.
The loss is partially covered by insur-
ance
Flames and smoke suddenly burst forth
shortly after o'clock, from every window
on the third floor of the building. which
fronts both on Eleventh and on i Streets
northwest. Windows broken by the heat
let into the building a heavy draft,
which swept through an elevator shaft
near the rear of the Eleventh Street side
of the structure. The fire gained headway
almost before it was noticed, and was
burning fiercely when Policeman Simpson,
Of the First precinct station, rode by on
his bicycle He lost no time in turning
in an alarm from box 152, corner of Tenth
and c Streets northwest As the fremen
arrived On the scene, a second, aud later
a third alarm, were turned in, calling out
nine engines, two truck companies, and
the water tower. Chief Dutton came on
the third alarm, and remained during the
progress of the fire.
Ladders We're run up beside the Ben
singer building at half dozen points
and lines of hose were dragged up. round
by round. by the firemen. Men mounted
to the roof of the building and heavy
streams of water were poured into
the furnace of heat, which ap-
peared to be centred on the top
floor of the structure. A great mass
of paper for use by the United
States Government was stored in the
building and this was soon ablaze. Tents
by the thousand, ropes, and other Gov
ernment stores caught fire early in the
and burned fiercely. For a
time it was not possible for firemen TO
enter the building at all above the first
floor, and there only with great caution.
The water tower was prepared for use.
but it was afterward decided not to use
this apparatus, for work with the hose
on the ladders gradually brought the fire
under control.
AS the fire was beaten back into the
building, firemen entered the place
through windows and doors, and threw
out hundreds of pounds of paper, burned,
partially burned and charred. Tents were |
pitched from top story windows, and (
much junk and miscellaneous property /
was removed from the building. A dog, a /
spaniel, belonging to Mr.. Bensinger, had /
been left in the building overnight, after /
everybody had closed up the place and /
gone home Chief Dutton was told of this /
circumstance, and his men made a search [
for the animal. Nothing of the canine |
was to be found, but it was afterward said |
by the police that the dog probably 1
escaped when Policeman Simpson and I
others burst into the place after sounding
the first alarm of fire. No watchman was
kept about the place, and Mr.. Bensinger
said last night that there was no one in
the building when the fire broke out The
hremen of one company directed their
efforts to prevent possible spread of the
fire to adjoining buildings, and the flames
We're confined to the Bensinger building.
Attracted by the glare of the fire or the
of the fire department, persons
to the number of 10O00 surrounded the
fire. The police reserves were on hand,
in charge Of Sergeant Hodges, of the First
precinct station, and guard ropes were
run back to the curb line on the Eleventh
Street side, thus keeping the crowd away
from the firemen.
Mr.. Bensinger, on his arrival at the
scene Of the fire. was seen by a Times re-
porter. He stated that he thought his
stock in the building was worth nearly
10000 There is a policy of insurance Of
II, he said. placed through the firm of
Wolf & CoheH-
We employ about ten persons said
Mr.. Bonsnger The place was closed
last night at $40 O'Clock There was no
fire Of any kind in the building, so / am
AZ loss to account for the origin OF the
2ontlagrauon.' The building also is said
10 be covered by insurance.
Chief Dutton. Of the Fire Department.
told Times reporter that the fire never
really threatened adjoining buildings to
the Bensinger establishment. He said as
a matter Of precaution, three alarms had
been turned in. Foreman Darlington, of
No > engine company, was early on the
scene Of the fire with mis- men, and was
among the first to enter the building by
an upper window. No II engine company
worked along the Eleventh Street side OF
The building, whore their hose lines were
elevated on ladders and carried into the
place