The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-04
Kiln-Dried Lumber Burned FierceIy
and Dehed Water.
LOSS ABOUT FORTY THOUSAND
valuable Machinery AMI Large Stock o
Einisned Material Destroyed, Together
With Large Kiln OF Lumber-Fire>
m.n Fought Against Odds-in-
surance A m oun s 10
s33,G00,

4
W. j. Whitehurst. Tenth and Byrd
Streets, was wel-ngh totally destroyed
early this morning.
The loss VIII reach nearly $4,000, and
the insurance approximately s3s,oov.
The plant employed about forty-tive
skilled workmen, most Of whom are tiich-
mond men and have wives and children
dependent on them.
Mr.. Whitehurst Informed a Times writ
CT, when the fire had hardly been gotten
under control, that he certainly inr,4ueu
to rebuild at once
The origin of the fire is unknown 1t
had been burning at least ten minutes
before the first alarm was turned in.
The FIRE was fought by the entire De-
partment, under the direction of Assist
ant-Chief Shaw, Chief Puller being sick.
The firemen cid fine work.
The first alarm was sent TO the De
partment at 1921. 1t was 'phoned to Inc
central Office by Mr.. W. {. Curly, who is
employed in ,-le yards of the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad just in the rear of
The Byrd-Street depot. The firemen had
control of the flames by o'clock. 1t was
hours later than this before the engines
were able TO leave the scene.
The firernen met with great difficulty in
getting pressure of water for the engines.
The steam pressure was excellent all the
time. but firemen said that No. engine
had almost as well have been at its sta
ton. so small was the pressure Of water
that could be obtained
The property destroyed consisted of the
factory and machinery room of the plant,
the dryer, containing $1,000 feet of lum-
ber. as we'll as thousands of feet of lum-
her stacked up in the yard in the rear
Of the machine room. Many of the work
men had tools of their own in this room.
These were all destroyed.
Tie office and storeroom of the plant
and the stables, with three horses and
quite a large quantity of lumber We're
among the perishaioles that We're saved.
WAS EASY OF ACCESS.
The fire was in building that offered
fine opportunities for the 1iremen to
fight it with ease. II was but two stories
high and much of the fiercest flames
were in the lumber yard and scarcely
ten feet from the ground. But the flames
had gotten such a headway before the
alarm? was sent in. The response was
prompt however, and several streams
were soon playing on the half smothered
flames a part of the time, even after
the fire was under control. from a spec
tacular standpoint the fire was a very
pretty enc.
Mr.. w. c. Crrby of the Atlantic
Coast Line road. said he looked out Of
the little yard house about 12:2o The
Whitehurst plant was then in a bright
blaze. lie phoned that fact to the fire
alarm Office. He then came down
TO the fire and found that the machine
room was also burning. It was evident
to him that the fire had started in the
lumber yard first.
AS soon as Assistant Chief Shaw reach
cd the scene he sent in the second alarm.
The three skies followed. All the ma
chimes of the city responded to this ex-
cept No. 6 and Truck No. 5. These came
10 the headquarters as a reserve.
SOME HAD GOOD PRESSURE.
The great problem confronting the ire
men was to get water Engines Nos. i
and 2 We're stopped on the blldge across
the canal at Ninth Street. These got hne
press;,re and their streams were strong
all the time. No s had TO dig hole IN
the mud of the canal to get It's suction
pipe in. AT first its pressure was very
poor. No. was at Ninth ana lahal
Streets and did fine work. NO. al
hardly any time had more than 30 pocnds
of pressure and did very little service.
This was the best that could be done,
too so it was said. The water was not
TO be had No. 5 had good pressure and
sent II, a fine stream. One factor OF the
fire which rather aided the firemen IN
the end than hindered them, was the
strong win6 blowing from the north rms
kept the res from the Office buiidinE-
The impression of every one wh
reached the fire in its earlier stages VIZ
that it had originated in the lumbe
yard Mr.. Whiteilurst saia he could nc
explain it except that it was the careles
work Of tramps who We're seeking sheite
from the wind and cold. Mr., john
Browning. the foreman Of the plant va
also of this opinion. They both said IN;
there was nothing in the machine fooi
likely to cause a fire.
The crowd was not . very large one
probably one thousand people, ana man
OF these had gotten out of bed to come
About a half dozen ladies also looked or
Mr. Whitehurst was at his home asieeI
He was called UP by Sergeant Brook
and told of the destruction OF his plaa
lie came at once. He was very calm
This is the second, possibly the third, fir
he has had
THE FIRST ALARM.
The first alarm came in the shape oi
n telephone message I.-om the Atlantic
coast Line train dispatcher at l2::22