Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19
HEAVY LOSSES BY FIRE
FLAMES OF INK oWN ORIGIN DE-
sTROY BIG BUSINESS BUILDING.
American Bicycle Company and Milo
b. stevens & Esmapny the
Sufferers.

Fire in the building Of the American BIZ
cycle Company, Nos. Strand SIC 14th street,
last night caused damage estimated at
about $4,000. The sceIlar and first floor
were occupied by the bicycle company, the
second and third foorsr.by the pension and
patent firm of Milo B. Stevens & Co. About
$4,000 of the damage will fall upon Stevens
& Co. 1t is believed that the entire loss
Is covered by insurance The American
Bicycle Company carried a policy in the
Globe Insurance Company of Liverpool
and the patent and pension firm had $4,000
insurance in the Hartford Company.
1t was exactly Csc o'clock when an alarm
was sounded. and in few minutes several
companies of the fire department Were at
the scene. Assistant Chief Kurtz, who was
among the first to respond to the alarm,
discovering the serious aspect of affairs
lost no time in sending in a second alarm
Chief Paris. who arrived soon afterward,
sent in a third alarm Eight engine and
two truck companies responded in all, and
as quickly as possible the firemen had a
number of streams of water playing upon
the flames The long extension ladders OF
the truck companies were raised, and lines
of hose were taken to the tops in order to
get water on the roof of the building and
the upper floors. On account of the cold
weather the work was rendered very dim
cult, and the ice that formed on the lad
ders and about the building where the
water fell. added TO the danger incurred by
the firemen.
Major Sylvester was present with Lieuten-
an. AmiSS and the Sergeants of the first
precinct. and the police under orders on
the ground were kept busy in preventing
the crowds from getting in the way. Com
missioner mcfarland and several District
officials were also present to watch the
work Of the fire and police departments.
Cause of Fire Unknown.
The flames started In the cellar from some
unknown cause, and by the time the first
engine company reached the building none
Of the f1remen could enter it. More than
900 bicycles were stored therein. After the
flames reached the third floor and burned
through the roof, the blaze caused a light
that was seen a long distance. Part of the
roof finally fell in and there was nothing for
the firemen to do but conf1ne the flames in
side the four walls of the building regard
less Of the contents OF the structure, and in
this they succeeded. Some of the occupants
OF neighboring houses removed their be-
|. lcngings to the sidewalk, only to have to
return them later On, and the guests in a
nearby hotel packed up their belongings.
Throngs of people gathered and witnessed
the fire, and 1t was not until m1dnlsht
that the crowd noticeably diminished. For
a short time the metropolitan and Capital
Traction lines We're tied up, but as soon as
the bridges We're erected to conduct the
hose over the tracks passengers We're able
investigation to BE Made.
The origin of the fire will be investigated
by Col. Albert Pope, president of the
American Bicycle Company, who notified
Mr.. w. j. Foss, manager of the Washing
ton store, that he would come here today
from Hartford, Conn. There was nobody
in the offices of Milo b. Stevens & Co.. the
clerks having left the building at o'clock.
few minutes after their departure Mr..
Eugene T.. Stevens, the senior member of
the firm, fastened the door and left the
building. The bicycle establishment was
also closed but William Briscoe, colored,
was in charge of the part of the building
where automobiles are stored, and he was
there to put away. the machines as they
were brought in. The janitor had banked
his fire and gone home 10 supper. George
w. Frankel of SD 14th street was an cary
arrival, and it was through his efforts that
some of the valuable ma chimes Were saved.
Charles TySer,n who is employed by the
bicycle company, also reached the building
in time to save some property.
1t Is thought that about $50 bicycles were
destroyed in addition to several valuable
electric vehicles. Several physicians who
kept their wheels in the store We're fortu-
nate in not having turned in their automo-
biles before the fire occurred. Thousands
of dollars worth of valuable records were
in the offices of Milo B. Stevens & Co.,
which firm succeeded several large firms,
and until the extent of this damage is
known their loss will not be definitely de-
termined
Entrance to the second floor was gained
this morning by means of ladders, and eff
forts are being made to save as many of
the papers possible. 1t is believed that
work of demonstrating the building will be
commenced soon as the losses are ad-
justed