The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-11
A BRICK PLANT DESTROYED
Fire Causes Loss of $4,000 in
South Washington.
Thousands of People Witness the
Destruction of Valuable Machinery
The Origin of the ConfngrHtion
n Mystcry-The Insurance $4,000.

Ten thousand people gathered about 8
| fire which almost totally destroyed the
plant of the Washington Brick and Terra
| Gotta Company, corner of Third and G
| Streets southwest. last night A loss esti-
mated at $4,000 resulted from the fire, the
origin of which appears yet in doubt.
John Myers a member of Truck Company
| A, while about to respond to the alarm OF
| fire. was kicked in the stomach by a horse
attached to the truck and seriously in
jUred. He was taken to his home, and
| later was visited by Chief Dutton and AS
sistant Chief Belt, of the department.
The fire broke out in the southwest cor
| ner of the plant shortly before o'clock,
and burned for two hours, notwithstand-
ing the fact that three alarms, sounded in
quick succession, brought nine engines and
two truck companies to the scene. Jack
Kidd, a watchman employed about the
plant, discovered the fire while making
his rounds, and hurried from one of the
buildings to give the alarm. He met
Policeman Bassfdrd who turned in an
alarm from box i25 at First and n Streets
southwest. Firemer of No. engine com
pany were the first to arrive on the scene
of the fire. which had already gained con-
siderable headway. Within a few minutes
a second alarm was sent in, to which As
sistant Chief Belt. with three additional
engines, responded. On a third alarm
came Chief Dutton, recently anpointed,
while thousands of citizens were attracted
from every part of the city ny The glare Of
the confiagration.
Sixteen brick kilns, together with an
Office building. composing the plant of the
company, were badly wrecked. The fire
men went to work with many lines of
hose from every point of vantage, and
a great mass of water was thrown into
the plant. a large amount of machinery
stood In one portion of the plant, near
which was single kiln. known as
continuous kiln. in which fire was al
ready burning. 1t is surmised that the
fire may have originated from sparks
from this kiln, as flames were first dis
covered in this part of the plant. The
machinery was badly damaged by fire,
which swept through it and spread to all
sections Of the plant
News of the conflagration was sent TO
Samuel Ross; President of the company,
and to Manager KILLER and Foreman
Cameron, all of whom reached the burn
ing plant after the fire was under control
MIR. Cameron told a reporter that much
of the machinery, valued at thousands
of dollars, was damaged, while the engine
house of the plant seemed to have been
completely destroyed. Il am sure l do
not know how the fire originated. said
Nj. Cameron. We have always kept one
kiln burning day and night, but our
watchman and others have been instruct
ed to keep watch over the entire plant,
especially with the view to lessen the
danger from fire"
Manager Miller said that the company
had carried S21 900 insurance on the plant
until last month. when the amount of
protection against fire was reduced to
$4,000 This insurance is aPportioned, he
stated, in various insurance companies,
through William Duval and Einston az
Evans Company.
The fire was gotten under control half
an hour after it was discovered, but burn
ed until after 10 o'clock slight acci-
dent to No. engine company, while re-
spending to the second alarm, was report
ed. One of the horses Of the engine Slip
ped at Four-and-a-half Street. and Mary
la I'd Avenue southwest and fell cutting
its leg quite badly. A very brief stop was
made to readjust the harness, and the
engine then continued on its way to the
fire