Evening journal., 1902-01-28
VALUABLE PATTERNS
PREY OF FLAMES
Fire in Railroad Shops Last Night
Called Out Entire Department
While Firemen Worked There Two Other
Alarms We're Sent In-lOSSeS
Will be High

The fire was in the pattern storage
room of the mechanical department of |
the r.. W. & b. Railroad Company op- |
posite the French street station.
Owing TO the nature of the property de- |
stroyed It will be many days before the
railroad officials will ne enabled 20 esti-
mate their losses. TO the building thel
damage is about $4,000, but the chief
damage is the destruction of valuable
patterns and drawings chat were in the
building. The patterns represent the
work Of many years ON the part Of the
railroad cQmpany's pattern makers, and
as the large room was well filled with
them. the loss from this source alone Will
total TO many thousand dollars.
1t was shortly after o'clock when
flames were discovered in the shops, and
Signalmap John II. Spring sent in an
alarm from box "a. at the station When
first seen the flames were just within the
door of the storage room, which is ON the
second floor of the machine shop, facing
the railroad
The Washington. Fame and Reliance
companies stationed their apparatus at
Front and French streets and the Wee
cacoe company took a plug at Front and
Walnut streets. They ran lines of hose
across the railroad tracks, and soon
opened their batteries of water ON the
fire. Realizing that there was danger for
the entire plant of the railroad company,
and that property of the Pusey and Jones
Company might be jeopardizcd, Chief
Welsh sent in general alarm. calling
into service the Friendship. Phoenix and
Water Witch companies
Two engines were attached TO plugs in
the yards of the pusey and Jones Com
nany. and the third took plug at Front
and Poplar streets. This brought the
entire department into service. The
Delaware truck was run along the rail
road tracks, and ladders were placed
against the walls Up the ladders lines
OF hose were carried. while others were
carried through the entrance to the build
ing occupied by the motive power de-
partment
As the fire originated in the storage
room. an opportunity was given to re-
move some of the drawings. though they
We're badly damaged.
There was q compartment between the
roof and the ceiling in which the flames
gained a strong hold and burned foI
hours. Finally the roof began to fall and
water began to have its effect BY 1876
o'clock the fire h the buildings was nm
| der control, and after that time several
streams were played I'm ON the ruins Sc
| there would be no danger of fresh ont
break of the flames. Some of the com
panies were IN service until midnight
wEcoAooE DISABLED
While the fire was MT its height IN,
| Weccacoe company was forced TO go out
of service owing TO a cylinder head of the
engine blowing out.
The Independence Fire Company OF
the Ninth ward, responded to the second
alarm, and essayed TO 90 into service
but was directed by Chief Welsh not IL
do SO. Later, some of the railroad of.
icials offered the Independence men the
use of the steam pump in the yards, but
| Chief Welsh refused TO permit the com.
pany to fight the fire.
TRAINS TIED UP
Lines of hose crossing the tracks
stalled all through passenger trains from
six until eight o'clock. The northbound
trains were lined mp west of French
| street i'm one procession, while the south
/ bound trains stretched beyond Landlith
Several of the most important trains on
/ the Maryland division were due 10 pass
/ through the city at the time of the fire
and 90 get them ON their way with as
/ little delay as possible was a problem Co
/ he confronted. Superintendent William
/ y. Barnard. Master Mechanic c. Tur.
ncr, Trainmasters Hyland. Carlisle and
| Reynolds and other officials were on hand
| early TO look after the arrangements fol
/ handling trains. and were given excellent
/ assistance by Smtionmasters BrisOn and
/ Hickman. Signalman Springer and Ush-
crs Truman Hill and McCaulley. of the
/ stationmaster's Office.
Under the direction of Harry L. Van.
| COokin, foreman of the wreckng train
| crew, trenches were dug beneath the
tracks and through the tunnels thus
made. the lines OF hose were rum This
/ removed the distractions from the sur.
| face Of the tracks, and at % few minutes
/ before o'clock the first northh0und train
/ passed through 1t was the train due Ia
leave the station at 6.07 o'clock. Others
IN succession then PASSED through north
/ ward, and at $50 O'Clock the first south
| hound train passed by the station.
The fire was watched hy a crowd of
/ spectators. The crowd gave the police
no trouble
FIRE IN COMMISSION HOUSE
While the iiremen were engaged att the
railroad shop fire. they We're called 10
fight another blaze in the commission
house of Doughcrty Is Golden, at Fourth
and King streets. This blaze was ON the
roof and was cxtngushed after but
slight damage had been done the prop
erty.
Two dilapidatcd houses at Maryland
avenue and Cedar street that were dis
covered in flames last evening are sup.
posed 60 have been set on fire. The prop
crty is owned hy Samuel d. Forbes The
loss viii reach 500.
While responding To the alarm the cap
ON one OF the wheels of the Wcccacoc
chemical engine was lost The finder J..
requested to return the cap to the Wee.
cacoe fire house Edward Curran. q
member of the Phoenix company. was I'M
iured while trying 20 jump moving
truck He was taken TO the Phoenix
house IN the ambulance.
Mrs. Mulshenock Is Buried