The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-19
TWO BIG HOUSES
SWEPT BY FIRE
Gates Company and Mouton & Tall
madge Suffer Heavily.
HEIRpLAcEsNEARLY WIPED OUT
Large Grocery Establishment and Pork-paek-
ing House Gutted Early Ibis Morning.
Loss, About 100000 aud Partially
Covered by Insurance.

The wholesale grocery house OF T.. W.
Gates & Son Co. and the pork-packlrs
establishment of Moultor & Tallmadge
were well-nig!l wiped out by hre pc
tween and o'clock this morning.
These houses are Nos. Is and is South
Fourteenth Street.
The store of the Gates Company Is
likely a total loss. Here the fire orisl-
mated The destruction of the house and
stock of NIoulton 6, TallmadSe will ap-
proximate three-fourths it's value.
The loss in dollars is Gates & Co.,
$50 600; Moulton & TalImadge, $4,000. The
Gates Company loss is covered by In
surance, placed through the Virginia
State. OF this city, though that company
will lose but little. The insurance on the
Moulton & Tallmadge packing house is
$4,000. This is also placed by the Nir-
gina State, but the company will be but
a small loser.
STARTED IN GATES STORE.
The fire started about O'Clock. It was
discovered by Policeman keegan. The
flames were then bursting out OF the sec
orG-story windows OF the Gates store
He turned in the alarm from box No. 81,
at Fourteenth and Main. In a few min
utes the second alarm came, and In less
than it.3takcs to tell it the three skies
wore sounded for the second time this
year-just nineteen days old.
There was no trouble about water this
time. The engines never worked more
superby. Fine streams were soon got
ten on the fire, and they fairly covered
up the building with water. nut the ma
terial in the Gates store, as well as in the
Moulton &: Tallmadgc house, was of the
most inlammable nature. The Gates
Company carried a full line of wholesale
groceries. But it was saiu at the fire that
the third story. which burned SO terri
ilcally, was filled with smoked pork. The
contents of the great room, which ex-
tended back to alley for 100 feet,
burned like the drycst timber.
WAS WELL FOUGHT.
The fire was finely fought under the
direction of Chief Fuller and Assistant
Shaw The water tower was used with
excellent results. a powerful stream.
which carried everything before it, was
directed right into the flames. Several
times the fire burst from the windows of
the Gates Company's store. only 10 be
driven back by food of water. But
the wall between that store and the next
Was thin Very soon the heat had set fire
t" the thousands of imtlammable articles
in the Moulton 6 Talmadge place, and it,
too. was burning rapidly with tiicEers of
flame seen at the windows. Then stream
after stream was turn into that building
until 1t was saved. though the insurance
men vino were there said that at least
three-fourths of the stock had been de-
stroyed.
BUILDING GUTTED.
The building occupied by the Gates
Company was gIItted. Il will be total
loss, except the bare walls. The other
building will have 4 good deal Of sal
wage. The Cudahys, of Milwaukee, owned
the stock Of the Moulton & TallnadSe
| house. The buildings, valued at about
$4,000, were erected Just after the war
and the precaution OF dead walls was
not taken.
The store cf 1adolphus B1air'o Sons was
threatened, but thick wall between
saved the destruction of the place.
\ remarkable and exceedingly interest,"
Ing incident of this fire is that Ir. W. II.
Johnson. of New York. the inspector OF
fire departments and water supplies OF the
National Underwriters, is in the city and
probably witnessed the fight w;;sed by the
Richmond Department, which he came
here to do. with their means for handing
.ires.s He came to tho city because OF the
many fires that have recently visited the
city. HIS vas a fine opportunity for see
inSz just whlt he came here tor.
THE INSURANCE.
AS well as could be ascertained this
morning the stock of Z. w. Gates & Son
Company was we'll covered by insurance,
and it was stated by certain insurance
men that the buildings We're protected.
BY an invoice of stock taken on January
nth by the Gates Company, it was esti-
mated that the value of the stock carried
reached $50, 600. On this was carried III a
line controlled by the Virginia State In
surance Company S2S,5C0. The Virginia
Fire and Marine carried of this amount
SO 500. The Virginia State held. $1S.0,V.
Of this $1,000 was reinsCred. being
placed with other companies
Moulton and TaIimadge. agents for
Cudahy. Brothers Company arc estimated
as carrying a stock valued at between
SIS. eco and So0,0GN. It was stated that
SIS, 900 insurance was carried This will
cover the damage to- the trm.
The stock OF Adolphus Blair's Sons.
which was damaged to some extent. Is
insured withsthe Virginia State for S1s.-
BURNED IN a. HURRY.
Mr. John W hitnker. private watchinan
employed by the wholesale houses In the
| district, said he passed and tried the door:
! Of the destroyed building ten minutes be-
fore he discovered the fire. and ar that
time there was no sign OF fire. When he
turned in the alarm he said the whole
building seemed In flames. as though they
had burst from the basement