The Washington times., 1903-10-11
OAISH'S MILL AGAIN
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Fifth Conflagration Entails
Loss of 100000.
FIRE CAUSES LEGAL PUZZLE
Will Purchase of Property by Railroad
Include Value of Building
Complications.

The fifth fire in the grain mill and
elevator of S. S. Daish & Son, other
wise known as the Washington Grain
Elevator Company. yesterday resulted in
the total destruction Of the plant. The
loss Is variously estimated at from
$4,000 to $4,000. The latter figure is
that estimated by John B. Daish, a mem
Der of the firm.
Foreman Dice. of the mill, discovered
the fire in the hay sheds in the rear of
the elevator. Alarms were sent out by
telephone, and fire box No Git. at
Brentwood Road and Florida Avenue.
The flames quickly spread to the main
building, large brick structure, fully
$50 feet high, by about the same length,
and about 80 feet broad. and all hope
Of saving 1t was soon abandoned. Owing
to the fact that there were only four
small openings in the building, no water
could be thrown into it, and there was
little the fire department could do beyond
saving the smaller structures where the
fire originated. The efforts of the fire.
men were further cramped by the lack
of water pressure.
Attracted Large Crowd.
Even isolated as the establishment
was, large crowds gathered to watch
the spectacular conhagration. To the
police of the Ninth, Second, and Eighth
precincts. under Lieutenants Daley.
Byrnes. and Jordan. and to Fire Mar
shall Sidney Bieber. much credit is due
that no one was injured
1t was IL 45 when the roof of the main
structure fell in. The high wind caught
the leaping flames and drove the crowds
back from the danger area. In three
quarters of an hour the western half of
the building suddenly crashed to earth.
Shortly before 1 o'clock a large por-
ton OF the southern wall fell inward
and six minutes later the remaining por-
ton fell IN all directions. No one was
hurt. The fact that the walls were
twenty inches thick is the reason the col
lapse did not occur much sooner.
S. s. Daish, senior member OF the firm.
was absent from the mill and could not
be reached until the fire was nearly over
When he reached the scene all that was
left of the large plant was a pile OF
smoldering brick. He was unable to give
exact figures on either his loss or the
amount of insurance. The plant is val
ued at $4,000. and 1t will require care
full checking to ascertain the amount Of
feed and grain in the elevator at the
time. The insurance VIII probably ex-
coed $50, OOo
Two Baltimore and Ohio freight cars
loaded with grain were totally destroyed,
entailing a loss of $1,000. The cause of
the fire is not known.
Problem for the Courts.
The destruction of the property will
probably result In several interesting
questions having to be answered by the
District Supreme Court. The land on
which the buildings stood is wanted by
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore Railroad Company. for the i'm
/ provement Of its service. Some time
/ ago a commission consisting of three
members was appointed by the court
to appraise the value OF the property,
land and improvements.
I The commission. ii is understood. ac-
tually concluded it's work of appraising
/ the value of the property on Tuesday
or Wednesday, and are engaged in
/ framing a report to be submitted TO the
court. Now the question arises. will the
commission report the value at which
/ the property was appraised before the
buildings were destroyed by fire, or will
/ il, under the circumstances, make an
other appraisement?
| Again in the event the court shall de-
eide that the original appraisement OF
the value Of the property shall stand
and the report OF the commission is af-
frmed by the court, when does the own
ership of Daish & Sons cease, and wher
does the railroad become owner of the
property?
II the court should decide the origina
appraisement shall stand and the prop
erty revert TO the railroad company a
the value fixed by the commission. the
next question to be answered is wheI
does the title actually pass. In tn,
event Of decision that the title passes
with the fixing of the value by the orig
inal appraisement: the -ext question Is
who Is entitled TO collect the insuranc,
upon the property?
Decisions on these questions will hav,
material effect on the interest OF Daisl
q Sons In the property.