Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-13
Friemel's Dance Hall On Sec
ond Street Goes Up
In Smoke.
THE FRAME BUILDINGS AND STABLES
THREATENED.
All West Street Ablaze With
Light-Crowds Visit The
Scene of Fire-The
Damage Esti-
mated
At FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, PARTLY
COVERED.

During tne progress IaSt nlRhJ Vi
| the regular Thursday night german at
| Friemel's Amusement Hall, on Second
| street, fire was discovered, which re-
| suited in the entire destruction of the
building and seriously threatened q
number of other buildings in the
neighborhood.
Shortly after II O'Clock, Mr.. Louis
Myers, who had been attending the
dance, left the hall and, crossing in
| front of the building, casually glanced
upward observing light in the upper
story. Knowing this part of the
| building to be used for storage of fur
niture, Mr.. Myers sought Mr.. Erie
mel, the owner and proprietor, and
questioned him about the light up
| stairs. Mr.. Friemel at once made an
| investigation and on opening door
ON the second floor of the building
| the flames burst out.
The alarm was quickly given and
| the dancers dispersed, some of the men
! helping to remove the furniture, which
Mr. Friemel had in storage, and most
of which was destroyed by fire or
badly damaged by water "a piano being
among the lot. The flames quickly
| sRTead to all parts Of the building,
Which was frame structure SOxl20
feet, and was an easy prey to fire. 1t
was located on Second street, which
intersects West street, opposite the A.,
w. q b. station, and is thickly sur
rounded by frame houses, stables and
| frame buildings, all of which were
| threatened. A fierce blaze ragged for
time and large pieces of burning tim
| Der and sparks fell in showers above
| the numerous shacks in the back alleys
near the burning dance hall.
Fortunately there was no wind or
that section of the city would have
been wiped out. The firemen were
| hampered in their work by the delay
of the engine in getting to the scene
of the fire and the tardiness of playing
the stream on it when the engine at
| last did get there. The situation again
emphasized the necessity of the city
| having its own horses on the spot in
case of fire. The town could burn
| down before the engine got its work
| in with horses half mile away. Good
| work was done by the sailors at the
| Naval Academy, who worked like
| Trojans to save the neighboring build
| ings. The firemen deserve much credit
| for the heroic manner in which they
worked to save the many frame build
| ings in the vicinity of the fire.
The origin Of the fire is unknown,
as it occurred where furniture is stored
on the upper floor of the building,
| where there was no fire and no COM
bustible material. Mr.. Friemel values
the building at 5000 and the furni-
ture betweenn 81 900 and 81, 600, on
which there was total insurance of
81, 800. The houses adjoining the
Amusement Hall were badly damaged
by fire and much of the furniture
ruined by water or rough handling.
They are owned by Mr.. b. G. Martin
and occupied by Bandsman Lucas, of
the Naval Academy and Mr.. Thomas
Jones. Mr.. Lucas has been seriously
i'll of bronchitis and was confined to
his bed. He was Obliged to be moved
from the house last night during the
fire and his condition is serious.
Mrs. Friemel, wife of Mr.. G. A.
Friemel, owner of the Amusement
made seriously i'll by the excitement,
and the services of physician were
necessary during the rest of the night.
The burned building was originally
the shirt factory, and was built by
the business men of Annapolis upon
the subscription plan. 1t was con-
Quoted as a shirt factory for several
years by Hiram Jablin, of Baltimore,
and later by another Baltimore firm,
but proving to be q failure in this
line it was purchased by Mr.. Friemel
and converted into dance hall. This
is the second large fire in Annapolis
in little over thirteen months, the
last big fire having occurred on July
20, 1902, when Wiegard's confection-
cry store, the German Lutheran Church
and dwellings ON Cornhill street were
burned. From a spectacular point OF
view, last nights fire was beautiful
sight. Viewed from Murray Hill and
from West street extended, the sight
Of the burning building, the flames Of
which lighted up the entire western
section of the city, was a magnificent
spectacle. As far as the clock on St.
Annes steeple could be seen the time
was plainly visible.
1t is estimated that 1900 people
were at the scene of the fire, many
being officers in uniforms from the
Naval Academy and Marine Barracks,
gentlemen and ladies in full evening
dress, who were returning from recep-
tions, dinners, card parties and other
social functions in progress last night.
1t is difficult to find a person who
was not at last nights conhagation.
Great credit is due TO Mr.. Charles
Russell, Mr.. Louis M. Hopkins and
others for heroic efforts in attempting
to save Mr.. Martins houses, adjoin-
ing the dance hall. They played the
hose ON the roofs of the houses and
practically saved them. That the fire
did not result more disastrously is a
miracle, as ii broke out in the part Of
the city where there are nothing but
frame buildings, several of which are
stables and containindamable material.
The livery stables of Mr.. James III.
Vansant were threatened and all the
carriages, hacks, buggies and traps
lined ON either side of the street for q
block. Fortunately, no accident oc-
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