The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-02-19

The warehouse of the Hall G. Pear
sa1l Company in which was stored
several hundred barrels of spirits tur-
pcntine was destroyed by fire last
might The total loss will amount TO
between $4,000 and $4,000. with be-
tween $15,eOe and $4,000 of insurance
The burned building was located on the
south side OF Brunswick street and
was on the bank of the river. When
the fire was first discovered the shed
Sn the north side of the building was
On fire. An alarm was turned in from
box No. Ia and the fire department re-
sponded promptly to the call.
When they reached the naval stores
yard the fire had gained little headway
bat the entrance to the yard was
blocked by several freight cars stand
ing on the side track directly in front
II the gate and this delayed the de-
department for fifteen or twenty min
utes. It was necessary to tear down
a section of the fence around the yar1
before the hose wagons and engine
could reach the main building and go
to work In the meantime the fire hal
gained considerable headway and il
was seen at once that an attempt to
save the naval stores warehouse would
be futile.
The warehouse was a one story
frame building so feet wide and 100 feet
long On the north side was a large
shed and on the south and west sides
were large platforms on which were
stored hundreds of barrels of crude
turpentine. rosin and tar. The spirits
turpentine. of which there was be-
tween $50 and 400 barrels, was stored
IN the warehouse.
The moment the fire reached the
turpentine dense volumes of black
smoke began pouring from the build
ing. There were two kegs of powder in
the building and the fire did not burst
through the roof until the first Of
these exploded which was about s
o'clock. A few minutes later the other
kes Of powder exploded The first keg
exploded with loud roar and the
DANES burst from the roof Of the
building high into the air.
Only few yards to the south of this
warehouse was the main warehouse of
the Hall and Pearsall Company in
which ESG stored about $4,000 worth
u meat flour and other provisions
When che explosion occurred and the
flames leaped high into the air there
seemed to be no doubt about the InaIl:
warehouse being burned. As the tur-
pentine caught better the flames beat
en- the corrugated iron walls of the
main warehouse with an intensity tha-
made it seem impossible for the build
ing to escape.
HEROIC WORK OF FIREMN.
Time and again did the main ware
house catch on fire ard each time the
brave firemen marched between tue
wall OF flame and the wall OF the not
metal building and exunguished the
flames At one time a mass of flames
swept over the building and the fire.
men were for a few minutes driven
from between the buildings. This was
the most critical moment. the main
building catching in three places.
Using a water soaked board as a
shield the firemen made 4 dash under
the wall of fire and in a few minutes
the fire which had started on the main
building was extinguished. From this
time on there was no danger of the fire
Spreading.
ENGINE IN DANGER
While one body of firemen were
working heroically to save the mann
warehouse another force was fighting
rust as hard TO save the hundreds OF
barrels of crude turpentine stored on
the wharf. between the warehouse and
the river Fire engine No. was carried
on the wharf west OF the burning buili-
Ing For some time the engine appeared
to be in no danger but presently the
Yiad shifted from the northeast to the
east and the flames were rapidly driven
IA the direction OF the engine. A steady
stream OF water was turned on the
flames crept nearer and nearer ani
eventually the wharf caught on fire
directly under the wheels of the engine
and a towering flame leaped over it.
For g moment the four flremen who
we're in charge of the engine were
driven from their post. but they made
a powerful pull at the engine and pull
ed it in the direction of the river.
About this time the tug Marion, which
had been in service since soon after
fae fire started. was brought from the
west side of the dock and was run in
beside the north dock on Brunswick
street. When the tug Marion turned
q stream of water on the fire from this
side 1t saved the fire engine from
further danger. The engine was only
a few feet from the edge Of the water
when the flames came so near envel-
opine 1t and had the fire advanced 4
few feet further the engine would have
been thrown into the river. The fire.
men had been instructed to do this II
necessary.
AN AWFUL SIGHT.
The spectacle presented by the burn
ing building was one long 10 be re-
membered Those standing .on the east
and south side of the building could
not get a view of it like those on the
north side. The wind was blowing
from the northeast and the dense
smoke obscured the fire to a certain
extent on the south and east From
the north the scene was awful to be-