The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-03-10
A BIG BLAZE.
DEPOT or p. r. & p. r. r. DE-
STRoYED BY FIRE.

Books and Papers In The Vault SaVeS
Loss About $40, 900; lnsurane'
One Half That Amount-A New
Depot Will be Erected At Once
etc, Etc.
Monday at 800 .. IN fire was discovered
issuing from the Office of the depot build
ing of the 4. +. Il 2. X. r. Marrow
Guage), and in two hours ii was burned
to the ground.
The alarm was promptly sounded and
in a few minutes the fire department wa'
busy fighting the fire, hut IL WAS soon
seen the building wac doomed aud The
streams of water were directed on the
loaded ~ d unloaded cars nearby The
piles u lumber and turn.table OF thu
road. The engine of the accommodation
train of the X. +. n Z. Il. Il. was i'm
mediately utilized and pulled out several
loaded cars which were on the tracks oiitr
road. Immediately in front off the Narrow
Gauge Depot were two cars, which had
been loaded during the evening with
merchandise from our merchants, the
Weems Line of Steamers and X. +, X /.
X. r. The cars were ready to be taken
out Tuesday morning Efforts were
made 10 get them out, which proved
futile. and they were burned. lew
minutes previous TO the discovery OF the
fire there was vivid flash Of lightning
with roll of thunder, which was follow
ed by a rainfall lasting several minutes
This rain saved Alart a McGuire'e pickle
factory and peden's excelsior mill, which
were on the south eide OF the building
and the fiat roofs Of which were covered
with burning cinders, which fell on them
ard which were quickly extingulshed by
the water left by the rain. Alter 1t WAS
found that the fire could be confined 10
the depot the streams OF water were
directed to the brick vault in which were
the valuable papers of the company aud
every effort was made 10 keep 1t cool.
About 80 the iron doors, which were
warped by the intense heat were broken
into by Henry Walters, one OF the tire
men. under the direction OF Manager W.
II. Richards. Several valuable books
were discovered burning. but the tlames
were quickly extinguished and the books
saved. There WAS nothing materially
injured, but many papers scorched.
Around the depot and along the tracks
were thousands Of railroad ties belong
il Y TO W. 5 Embrey and }. ". Masters
aud hundreds of cords of excelsior wood
owned by ". II. Peden and the Virginia
Excelsior Co. These were not injured.
THE OmGIN or THE FIRE.
Various coDjectures are made Is TO the
origin Of the fire. BY some il il thought
that il was caused by lump OF Goa
dropping from stove. Before closing
the office Supt Richards and Mr. John
+. Mason carefully examined the fires
and they were all right. The most
plausible reason advanced is that OF cleo
tricity. The Orange phone in the building
is connected with the building on Com
merce street owned by the estate OF j
II Bradley and occupied 10y j Ii Biscot
/ 4 Son. The flash OF lightning burned
ont the phone in the Commerce street
building aud set it on fire, but the heavy
timbers did not burn aud were only
charred. IL il thought this same current
followed the line To the depot building
and set II on f1re.
SCENES At THE FIRE.
A crowd of several thousand people
were quickly grouped in the STREETS and
on the sidewalks watching the progress
of the fire. The firernen worked with
will, but the building was large frame
one and il WAS impossible TO save IL. Il
was feared that live wires from the elec
tric lines might burn out and ininre some
body, so the street lamps were e1'ln
guished at | ! o'clock.
A new depot will be erected a.
once. Manager Richards states ihaI
the company has insurance cover
ing about half the lose, which u 20
timated at $4,000. This is all the in
formation that can be obtained as th'
business is not handled here by loea
agents but In Philadelphia. The a m
train went TO Orange on time Tuesday
morning with large number OF passen
gers. and the debris OF the FIRE il beinl
rapidly removed by force OF hands.