The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-09
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DANAlG 1 [0IsT0C'!k. D J ! | D X.
furniture Store 81 Vaughan
q Co., IN orth5 Fifth Street, W
v Suffer Consid era Bly,. 4, !,
THE ORIGIN IS OF KNOWN <, n n !
Blaze eRAppea;rssst ssto Have Started II. ii
the Office, but obod Able
to Account for It. s:3.

us Fire that had its origin inS he office
building at I. n q. 4 sos North Fifth Street,
owned BY, Mr.. W. G. .ss Smith, carriage
manufacturer. end occupi led B by the firm
OF j. 4 F. yaug CHAN & Co, DESTROYED prop
erty worth thapproxlmately 81, 800 last night
and damaged furniture to the extent OF
about one thousand dollars. The damage
to the building is covered by insur rance,
and the furniture firm had about two
thirds insurance on the stock. tf5 X
Mr.. ] i. f.. Thurson, who conducted O
millinery establishment on the second
floor OF the two buildings. Nos. so8 and
hundred dollars from the fire and tho
water. He carried $3.50 insurance on hiH
stock and 5000 insurance on his furniture.
The insurance will not cover his loss. III
Tho third storyof the building was
used by Mr.. Smith, the owner, W as a
storage room for carriages. Many hand
soma and costly vehicles were burned,
and 1t was impossible for him last night
TO determine the amount OF his loss. He
Is OF the belief, however, that his stock
was covered by insur rance 4 ri
Started III the Office.
The fire started, so 1T seems, lin the
office OF the furniture firm on the ground
floor From there Is spread rapidly back
wards into the storage room near the
alley towards Fourth Street, and swept
away the walls separating the front q the
building from the annex The flames shot
upward and went through the ceiling ito
the second floor, occupied by, Mr.. Thurs
ton. and burned away the part titon be-
tween the buildings, What the blaze did
not damage on this floor and on the
third floor was damaged by thesgwater
from the different streams pouud into
the building. ED sA
Si No one knows how the fire originated.
Mr. g. H, Fleming ard Mr.. w. r. Smith,
the proprietors OF the furniture store,
Vaughan & Company, were the last ones
In the lower part Of the building. They
left the office about z 80 q clock, 4 and at
that time there was no sign OF fire. Mr.,
Flemng was positive that no gas Jets
were left burning nor were any electric
lights turned on. Neither one OF the gem
stlemen had thrown q clgar or cigarette
around the office. where the fire is sup-
posed to have started, 1s5Ss
Mr.. Thurston, who occupied the second
story, made his escape through a VIM
dow 10 the porch Of the building at No.
eS12 North Fifth Street, owned by Mr.,
Smith and occupied by him as a res
sidence. Miss Grace Thurston, daughter
os Mr, Thurston, came down the stairs
leading into Fifth Street. Mr. Thurston
and his daughter were the only ones IN
the building at the time the fire started,
Patrolman Gave Alarm.
Patrolman Acree was at Fifth and
Broad Streets when he saw the smoke
issuing from the building, and at once
turned in the alarm from Box No. 216. En-
gines Nos. 8, 4. 8, and 8, and Truck No,
+ !, responded to the alarm. a second call
brought Engines Nos. and 70 and Truck
mo, 5, -Four streams played on the 5bulld-
ing, and the fire was soon under cons
Strol. The outside walls were not burned,
nor was the roof injured.
K, The first alarm was turned In a few
minutes before 3 O'clock, and when the
citizens learned that fire was nea !
Fifth and Broad Streets. they turned
out In large numbers. The police stretch
cd ropes across Fifth Street and pre-
vented people from passing near tho
building while the fire was being fought,