Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-07

|ment did not get stream OF water
lon the burning. building
Finally recognizing the fruitsesshess
of attempting TO save the hntsl bh''a'
ling the fireinen devoted III ir "nef'
gies TO preventing a spread OF tins
flames to the fences.
Restaurant DESTROYED.
| The small building used as res
|turant, which was a short distance
from the hotel, was also burned 10
the ground. In this structure was
| large amount Of furniture. which was
1owned, as was III" restaurant build
| ing. by Mr.. Howard W. Saund rs.
The loss here TO Mr.. Saunders rs
s3.1OO. No insurance.
Loss Is $4,000.
The Poynl Comfort Tavern wa"
owned by stock company. compos
cd OF local business men and the bHiid
ing cost the sum OF $4,000 according
10 the statement of Mr.. II. w. Sam
ders, who was the general manager
of the company. The bulldog was
Of tbrsc stories. 22Gxi00 ieef. and be-
sides the kitchen. dining room ana
closets contained 225 l"G rooms. fhe
furniture in the building had been soi'
several months ago. The building
was erected as 2 temporary hot"'
Int great care was taken 20 maze
H. substantial structure. Inc 'i'c
trio wiring and interior work was OF
the best and modelled along upto-nate
lines.
Mr. Saunders. In conversation win
III, Daily Press representative .afteT
the fire saSd that the company did
not carry cents worth OF insurance
on the hotel building. while he did
not have any insurance on IN" res
taurant Or the furniture packed IN
that bui)ding He said the hotei
buildiuy stood the company tNactiN
s32 OOc which will come "a total
loss 10 each Of the men holding STOCK
Z, tho comDany Among til" local
men interested in the hotel are Mes
Sis G. A. Schm IL. Fl. l.. Schme!Z: ~.
w. Saunders, G. F. Adams. l.. r. u
ing. w. II. Pearson. r. !. Mason. A. J.
Ransone, F. W. Darlirg, W. \. post
H. Hopkins. r. G. HcNord. b. w
Cabell and II. II. Kimberly.
Removed thu Dynamite.
Located about 100 yards below IN"
hotel building is the dynamite houss.
in which the Fort Monroe anthoritis$
have housed the explosives used on
the Cid Point reservation. Wh'
the fire was discovered. orders wer'
hurriedly given to the artiiierymen |"
remove the several tons OF dynamite
from the building. which wa accom-
plIshed without the slightest deia" or
accident. The fact that the dynami'"
house was in such proximity to me
burning building caused much unea.i,
ness when tn first alarm was turned
in.
Daring the fire one of the artillery
men was quite painfully burned anu
had to be removed TO the hospital
while several suffered from the In
tense heat. A..
Almost the entire population OF
Fort Monroe and Old Point. "a well as
Phochus turned out to the fra ana
watched the flames as they consumed
The t"iiiding.
On account OF the burning OF one
of the feed wires tn .ire lower
sys;em OF the street railway company
was tied uy while the telephone COM
pany's main WIRE wac also burnFT,
thus putting all the Telephones on 'ht
Old point r scrvation out OF commits
sion
All kinds Of theories Were advanced
AZ 10 how the fire started. bat NJ.
Saunders. after caret I Investigation.
was unable to ascertain the slightest
tangible cviierce that would abSo-
mtelv SrlvA the mystery. Mr.. Sauh-
ders thought The blaze probably due
to electric wiring. as q nous or raj
nav have chrwed the insulation from
the wiring
The announcement that the Poyht
Comfort Tavern was or fire created
the gre Attest eXCitS ment all over the
lower Peninsula and all who could get
TO Of1 Point hurriedly went there To
ssP the fire.
According 10 report in circulation
srolni Old Point last evening the
FIRE that cans d tn destruction OF
the Ioynt Comfort Tavern may have
been started by oystcrmen. who prob
ably entered TIE kitchen to co1k
meal Il, was report d that s@vera'
Ole men have been seen around the
hotel lately.