Evening star., 1909-05-12
GREAT FIRE SWEEPS
OVER ALEXANDRIA
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Wagner of the local fire department rem
! der what assistance he could.
Chief Wagner gave the Information that
| the Firefighter was still on the ways at
the navy yard. where 1t had been under
going repairs and cleaning. and that 1t
could not be gotten off in time to be OF
| any assistance.
| Later in the morning Chief Wagner
was informed that the Firefghter was off
| the ways. The boat was taken from the
| water a week ago and was to have gone
back in commission yesterday. but there
| was not tide enough to float it. Shortly
| before noon today the boat was float
ed and Chief Wagner directed that the
navy yard and hurry to Alexandria.
Two engine companies. and Is. were
sent to Alexandria by rail. Deputy Chief
A. ]. Sullivan and AIachtnist Robinson
! being in charge.
| T. D, McLane, captain of 1s, and T. ].
Brown, captain of A. each took twelve
men to operate their engines and hose
carriages. Lieut. Sutton. commander OF
the harbor police precinct, took six men,
bers OF his command to Alexandria to
assist Chief Goods. The police boat Vigi-
land was out of commission and 1t was
necessary for the policemen to 80 in the
launch Sylvester
When the F'irenshter had been taken
| from the ways it was realized that some
! time would be lost getting up steam. but
| Rear Admiral Leutze, in charge OF the
| navy yard, overcame the difficulty by
| having one Of the government tugs tow
the boat to Alexandra. The action Of
the commanding officer was the means of
preventing the loss Of probably an hour
Estimates Of the Losses.
! The entire damages late this afternoon
| were figured out at about $1O50OO. OF
! which smoot & Co. lumber dealers, will
lost 10000, and Henry Il. Field & Co.,
| lumber dealers. about 5000.
Albert Snloot, junior member OF the
Arm Of Smoot & Co., when seen this
afternoon by reporter for The Star.
| would not figure on his loss. and said It
| was impossible for him to make an esti-
admitted that his loss would not exceed
! 5OGO, which Is covered by insurance in
mutual lumber company in New York.
| 1t Is understood that the bulk Of the loss
| Insurance. which is carried in various
| mutual companies which insure exclusive
| ly in the lumber line.
Smoot & Co. will arrange for reSuminE
operations as soon as the debris can be
cleared away, which will. 1t is expected.
be begun the latter part of this week
| When the alarm was turned In the
entire department responded. In less
than Ave minutes half OF the square or
frame structures facing on the east side
of Lee street between Cameron and
Queen streets. where the fire originated,
was a seething mass OF names Inc
| fremen realized that 1t was stubborn
fire to contend with and at II O'clock the
fire had gained such headway that the
Washington department was called upon
| for assistance.
Washington Firemen's Good Work.
At 11:4O o'clock engines Nos. and 1s.
together with two combination truck
l ha SfaQ
| were backed off from the Cameron street
wharf under command of Chief Sullivan.
At 1855 o'clock four powerful streams
from the engines, which were placed at
| the river front. were being played on the
Two of the streams were turned on the
brick office building, the second moor OF
which was filled with sash. blinds and
other tnf1ammable material. Within a
short time the roof of the structure gave
way under the heavy strain. Two streams
from the Washington engines were also
turned on that portion of the fire on the
| threatened to take In the lumber mill of
| Field & Co. At l o'clock this afternoon
the firemen had the fire under complete
control, although it was burning at
but was making no headway. 1t is ex-
pacted that several streams will be kept
| playing On the burning embers for the
| next twenty-four hours to prevent the
l
| buildings.
Saved by Brick House.
The brick house No. 119 North Lee
| street, with a frame roof, is what saved
the mill of Field G. Co. The fire prac-
| ticaliys pushed up to this, but the fire.
men, with this as a fire wall, saved the
Field mill. Three frame houses.
known as Nos. 12l-las North Lee
| street. belonging to Smoot a. Co. In
| which was stored building material and
| other articles. were about noon swept
away by the flames. The brick houses
| stated above were occupied by Walter
Langley and Ulysses G. Roberts. The oc-
cupants were compelled to remove all
| of their furniture, much Of which was
! considerably damaged by water. Other
| places damaged were the Corby bakery.
| walls scorehed; houses POI and 2O1 a
Cameron street, occupied respectively by
Frederick Ford and Mr.. Nothey. Air.
| Ford's house is situated at the north-
| west corner, and the occupants were
compelled to vacate It shortly after the
| fire began. owing to the intense heat.
Its east side was considerably damaged.
The wholesale grocery store of Charles
King & Son Company, Incorporated. was
also threatened but a number of men
with buckets extinguished the flying en-
bers which stuck to the roof. j. III.
Crilly. wholesale grocer, opposite King 8.
had to keep busy extinguishing the hying
sparks, number Of which entered the
| windows OF his establishment.
| number of merchants whose places
/ face King street between the river front
and Lee street. and whose backs look
into the lumber yard OF .'ield & Co.,
were also kept busy extinguishing flying
emberS, which were being waited in al
most every direction by the varying
winds. Several had packed up and were
already moving articles to places Of
! safety.
Bucket Brigade Formed.
| About this time more than POO men
and hoys formed bucket brigades, and
there was one continual line of men with
buckets from the river front to Lee street,
square in length. lending helping hands
to those whose places were threatened.
Within a short time ropes were also pro-
cured and the water was transferred to
the roofs by means of pulleys.
| The brigade also got busy. and with q
large rope and block and fall pulled down
the rear portion OF an old blacksmith
shop. which was dry with age and had
| been several times doomed from flying
; embers.
| The Alexander Fertilizer and Chemical
Company's plant, situated one square
north Of the Smoot plant, was also threat
constantly playing on the roof of the
building, which Is frame structure. Tho
plant OF the Mutual Ice Company. on the
river front proper. directly east of SmoOt
& Co.'S, was at various times threatened.
They kept a stream Of water constantly
on their plant and 1t was not damaged.
H. Kirk & Son. wholesale grocers. had