Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-04-23
While Fire Burned Central
Called Number"
CHIEF WILL COMPLAIN
Because J. Reyner Couldn't Get FIRE
Station by Phone. 1t Is Cia'med
Blaze in Wine & Liquor Co. Build
ino Resulted in Serious Damage.

Claiming that the failure of an
generator of the Bell Telephone
Telegraph Company 20 ring the Cen
trail fire station when requested TO do
so resulted in a ten-fold multiplica-
ton of the damage to the twostory
frame building occupied by the New
port News Wine & Liquor Company
at Washington avenue ana twenty
NTH street early yesterday morning,
Fire Chief w. X. Stow Will make
formal complaint today against the
teIephone company TO the appraiser
OF the insurance company that car
ries the insurance and suit may re-
suit.
Starting from an overheated stove
pipe in the second story of the build
ing, the flames had gathered but lit
tie Roadway when Daily Press
newsboy discovered them. The
youngster ran to Joseph Reyners
store across the avenue and asked
that the fire company be called by
'phnoe. Mr. Reyner grabbed the
phone and asked the telephone opera
tor to connect him with the Central
fire station. Mr. Reyner declares that
the operator yelled number, mum
Der" at him several times and then
cut him off. He called again and
asked for the fire house and says
the central connected him with lin
formation"
Gives Up in Disgust.
After two or three minutes OF vain
erdeavor, Mr.. Reyner gave up IN dis
gust and called over the Citizens
phone. Just as the Citizen operator
answered him he heard the fire bell
ringing, someone else having turned
in an alarm to the department.
During all this time, the flames had
Leen gathering rapid Roadway and
when the Central company reached
the scene the flames had eaten
through the roof of the building and
we're burning fiercely. For few
minutes it was thought that the en-
tire building would be destroyed, but
Chief Stow and his men did excel
lent work, curbing the blaze and saw
ing the building. AS it was the
second floor of the structure was par
TALLY Quilted and the roof and the
Notwithstanding around some OF the
windows were badly burned. The
stock on the second and first floors
was badly damaged by fire, smoke
and water, the total loss amounting
TO several hundred dollars.
Could Have Used Chemicals.
Chief Stow declares that if the
telephone operator had connected
Mr.. Reyner with the Central station
when he first requested her to do so,
the firemen would have been able to
have extinguished the flames by the
us of chemicals Further than this
he declares that the flames would
not have gained near the Roadway
they did before the firemen reached
the scene and the damage to both the
building and stock would have been
slight
Operator Makes Statement.
The telephone operator who was on
duty when the fire broke out said
last night that Mr.. Reyner did not
call for the Central fire house and
later aided that he did not try to use
his phone at the time. She declares
that someone called the Central fire
house from the Imperial hotel and
that she gave instant connection.
While the report of the fire was go
ing in to the department, she says,
someone called from the Newport
News Wine & Liquor Company's
saloon and that she told that person
that the fire was then being reported
over the telephone by someone.
II is probably that complaint against
the company will be carried to the
chief officials Of the company in At
lsnta in an effort TO have a better
service in Newport News.