The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-21
APPEALS TO CITY
WERE MADE IN VAN
Members Of County Club Criticise
Course of City Fire Depart
ment in Not Responding.
FIRE AT CLUB HOUSE
Only Heroic Work by Members and
Neighbors Saved Handsome
Structure.

Members Of the Country Club oil
Virginia, at Northampton, are bitter
In their criticism of the Richmond
fire department and It's chief. declar-
ing that the department refused to
consider their appeals for help when
the club was burning, and finally did
not send even q chemical engine until
the fire was thoroughly under control
and nearly put out.
They claim that several calls were
sent In, and that they received the
answer that Chief Joynes, of the de-
partment. had no authority to send
help without the authority Of Captain
Charles Taylor. president of the
board Of fire commissioners. Mem
bers of the club declare. however, that
the chief. under such circumstances,
should have assumed sufficient au-
thortty to act for himself. since It was
known that no member OF the board
could have objected. They also de-
clare that after number Of appeals
the chief did assume this authority
and finally sent an engine, showing
ginning, and thus saved great dam
age to the club building.
What Records Show.
Records In the offices of the depart
ment show that at 7:47 o'clock Sun
day morning the fire was reported and
assistance asked IN suppressing It,.
This report was turned over to the
chief. who replied, according to the
man making the report: I'VE can dc
no good: they have no water"
At $40 O'clock second report waf
recored. this coming from Mr.. ames
NJ. Ball, who appealed for chemica
tnt
oynes. who took no action.
Two minutes later an appeal was re-
ceived from Mr.. Kirk. an officer of the
club. To this Chief Joynes replied tina,
he could not send apparatus out Of the
city without explicit authority from
the president of the board Of fire com
rnissioners.
Captain Taylor. president of the
board, was then sought. and the Off
GERS OF the club were notified that he
was at church. That, according to re.
ports, ended the matter. and the club
members, despairing of outside assist
ance, set to work with renewed efforts
to suppress the fire themselves. which
they finally succeeded In doing. but
only after considerable damage had
been done to the building, a great par
of which, they declare, would have
been avoided II the Richmond fire de.
partment had answered their appeal.
After the fire was practically ovel
chemical engine arrived.
Damage to Building.
The fire. which is thought to have
been caused by the careless dropping
Of cigarette or cigar stump in one
of the bedrooms on the top floor o,
the clubhouse. shortly after o'clock
damaged the building to the extern
of about $1,000.
But for heroic and prompt work or
| the part OF members of the club a a.
the people of Northampton, whc
turned out en- masse to fight the
flames by forming q water brigade
the clubhouse would have unques.
tionably been burned down. Had the
blaze. discovered by Mr. g. III. Banks
| who Is y painter the Hew-strue.
ture, secured little more headway
all efforts to check them would have
been futile. For an hour men Tough
as never before with the fire, and
when chemical Hpparatuses checked
the burning all were practically ex.
hausted.
The damage to the building Is moi
thought to be more than $1,000. and
this ts fully covered by insurance car.
rted by members of the club. wht
had but recently taken the policie.
over from the contractors, Myers &
Turpin, of Norfolk.
| II had been thought that the clut
would be completed by the LIST OF
| April, but this fire will delay its com
vice-President Kirk said Monday tina
he hoped to have all the damag,
repaired by the LIST or the 10th o.
Nav