The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-12
HEAVY Loss FROM
PARkLESS FIRE
Virginia-Carolina Fl ar d W ar e
Company's Plant Badly Dam
aged by Water.
STREET CAR TRAFFIC. .HALTs
Though Damage May Reach
$4,000 or $4,000, 1t Is Fully
Covered by Insurance.

! Damage estimated at from $4,000 t.
! $4,000 resulted from fire which broke
out yesterday afternoon at $50 o'clock
in the office and sales building of the
| Firg inia- Carolina Hardware Company
1874 East Main street AS far as
could be ascertaincd last night, tile
! principal loss was from water, the
building being flooded from cellar tc
roof. Even those In the building when
tho first odor Of smoke was detect cd
could not say exactly where the fire
caught nor what was responsible for
1t. Several employees rushed up the
steps TO form bucket brigade, but the
smoke WAS so dense that they had to
return to tho lower floors Meanwhile
box No. II was turned In. and streams
from four steamers were soon bcinS
poured In through the windows from
which dense clouds of smoke issued.
though a no time was there flame or
spark visible from the outside.
emit Figure Loss I;xnrtiy.
a member of the firm said last night
that IL would be impossible to figure
close TO the loss at that time, but that
II was fully covered by insurance.
There was no damage to 1920 East
Main Street. which is also occupied by
the company and connected by a bridge,
nor did the plant of the Ferguson
Printing Company, In the rear. or the
house of the Vaughan TO bertson Drug
Company. next door to the cast, suffer.
Offices of tho company will be moved
this morning 10 the upper building.
and, according to members of the firm,
delay in filing orders. II any will be
temporary. Such of tile goods In the
damaged building as arc salablc VIII
ho moved nj once to the new ware
house In the rcnr
The first signs of a fire were dis
covered from across the street where
some ono noticed smoke issuing from
the cornice and windows. The alarm
was Immediately turned in and those
working III the office notified Books
and other Valuubles, including n large
amount of powder were removed across
the street 10 a place of safety. Those
who rushed upstairs in the hopo Of
being able to eXtinguish the danes
with tho means at hand said that as
far rs they could tell the fire began
OH tho third floor. near the elevator
shaft, and quickly ran UP to Che fourth
floor where the stock OF tinwarc was
stored. most of which wns packed in
straw and wood. ts
Tinrd Fight Through Smoke.
When the department arrived, the
smoke was suffockinS and poured
thickcst from the winds through which
OF hose and chemical was carried In
through the second story In front, an
other through the Ferguson plant, but
I he main base of operations was from
the bridge, where three lines were
handlc ed under the direction of Dis
trict Chief RATIO. Here tho most eff
fectivc work was done. and here tho
fire lighters suffered most Time ana
again men handling the hose were
Obliged to leave their posts and rush
to tho windows for breath OF air
Some OF them staggered as they scram-
bled down the ladders TO add to the
density of the smoke and the spread
of the flames there We're stored be-
meath the roof mass OF old flles,
some of which. perhaps. contained re-
cords OF the company for many years
back. They were thrown out by the
hremen, Scorched and smoking though
drenchcd with water.
Occurring as it did In the rush hour
when thousands are returning from
| work on foot and In the street ears. n
big crowd had gathered even before
The engines got down to work. Cars
ran up and halted because the first
one was brought to Il stsndstiil ny tns
hose lines. At ono limo they extended
| IN an almost unbroken line from the
Fourteenth street corner beyond the
Main Street Station.
| Car Line Opened.
Officers Of the Virginia Railway and
Power Company were soon on the
ground and had the line OF cars ba flted
down to Eighteenth Street where they
were transferred to the Broad Street
line and continued their journey "a
| the West End, About an hour ate,
the back-tap sounded, tool car ar
rived. bringing cross-over rails. whior
being placed over tho hose lines en-
ablcd the remaining cars to pass along
| Main street.
| An Investigation. as thorough as pos.
slhle under the conditions, was made
by members OF the firm and the fire.
men In the effort 10 ascertain how tho
| fire started Nothing In the way OF de-
| fcctivo wiring could be found. and as
| there was nothing in that part OF the
building from which n spark mighj
| have come. the conclusion was tina
| some of the clerks probably had usct
q match while searching for some ar
| ticlc in spite of tho fact that the ust
Of matches and smoking are pcsitivel,
| prohibited In tho house.
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