The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-25
W lila mss T 0 bacco.
Stemmery Consumed
in Spectacular T ire.
LARUS'S FACTORY
BADLY DAMAGED
Loss May Reach 100000, Pro.
tected by Insurance-Prison
ers in Henrico Jail Removed
as Precaution- Firemen
Overcome, but Serious
Injury Is Averted.

AS spark to finder. fire originating
SHORTY after noon yesterday I'm the
o ug room OF the F. D. Williams q;
$50 s s..y' at Twenty first and
Cary Streets, utterly destroyed that
building and all its contents of ma
chlncry and stock. and inflicted consid
eraole damage on the stock and build
ins OF the Larus & Brother COMPANY
Slnc0, 20 South Twenty first Street
- atoVe more than 800 working lnen
women and children to the street en-
dangered the lives OF many firemen53
and created one OF the most snectac,'
lar and stubborn blazes with which the
ilchmond Fire Department has had
recently to contend. &
II VIII be week or ten days before
q correct estimate OF the total dana "a
iniil cted can be made, but it is believed
that 1t Will not exceed 100000 I.yarv-&
thing In both places was dry and inn
ilahlhlable At one stage the fire got
speyond the control of the firenen. and
many Of them We're overcome in their
desperate attempt to check the flames.
= looked as though the plant of the
i.arua " Brother Company would be
DESTROYED, and workmen employed ii,
the place and others Impressed into
service set to work to remove tho office
Papers ana records and all the finished
product stored ready for shipment.
iiuil dozen wagons were employed.
ana they were driven to adjoining fac
tories which had offered storage as fast
as they could be loaded. ylS13H l5S1 7s'15
Prisoners Removed.
Fart of the burned buildings adioin
IN almost actual contact. the IHenrico
county JAIL which soon became sur
charged with suifocating smoke Sheriff
fnro L. Aen en- called on the city police
iorce TO aid him in removing the pris-
oners to place OF safety. Sergeant @.
y. sherry and six men were detailed
Ior tho work. The automobile patrol
and the wagon Of the First Station
were used, and thirty-three prisoners.
among them being three men convicted
or murder, brought here from Bucki g.
nam county. were transported TO The
CltE jail Ffremcn fought to prevent
me lire from spreading to the Iatl ana
courthouse. lt5lSS1I ~
1t was only al ordinary drying room
nrc which started the condensation.
orainarlly such fires, it is said, are ex-
tinsuished with chemicals. But this
time the blaze Got beyond control OF
the employees. and a call was sent IS
neadquarters for a fireman Truck
company No was sent to the scene.
Ihen a general alarm was sounded.
flre Chief Ratio turned In second
alarm, which brought Fire Chief oynes.
lie turned In the three skies. which
brought out every piece of apparatus
III the city excepting one, which is re-
served for emergency
Entire Force ut Scene.
within five minutes every engine ana
truck company was either present or
on It's way to the fire. The horses
seemed see, 70 realize Just what the third
call meant, for they rushed to the fire
without lash or whip. From West
BROAD Street Engine Company No. TO-
rumbled and roared. spouting flame.
the horses running and straining like
Jury. The horses hitched to No
truck got beyond control OF their driver
and, going down Thirteenth street ha
was unable to turn them into Main
r. re stcered them straight for Cary
street There was no swerving them
10 right or left, and wagon standing
on one side and horse standing on y
the other were hurled from the pa tn
OF the onrushing truck. The horse was
da@ed, but he picked himself up. shook
nlhSelr. and then stood still, waiting
Tor the next. The wagon was badlyS
damaged Is sf 5',SS$
Hose wagon No 3 broke a rear axles
at Fourteenth and Main Streets and
collapsed near the sidewalk Fireman
Hirschbers jumped and hurt his leg.
But he limped 10 tho fire and remained
there two hours before being taken
away Other exciting scenes occurred 4,
out they do not count in Il big fire.
p. 4 II p x =
building IN Ruins. b
Soon ten lines or hose were playing
on the flames. IN less than an hour
the f. D. Williams K Co.'S plant was
reduced TO ruins. only the four wallis Il
remaining. Inside lay a twisted mass
OF useless junk and iron
Thirty or forty women were cut OFF n
from escape TO the street, and they
climbed TO an adjoining roof, which
overlooks the county jail courtyard.
behind them reared the flames, and
smoke enveloped them in a cloud. They
became rs wild cattle. and, standing
on the verge of the roof, started Ia
plunge forty feet to the ground. Dep
nty Sheriff w. NJ Sydnor and DR.. j. Full q
ller Bright, deputy county coroner.
called to them to stand whore they "A
were. Ladders were finally procured.
and they We're brought to the ground
One colored woman started to leap ID
from another part OF the roof Excited
crowds called 70 her to jump. Bicycle
Policeman Clarke shouted them into ST.
lence and forced the woman to stay.
tus came ladder was put up for her,
and she WAS brought safely down,
Attacks Another structure. vi
Before the Williams plant was de-
stroyed the flames leaped across s4rl
twelve foot alley ana swept under tho !
overhanging caves OF the roof OF the Ii
Larus factory. At first there was only E
q gush OF smoke. But the roof tim-
bers were dry. and the flames Gte their
way through and dropped into tho
fourth floor. where they found food IN q
the tobacco hanging up to dry. The 81
Williams building was beyond hope or:
being saved, and the Fire Department.
was criticized by some for not surrer-a S
derng chances TO save a building al q.
ready wrecked and giving all It's efrortsS
to one then only threatened. Critics
said that had the lines OF hose playing