Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-16
D|ST|LLERY IN RUINS
Tramps Blamed for Starting
Early Morning Fire.
FIREMEN ARE HANDICAPPED
Have to Pull Apparatus Through
Axle-Deep Mud.
TANNED BY A STIFF WIND
Neighboring Property for Time in
Peril-Loss Is Estimated
at $4,000.
FIREMEN ARE HANDICAPPED
TANNED BY A STIFF WIND

Famed by brisk southwest wind. fire
which was fought under great difficulties
by the fire companies that responded to
an early morning alarm. broke out shortly
after | o'clock this morning in the liquor
distiiiery formerly owned by the Capital
Supply Company, a the foot of 18th
street southeast, on the Pennsylvania
railroad tracks, completely destroying
the plant
This is the fourth fire that has occurred
in the building during the last three
years and il is the belief of Fire Marshal
Nicholson that in this case, as in the
others. the fire was caused by trampS
who had broken into the building hunt
ing for liuOr. Damage is placed at So.
COD. thought to be covered by insurance.
Since last winter. when the distillery
was closed because of trouble with the
nfted States revenue service, it had not
been in use. but recently it changed into
the hands of j. A. Cole of 12IIla l. street
southeast, who has formed a company in
North Carolina, and was to reopen the
plant October /.
1t was only" after desperate struggle
to get to the scene of the fire that the
firemen were able to stretch their hose to
the burning building. When the alarm
was first given by William Mcguire, night
Waterman in that neighbOrhood by teie-
phoning to fire engine No. Is, the flames
were bursting from the roof of the build
ing high into the air. and the entire struc-
ture in few minutes later was wrapped in
them.
Apparatus in Mud.
Through oozy mud that came nearly
up to the hubs the firemen tugged and
strained at the wheels in an attempt to
get the engines to the fire. One
hose cart got stuck in the soft mud a
considerable distance from the fire, and
volunteers who were awakened from their
midnight slumbers by the loud changing
of the bells. ran ost and assisted in
stretching the hose from the fire plug
two blocks away. 1t took Capt Thomas
McLeane of No. IS only five minutes to
see that it was physical impossibility
to fight the fire alone, and at 100 O'Clock
he told Mcguire to turn in an alarm from
the box at l. and 18th streets.
The man was so exhausted by his eff
forts to help pull the engine out of the
mud that he sank to the ground before
he could reach the box, and John Cross
pulled the alarm that brought out the No
= and ID fire companies and No. {
truck.
BY the time that the companies arrived
on the scene the fire had gained such
thing with it. A stiff wind from the
southwest famed the flames from the
frame offices to the east and south of the
massive stone building and the intefor
IF the distillery was like blazing oven
To attempt to enter it was too risk ones
life
Several large casks of liquor and bun
dies of rosin wood that had been stored
away caught fire and the entire roof
suddenly seemed to burst out in flames.
There was a great crash as the roof gave
way, followed by other loud reports
caused by the overturning of three giant
casks that We're on the second floor.
Helped by Volunteers.
There was another struggle to get the
fire engines that had just arrived through
the mud, and hundreds of hands tugged
at the wheels and pushed from behind.
Sparks were flying SO dangerously near
houses a block away that it was mo-
mentarly feared the flames would spread
and two cars belonging to the United
States fish commission that were stand
ing on the tracks at a close distance were
hastily pulled out to escape possible in
jury. The fire was fiercest in the south
end of the building, where it is thought
it must have broken out This consists
of frame outhouses standing against the
stone walls. 1t is believed that the flames
We're swept by the wind to an east shed
that was used an office. and thence
were swept, through the interior of the
building
The only things left standing are the
damaged by the fire.