The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-18
B|NSNANGER'S
/ PLAN I BURNT
TO THE GROUND.
More Than $50 Firemen
Vainly Fight the
Flames.
FIRE PLUGS
WE'RE FROZEN
Water Secured by Cutting Holes
IN Ice On Canal-Loss Will
Reach $4,000, Covered BY
insuranc department
Fights Ganely Under
Fearful Conditions.


neither fremen nor omcor,
$50 ue'efmine. lire. starting Shortly
hniI,,;, CLOCK last night. swept tba
puiidihs of Binswanger & con,n .ae
Incorporated. manufacturers nc '
-, uiihus. glass and mirrors 90
=, DSFo street and utterly dest ro,.
rom roof to foundation.
hss was seen to arise from, III.
easement By Griffin Sutton. q shin,;aSs
clerk. who was ut work H. haippins
rae teiephoned to fire headnn.r,nss
inc men who arrived with ~
nisl piece OF appar a tus turned IN y
regular alarm. ~ 2
me second and third calls wer,
turned In In rapid succession ana 49,,
came that always dreaded stu Inu men
three skies. calling out ten onr;n
companies and twenty-five oIecns - .
apparatus In all, and leaving but tbron.
city. VI the
The nremen were blinded !, ,ha,,
.fsl eHorts by the dense and suCfocat-
ing clouds of smoke which nourna -.
upon them from tho basement wlndow.
ana thiou the gratIngs Chiaea
Joynes and RATIO were early on hans
ihey We're unable to trace tho sourc,
OF the flames. and attempted in vain
10 drown II out by hurting floods ~
water into the basement OF the ,,Is.
puitolng. Smoke continued to pour
OUT. Little by little drauhgts OF VIM
!wafted the splitting flames through. Tho
upper stories. Presently little whIfr,
OF smoke came from the second story
WINDOWS. inside the fire crept up and
up. until black pail OF smoke tasuefi
from the highest windows and through
the roof. Frantically the bremen
Iousht. People could see that the fight
was lost, but the firemen fought on
with the courage OF despair.
Water Plugs Frozen
The department. was much hardt-
capped by finding that most of tha
water plugs in the neighborhood were
frozen. Garter c. Jones. member of the
City Council from Washington Ward.
one Of the first to arrive on the scene.
iel himself down from the bridge cross
Ing the tracks Of the Chesapeake ana
Ohio Railway and chopped a hole
fourteen inches deep through the Ice.
But the suction was not sufficient. and
the hole had to be abandoned. Efforts
proved more successful on the east
side OF the bridge. and n large space
was opened through the ice. Here were
stationed engines Nos. 5, s and 10. and
engine No. was placed at nearby
plug thus placing four engines to-
gether. Other engines arrived as tho
calls were sent in. and within few
minutes after the three skies had been
rung No. engine and No. engine
We're working from tho plug on
Seventh Street; No. was on Fifth
Street; No. 1. the giant automobile
engine. WAS working from the foot OF
Sixth street. and No. s engine was
plncsd on Seventh Street. between Byrd
and Arch Streets.
Smash Giuss With Axes.
Ten streams OF water were played on
the building. They had no effect. Tho
smoke became more dense and hlind-
ing. The fremen experienced diff /
Guilty in lighting from the canal side,
owing TO the little foothold afforded
them. y stream OF water was shot up
the side of the building in II vain at.
tempt to force It through the windows.
They We're made of glass interviewer
with wire. and the terrific Impact of
the water had no effect on Them.
Finally men from Engine Company No.
. placed II ladder OH the bank OF the
canal ana two men crawled NJ With
axes. Smoke and flame poured out on
them But before they were exhausted
they managed to smash in two WIN
dows. and then line or hose was
carried UP, and the first stream was
thru avn in. 1t seemed, however. only
to serve as fuel TO the flames Little
flicllers OF light began TO appear st
the upper windows. \ fireman, look
ing ut thcm, said: 1T is all over nov.
Tongues of flames burst through all
the upper stories on the canal siGe
and then burst OUT on inc flttH .-tFS'N
side and IN tho rear. Two water
towers were put up, and .loods were
hurled down into the secthnS pile
through the roof. Nothing ayaled.
II was seen that the building wal
doomed and the hrcmen directed theii
attention TO saving other buildings. 81
The Southern BuiSciit Works. 1T Fifth
ana Canal streets, We're greatly en-
dangercd and nrenleu were stationed
on the roof 10 protect II from dam
age. a light wind blow in from the
South. and tho sparks were waited In
evory direction The whole sky wal
ui!ame with reflected light, and people
could observe tho fire from nearly
every point in the city. From o'clock
until past midnight tic crowds poured
down 10 the scene, and II was csti-
mated that 10000 people viewed ths
.blaxe from the immediate ncshbor.
hood. Other crowds We're gathered ir II
dense masses around Castle Thunder
on South Third Street aud on tho ele &
vations on Fourth and Fifth Streets q
They had command OF Che whole seems b
Thirty-Five Police on Duty.
As the tlre assumed more, saT!ouf 4.
proportions fire lines We're spread
and, in direct charge OF Major Werner
thirty-Gve pblice officers stood guard S
They had hard work in keeping enrl &
the crowds, but the people became subj s.
niisaive when they saw the danger aat "
held themselves Ia abeyance
Water froSc as II fell, and thosts
Ttho were aEhsins or dangerous SfouM