The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-18
FIRE DEsTORYs
PIPER MILL IN
SOUTH RICHMOND
Manchester b, ard ard Paper
Company's | liant burns
With $4,000 Loss
BLAZ.. ATTRACTS
MANY 10 seen E
Nighswatcllman, Entrapped
in blazlns Building, lie. ps
lDlo .>ivci--riien,an Is
Also Injured

Fire early last night utterly Destroy
ed IKE plant vi lne A.anenes,ef poaru
ana raper company. at tie itot Oh
hua! street, anu iaclng On the rivefs
Soa4n hiei.nonu. and sns.iiiea 'oss
essai..ateo al $4,000.
., W. otasso, n.sat waicnmaH WIG
lives in nlen.a.iid sp.;.Ass, was
trapped IA "a room ON ms seceno
saoly. tlerce tiafaes were beating ap
behind HIN, ana his only avenue VI
eseabe WAS frUIn the window ana
sheer drip 10 The river below. rae
tied three sacks together anu faseened
th.n 20 the winuoMsii Nut the iai-
tass.iuued rope reached only a Larl Oh
the a.slanee down. and he mad 10
drop t.,s rest Of The way. The water
was MT deep, hut he landed on a
pill. of stones. and severely spraineu
HIS right knee. He ciaNied OUT OF
the water and ran for assistance But
IN. alarm had already been turned
in hy q. w. Booth. an empioye of the
l. -. smith Company. contractors
who had seen the blaze from the new
Mayo bridge.
Fireman III. b. Nash. Of Engine
Company No. 4. was also injured
when the east wall crumpied from
the fierce heat and fell in. He Was
caught by a shower OF bricks. ne
suffered only slight sprssn OF shs
ankle, however. and after being treat
cd was able to return TO his work.
Both men were treated by pr. y. y.
Page. Of the City hospital
Starts in Boiler Room.
The fire originated In the boiler
ros,m. where Giasce Ia said to have
built a small fire TO keep himself
warrn. Rcfsre he he d completed ms
rounds the ouiiiins ~e = ahlaxe. ana
the infsarnmatfe material was con-
su,Ye3 no rapidly that the building
y.s doomed before tina hremen could
arrive
THE biaxe was one -af the most spec
tasussr ever seen In South Richmond.
and thousands OF people were attract
ed by the red glare In the sky, ana
the showers az sparks and burning
paper which were waited UP by tue
fierce draft Every car going to south
Richmond was filled with peonle eager
tn see ths FIRE. The free bridge was
lined with other hundreds, and every
car in the Southern railway Yards
which aitoia the site OF the DESTROYER
paper mill. was covered with stu
HtIFrS Watching ttf@ %eS'AS ~
ton.
starting from the boiler room on
The west side of the building. the
flames rapidly devoured their wav
tkrough dividing walls and swept
trough masses OF paper and boxes
AMI waste material until tbs whole
building was q seeshing wall OF flame.
Turn in Second Alarm.
Engine Corrpanv No Is. located In
south Richmond. went irst 10 the
FIRE. A second alarm was turned in
b, r. w. Rowry. one OF the city elec-
trfcai inspectors and Engine Com
ranies Nos. and 7. and No. I Truck
Company were added to the fire. tight-
ing corps. Water was easily available.
as the building stood near the bank
of the Manchester canal. and between
the rsnal and the river.
When the companies arrived they
could do nothing to save the build
ing, and they directed their efforts
to prevent the fire from spreading to
the buildings OF the Standard Paper
Manufacturing company. which adj
Joins. Some Of the valuable papers.
stored in IA safe. belonging to Stanley
Reed; secretary and treasurer OF the
firm, were saved. A horse was taken
out In time by Policeman ]. A..
Baughn. The work If the firemen was
directed by CHIEF RATIO. Mr.. Reed
said that he was unable to approxi-
mate the loss az he would hava to
lock over his papers before giving an
estimate. He stated. however, that it
was at least partially covered by in
gurance through the firm of J. n.
Moore q Company. Warner Moore.
Of si3 West franklin street. is presi-
dent Of the paper company.
seek Il Entire Loss.
Al the fire gained greater head
. way, tfie .Nnsr walls crumpIed fske
paper A tall smokestack fell In, and
fs-n We. - gsaS'sP aF--~ sending
IN shnWer IT sparks That il-.fai.
mated the sky for miles around. The
outer walls were bent and cracked,
and threatened every minute to col
iarse Only a tail tower In the mil
die asood firln, and around this the
{iames wrfthed and ran like snakes.
The stock was an entire loss. 1t con-
sis.etl OF manufa cturei articles oe
paper and material used in their maxi
ing
The first alarm came In at s:os
o'clock The second foI'owed Il rev
minutes later. and Immediately the
whole southern sky was aglow. Sew
erat officers Of the Second district
were gent across the river to assist
CAPTAIN Wright In handling the great
crowd. No trouble was experienced.
however. and II was not necessary to
rope on the Are line.
An Old IlistifuiAnn.
The Manchester Board and Pauer
company II one Of the Oldest factories
In South Richmond. and t. reputed TO
be one Of the oldest paper mills IN
49, ca..tt, - WAS nyra az the f7r9t