The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-12
FURNITURE WORKS
60 Up IN SMOKE
PLANT OF CONSOLIDATED COM
PANY IN CHEsTERFIELD
COUNTY BURNS.
sss'
LOSS Is ABOUT $4,000
CITY DEPARTMENT SENDS APPAItA-
TUs TO SCENE AND HOSE
WAGON GETS STUCK
IN MUD.
LOSS Is ABOUT $4,000

Fire of unknown origin totally de-
stroyed the Consolidated Furniture
Works on Purdue avenue. near the
Atlantic Vbast Line Railroad and just
over the Chesterfield county line. last
plight. The plant Is u complete loss
and the loss will aggregate possibly
$4,000. How the fire started is
mystery, and its origin will proba-
bly, never be ascertained, as nothing
but Q mass of smouldering ruins
marks the site of the factory
J. w. Brinser and j. s. Good, Of
the E. c. Brinser d Sons plant. max
ers Of agricultural tool handles.
which ad1oins the Consolidated Fur
niture Works. had left their plant
shortly after 6 o'clock last night and
were passing the furniture works
when they noticed q blaze in the Of
Ace. Running to the fire plug house.
which contained besides the plug sew
eral lengths OF two-inch hose. they
unlimbered the latter and started to
get u stream OF water on the 1ire. The
hose WAS found TO be frozen, how
ever. and they then broke out their
own hose and In few minutes had
u stream OF water playing on the
base OF the fire.
The furniture works, however. Vas
a wooden structure, covered In places
WIN SitSetA III. anu DHTfltd ifkS tlH%
der. A quantity OF completed furni-
ture stored In the plant. which has
not been in operation since Christ
mas. furnished excellent food for the
Hames. and In q short time the plant
was roaring furnace.
City DgspArtn Responds.
A telephonic alarm was sent In TO
the Richmond fire headquarters by
Mr.. Good. and Engine Company No
10 from South Richmond was dis
patched to the blaze. The engine
managed to reach the blaze. hut the
hose wagon got stuck in the mud on
. the road leading to tho plant and the
hose had to be carried to the engine
By the rremeu. The aremon soan
after their arrival. turned their at
tention TO saving the Brinser plant
and fought the furniture works blaze
at that point. The buildings are not
far apart, and quantity OF fine wood
stored between the two plants was
in danger of catching. but the IRE
lighters managed to eoniine the lire
10 the Consolidated plant. although
Il was impossible to save It,
The employees OF the kichmoaa
Wood Working Company. on the OPP
posite side of Purdue avenue, also
brought out their IRE hose and turn
cd "A stream oa the biaxs. doing good
work. During the fire the fsremen
were furnished refreshments by the
Brinser Company. and the hot cof-
fec was greatly appreciated by the
jhremen. The fire iilumined the sky
for miles. and could be seen from
every part Of Richmond and its en-
vtrona.
An e,nploye of the furniture works
stated last night tina, an inventory
had been taken ~ the plant when
ii shut down at Christmas time and
that the plant and machinery, much
of the latter being newly Installed.
was valued ut sls.eee. In addition
there was quantity OF completed
kitchen cabinets and bed room fur
niture stored within.
None of the officials OF the plant
could be located last night and II
10 not known what the actual loss
will be or what insurance WAS ear
ried..
Hose Wagon sticks In Mud.
After the fire had been confined TO
the furniture works and the other
buildings were out of danger, atten-
ton was turned to the No. IL hose
wagon In an effort To extricate il from
the mud. The horses were unable to
! move II and It was thought at one
time that help would have TO be Sc
cufe0 from &cfO6s the Ffsf AteA-
ander X Schaap. Jr.. manager of the
Schaap Auto Company of Brooklyn.
". Y. who drove over in his car to
see the blaze. volunteered the SER
vices Of his machine. and a rope was
attached to the tongue OF the wagon
: and. the rear axle OF the automobile.
The wheels Of the car. however. could
not get traction on the slippery road
and this method was abandoned. A
long rope was then secured and at
tAched to the tongue OF the wagon
and the spectators appealed to. Fully
q hundred men and boys bent to the
rope with q will and hauled the
i wagon out OF tho ditch.
Much comment was made on the
tnaccessibtlity Of the plant SO far as
q good road was concerned. j. W.
; Brinser stated last night that the city
refused TO repair the road as 1t was
without the corporate limits and
Chesterfield county would not take
care Of It as they claimed 1t had
neve been accepted as IL thorough
fare. The Consolidated Furniture
Works. the r. G. Brinser 4 Sons
Company and the Richmond Wood
working Company during the sum
mer made the road passable for light
wagons, but the heavy fire apparatus
In responding sunk deep In the mire.