The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-25
CLASSY FACTORY
SWEPT BY FLAMES
Department Has to Contend With
Frozen Water Plugs and Be
low Freezing Weather-Big
Building Was Doomed
From the First.
RIG CHINO Nd. VA-Special.-

totally destroyed the fiVe-stO.y uricA.
building OF Binswanger * CO.. tuc..
manufacturers of sash, doors. blinds.
glass and mirrors, at 525 East Byrd
Street. entailing a loss of $4,000, ap-
portiOned as follows: Building. $50
600: stock, 100000. The building was
entirely Quilted from roof TO fOunda-
ton.
The fire started shortly before
O'Clock and was first discovered by
Griffin Sutton, a shipping clerk, who
was at work in the building. Sutton
saw smoke arising from the basement
and telephoned to IRE headquarters.
Immediately following the arrival OF
the first squad of firefghters, a regu-
lar alarm was turned in.
Second and third calls were turned
in in rapid succession. after which
came the always dreaded three skies,
calling out ten engine companies, en-
bracing twenty-five pieces of appa-
ratus in all. Three companies were
left to guard the remainder of the
city.
Frozen Plugs Hinder Fircmen.
Frozen water plugs and tempera-
ture below the freezing point greatly
hampered the work Of the firemen.
who fought Valiantly against tremen-
dous ocau. 10 was early seen that the
buiiding vas doomed and the thou
sanus OF tons of water that were
poured into the burning cauldrOn but
seemingly added to the fury of the
flames.
The firemen. when they realized that
the fight was hopeless, turned their
efforts 70 saving adjoining property,
the plant OF the Southern Biscuit
Works being several times menaced.
Fireinen were stationed on the roof
OF the last named building with a line
of hose. and as fast as a spark would
descend upon any portion Of the struc-
ture il was Immediately drowned.
The firehghterS were considerably
Handicapped in their first efforts by
dense and sUnOcating clouds of smoke
which poured from the basement Win
dows and through the street gratings.
Source OF Fire Mystery.
Fire Chief William II. Joynes and
Assistant Chiefs Wise and RATIO were
early on the scene, directing the work
OF their men. For some considerable
time they were unable to trace the
source of the flames and attempted in
vain to drown il by pouring tons OF
water into the basement. Despite the
efforts of the men smoke continued
to pour from the basement windows,
enveloping and at times entirely con-
cealing the men from the view Of their
comrades.
Famed by draughts of wind, which
found their way into the building
Through smashed windows in the
lower stories, the flames gradually
ate their way upwards until they could
be seen through the windows OF the
upper stories.
Shortly after, smoke issued from
the upper windows. followed by
tongues OF flames. BY this time the
interior of the big building was a
mendous and overwhelming odds the
firemen fought with the desperation
born OF despair.
North Wall Falls.
Volumes of smoke later poured
from the roof and caves. The whole
structure was aglow. At o'clock a
huge portion of the wall on the north
side OF the building fell in, filling the
street and canal with tons of debris
and sending myriads OF sparks heav-
onward. An hour later tons of brick
crashed outward from the south wall.
The remaining walls tOttered. See
ing that their men were in danger
OF being buried by falling walls,
them TO a safer distance. Truck No.
2 was hauled by hand to the north
side of the canal, and its water tower
was placed in position.
Shortly after the crumbling Of the
north and south walls, the roof fell
in with a resounding crash. illumi-
mating the surrounding country and
sending millions OF sparks in every
direction. AT 1880 o'clock all hope
of saving the building was abandoned,
the flames having eaten through the
annex on the south side.
Draw Water From Canal.
Councilman Carter G. Jones. of
South Richmond, who was one of the
first to arrive upon the scene, low
cred himself from the bridge crossing
the tracks of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway and chopped a hole
fourteen inches deep through the ice
in the canal The suction was not suf-
ficient, however, and the hole was
abandoned. Efforts were more sue
cessful on the east side of the bridge
and here large space was opened
through the ice.
Here were stationed Engines Nos
s, and 10, and Engine No. was
placed at a nearby plug, thus install
ling four engines together other en-
gines arrived as later calls were sent
in. and within a few minutes after
the three skies were sounded Engines
Nos. 1 and were pumping from the
plug on Seventh Street; No. was at
work on Fifth Street; No. 4, the au-
tCmobile engine. was working from
the foot OF Sixth Street, and Engine
No. was stationed on Seventh Street,
between Byrd and Arch Streets. Ten
streams of water were thrown on the
burning building. They had little or
no effect
Firemen Encounter Hardships.
The firemen experienced untold diff
ficulty in lighting the fire from the
canal side, owing to the dearth OF
fOothold afforded them. 1t was at
first Impossible to get a stream into
interviewer nature of the glass in the
windows. Firemen were compelled to
ascend ladders in some instances at
the risk of their lives, and with axes
smash the glass in. Two water towers
were put up and firemen upon them
fought the fire from the roof. Their
efforts availed little, however.
From q O'Clock until past midnight
thousands were drawn to the fire, and
1t is estimated that fully 10000 souls
viewed the blaze from the immediate
neighborhood CANDLES Hill Park,
Fourth and Fifth Streets and the sew
eral railway trestles afforded excel
lent points of vantage TO the curious.
AS the fire assumed more serious
proportions Chief Of Police Louis
Werner ordered fire lines to be drawn
personally directing the work of thir-
ty-five policemen who were assigned
to duty at the fire.
Water Freezes as 1t Falls
Water froze as il fell, the Their
mometer descending to a point below
freezing early during the progress of
the blaze. The slippery nature of the