The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-06
GUERRANT HOTEL
SCORCHED BY FIRE
Guests Flee to Street When Blaze
Goes Up Chute From Base
ment to Roof.
GREAT DAMAGE BY WATER
Police Failto Verify Belief That
Flames Resulted From
Incendiary Work.
GREAT DAMAGE BY WATER

Fire OF unexplained origin caused
between fifty and sixty guests OF the
Guerrant Hotel. Third and Main Streets.
to vacate their rooms In doubIe-auicls
time. shortly after 8 o'clock last night.
and damaged furniture and building
to the extent OF about $4,000 before it
was put out. Practically the entire
damage was by water
Ihe fire was discovered by tho stew
ard. Louis Francis. who noticed smoke
pouring out of a chute which ia used
TO convey sweepings and waste paper
from each OF the three floors to the
basement He notified L. r. Pribble.
the night clerk, who turned in the
alarm and warned the guests by
means OF tho hotels private gong sys-
tenn. "a man in the lobby ran to the
booth and sent in an alarm by tele-
phone.
Engine Companies Nos. 4. and 6.
and Truck Company No. /. were shortly
on the scene in response to an alarm
from box No. 362. which was turned
In at Y:10 o'clock. When the firemen
arrived most of the guests mad had
time to gather up Il few personal ef-
focts and leave the hotel.
Spreads to Roof.
The fire. which started at the base
roof
in few minutes With the appear
ance of the flames on top OF the build
ing, the new automobile truck raised
an extension ladder to the roof. but the
line 1t bore was not put into use. The
fire was fought from the inside. Three
lines were taken up the winding stair
way through the Third Street entrance
and through the skylight to the roof.
BY dint OF good team work the flames
kAn
Street wing
Damage was confined entirely to the
Third Street wing. which has about
twenty rooms Only about half OF
these were put out of commission
The flood of water turned loose by
three lines Of hose drenched the fur
nishings of the central suites and
wrecked the hotel office on the first
floor. The night clerk removed books
and records to a place of safety as
soon as the alarm spread.
Arthur Arlington. of Arlington q
Son. lessees of the hotel. placed his
loss at approximately $1,000 in dam
age to furniture and office equipment.
He though the loss was fully covered
by insurance, but was not certain as
to the date Of expiration of the in
suranoe policy. The building ia part
of the Fourquean estate. and Is rent
cu Ou9H tnO TeaI estate NrIn OF
Chaplin & Hume. Damage to the build
ing was estimated by firemen to be NOT
in excess of $500
lncendiary Unlikely.
The hotel lessees were OF the opinion
that the building was fred by a negro.
The suspicious were communicated to
the police, who, after an Investigation
found no ground for such a belief.
The chute In which the fire was dis
covered. runs from the third floor to
the basement. 1t Is used to take care
of the daily sweepings and waste
paper accumulation. The refuse is
swept into openings which occur on
each floor and fall to the basement.
where the, janitor gathers 1t up and
burns 1t In the furnace.
M. b. Hash, fireman OF Engine
Company No. 4 was hit by the stream
from u detected nozzle and suffered
deep cash I'm the upper lip The
surgeon In charge of the city ambu-
lance dressed the wound sewing the
cut up In three stitches. II. II. Chap
man, of Highlnnd Park. mashed his
hand In releasing n fire-escape drop.
the injury was not serious.
Refugees Cared For.
Most OF the quests found their rooms
intact and withdrew to their Quarters
after assurances from Chief Joyner
CONTINUED on Second Page.)