Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-10-19

suffer any loss according to state
ments made today.
The King warehouses are in the
center of the manufacturing and
wholesale center of Alexandria. On
: the east and north are the lumber
yards of w. A. Smoot and Co. and
adjoining those the yards of Henry
X. Field and Co. comprising three
squares of highly infamable materi-
al. On the west is the big grocery
warehouse Of J. N. Crily and the
bakery of the Corby Bros. and on the
north is the plant Of the Alexandria
Fertilizer and Chemical CO. Nearby
are the works Of the Alexandria gas
plant and the factory Of the Mutual
Ice Co.
While the fire was under control
at daybreak the fircmen were kept
at work for hours afterwards and
/! today were still pouring water
on the smouldering ashes. The Fire
fighter" returned to Washington at
s o'clock yesterday morning.
There were no injuries, although
several of the volunteers were taken
from the burning buildings, having
been overcome by smoke. Several
members of Relief Hook and Ladder
Co. had narrow escape when lad
der upon which they were climbing
turned over and threw them to the
ground.
1t was not until late yesterday
afternoon that the fremen were able
to leave the scene of the fire and
after they were gone volunteers kept
streams playing on the smouldring
ruins. Nothing is left of the big ware
houses but the walls. While the exact
loss is not known, it is estimated
to be from $175,OOO to 100000. The
loss on the stock alone is said to be
100000.
The Alexandria firemen and volun-
teers worked the engines exactly thir.
teen hours, this being the longest re-
cord for an individual fire in AleXan-
dria in many years.
The origin of the fire is still un-
known.
Many people were still on the strects
when the alarm was sounded, who
with hundreds of others who were
about to retire hastened to the scene
when they saw the northeastern
heavens illuminated by the flames. In
a few minutes dense crowd Of PEOPLE
was banked in the neighborhood of
the confagration. The members of
the police were on the ground and
the wagons used by the fra ~"rc
filled with books and other valuables
from the Office building and carried
to the station house far away from
danger.
Refreshments were furnished the
firefghters throughout the night and
yesterday.
As stated above this is the third
destructive fire, which has occurred
on this square, in recent years. In
February 1895, the George R. Hill
bakery, on the site Of the building
now occupied by ]. H. Criily, on the
opposite side of the street, was gut
ted by fire. The cold was intense, but
the heroic work of the firemen con-
fined flames, as they did last :neE.t.
In May 1909, the planning mill of ".
A.. SH:ooe and Co., adjoining the
King buildings on the south, was
burned. A northwest wind was pre-
vailing at the time, and the frame
struc'urr Nas a BIG mass Of Tame;
in few minutes. The cpntlagration
ragged as furiously as prairie fire
and crossed the street where lumber
was piled. The firemen managed to
keep the fire from Henry K. Field
ans! Co.'S mill adjoining, AMI &. IS
saved King street warehouses from
the confagration which seemed doom
ed for time. The "Firefghter" came
to the rescue on that occasion. Apart
from these disasters there have in
the same time been several dangerous
fires at the fertilizer plant, W. A.
Smoot and Cos coal yard and at
other points nearby. In September,
1911, the Globe Mills, . square away
were totally destroyed by fire.
BANKER COMMITS SUICIDE.
| Mobile. Oct. 19--ln the presence
| of his WiEe and employees, +. r. Sraw-