The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-11
FIRE WRECKS PLANT OF
FORD-WH|TEHURST CO.
Loss i'll Midnight Blaze Placed at
S@5,OO0; Covered by
Insurance.
FIRE IS MOST SPECTACULAR
I'm NeiChborhood OF Former Famous
CONGREGATIONS, Bright Glare Col
lccts Large Crowd of Anxious
People.

Fire OF unknown origin last night
partially destroyed the main manufac-
turing building of the Ford White
hurst manufacturing COMPANY. Inc.
Tenth and Byrd Streets. doing damage
estimated a. about $4,000. Luther T.
Ford. manager OF the company. told
Inc Times Dispatch last night that any
loss was fully covered by insurance
Wo alarms were sent in, the first ius,
hitcen minutes after midnight. and
brought quick response from the
flFe department.. whose prompt work
prevented the fire spearing 10 the lum
Der Yards, the dry kilns, or w $
Forbes II Cos plant, which were in
the immediate vicinity
Ine connagratiOn was discovered by
Charles Hughes, watchman at the
Forbes establishment. lie was stand
inS on the walk before the packing
company's building when ne noticed
the clouds OF smoke pouring from the
windows OF the building across the
way. He Immediately runc in the
alarm, 10 which engine companies Nos
3. I, :. 2. and Truck Company No !
responded.
Captain Russ. of No. Company. was
the first to arrive on the scene, and he
at once sounded the second alarm
which brought out Companies =, !. 4
apparatus Chief Joynes found 1t pos
siblc TO prevent The spread OF the blaze
ana soon had the fire under control
There were no injries reported
STARTED IN TENTH
STREET END OF BUILDING
According to Charles Hughes. the
hre must have started somewhere in
the Tenth Street end Of the building
for il was from these windows that he
first saw the smoke. 1t is said tina,
there are no electric wires here eX-
cept those used To run one fan. AS
The steam engine. which supplies pow
cr for the machincry, is situated at the
other end OF the building. and as there
is no watchman for the plant. II Is
supposed by the firemen that the fire
was started from some defect in the
electric fam wire.
The walls were but slightly dam
AGED. and the greater part of the
dariage done the machinery OH the
two floors Of the building was caused
by water, None of the walls fell and
the floors supporting the tons of steeI
woodworking machinery also re.
maincd intact. In spite of the late.
ness of the hour a large crowd q,
people gathered whin the police lines
TO watch the fre-fighters at work and
steady drizzlc. during the hour and
half. which it required to extin.
enthusiasm. Most OF them remained
until the last whistle OF "all's out
had sounded.
In commenting on the fire to The
Times Dispatch last night, MIR. Ford
said that the machinery in the build
ing WAS valued at $4,000. He said
there was probably $4,000 worth OF
lumber on the two floors in process OF
manufacture. and that all of this prcp
crty was fully covered by insuran nee
The building itself was sold by w. j
Whitehurst some time ago. the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad Company being
reported 10 have been the purchasers
II is valued AT $500.
Luther r. Guthrie. secretary of the
firm, said that the lower floor OF the
building WAS used for the heavier ma
chinery auch as mouldcrs. floor ma
chimes and planers while The lighter
pieces of machinery were. Ioca FED or
tho second floor.