The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-14
$4,000 DAMAGE IN
DOWNTOWN FIRE
Blaze Attacks Stock and Building
of Fox River Butter
Company.
FIREMEN IMPEDED BY SNOW
Horse Drawn Apparatus En-
counters Difficulty i'll Climb
ing Slippery Hills.
FIREMEN IMPEDED BY SNOW

Swirling upwards throughout the cle-
tween $1,000 and $4,000 damage to the
building and stock OF tho Fox River
Butter Company. at IS South Thir-
teenth Street Coming ut such a street
number. on such a street and OF such
date. the firemen expected difficulties
and were not disappointed. In the first
place. the engines experienced, the
greatest difficulty In getting close
enough to the curb for the hose sue
tons TO be fastened to the plugs. and
the men of No. . Engine Company
broke one suction before being able to
make an attachment Horses slipped
and foundcrcd about in the snow and
slush. and the men were equally un-
steady on their feet while running hose
into the building and scaling ladders to
the upper stories.
Hardly had this fire been placed un-
der control than an alarm was sounded
from Box 364 ut Seventh and Rosnital
Streets, and Engine Company No. 4. a
motor apparatus. the quickest in tho
service, was despatched to that point.
IT was false alarm, the third at tho
same box within the past ten days.
Mayor Ainslie has offered reward of
$50 for information leading 10 the ar
rest and conviction of the miscreant
who has three times called out the Fire
Department on n false alarm.
Could Not Climb Hills.
| To add to tho troubles of tho fire
men. somo of the horse drawn engines
iabored nearly an hour before they
could get back TO their quarters, the
horses being barely ablo to climb the
| slippery hills. Engine No = was STALL
ed in the culvert at Seventh and Main
| Streets, and only after more than an
hours hard labor and with the MD
| OF some of the automobiles OF the de-
partment was the heavy engine drawn
out and again put back in service. The
experiences of the department last
night, thought Chief Joynes, illustrat-
ed the great need Of installing motor
driven apparatus in every engine
house
All the motor engines went to the
scenes OF action without delay or acct
Dent, and were in service before some
OF the horse-drawn engines had ar
rived Assistant Fire Chief RATIO. who
was the second to arrive at the fire on
south Thirteenth Street. was unable to
learn last night how the fire original
ed in the Fox River Butter Company.s
building The whole first floor was
soon ablaZe from front to rear The
hre crept to the elevator well and shot
upwards TO the third story and the
roof, burning the roof completely
not so greatly damaged. though prac-
tically all the contents OF the build
Ing were destroyed.
Turned In Second Alarm.
engine Companies Nos. /, 2, ;, 4, ).
and .. and Nos. and Truck Com
panies responded TO tho alarm, which
sounded at 7I5 O'Clock No. 1 had
Just returned from Box 3is, on Cath !.
crime Street, where u chimney had
caught fire, and was rushed immediate
~ to Thirteenth Street. Captain Rust
turned In = second alarm, bringing
most OF the other apparatus 10 the
scene. The fire broke out in the dam
ger zone. and there was some anxiety
lest 1t spread to adjoining BUILDING. $.
one building did catch ahre, but the
blaze was eStinguished before st had
done much damage. Some DANA g
was done to the stock of Grove *
crenshaw Company in the basement OF
The building which WAS burned. The
loss Is said TO be covered by Insurance.
| Another alarm came earlier in the
evening from Box $40. at Rowland
Street and Grove Avenue, where some
| wood around Il furnace had caught
fire. The blaze was eXtinguishcd with
:, out damage.
| Fire Chief Joynes remained later
| than usual ut headquarters last night
| because OF tn. difficulty the horse
drawn apparatus had in getting back
/ 10 the engine houses. There were five
alarms altogether. NIL In quick sue
| cession, and Chief Joynes had some
| moments of anxiety until all tho en-
| gines had been returned to their quar-
/ teTs. Had there hcen q bag lrc at any
/ other point last night while the blaz
on Thirteenth Street was raging. II
| WOULD have been a serious matter to
tho city, Chief Joynes said
Il