The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-17
DANGEROUS FIRE
|. AT SOLDIERS HOME
Bakery Destroyed Within IS
Feet OF Hospital, Which Con-
tanned OF Patients.
QUICK WORK BY DEPARTMENT.
Blaze Checked Before 1t Could
Spread to Adjoining
Structures.
QUICK WORK BY DEPARTMENT

b siNtN-sevcn hospital patients, many
OF them extremely feeble. were inn
periled last night ut 1870 o'clock when
lire broke out in the bakery of the
/ soldiers Homo, ut Stuart Avenue ana
tho Boulevard. Prompt work on the
| part or iiremen, under the direction of
i assistant Chief Wise, quickly had the
names under control, and prevented
them from spreading. Although steps
h had been taken to move the veterans
ut moments notice, this action was
not necessary
TOR II lew minutes many of the build
'ngs ut the home We're in great dam
ger: IL was ut first thought that the
entire place was ailame.
Captain John II. Graves commandment
| OF the home, and several inmates saw
| the blaze in tho bakery ut the same
,imc. and all ran To turn in an alarm
from the private boN--No. 72l--in Can
.aih Graves's Office. Engine companies
ohiet Wise made quick time to the
homo, despite the slippery conditions
Of the streets
Sent Call for Auto Engine,
rearing that the flames would spread
rom the bakery to the hospital about
thirty-hvc feet away, Chief Wise sent
IN special call for engine compnny
no. 4 Although this automobile an
para'us made Il record trip, the other
companies practically had the fire nm.
dtt Conlrol when 1t arrived
would not have lct No 4 turn !,
stream on tho building" said Cbior
wise, because the fire was under con-
troi' put the members of the company
wero quicker than ] was, ana had =
line ready for action almost Ms soon
as they arrived; so l let them go ahead
and help
Just how the fire started was not
fully determined Captain Graves was
oi the opinion that it was caused bv
mn ovcrheatod furnace in the bakery.
winch mad been closed just after the
| evening meal Captain Graves said
mat he could rot estimate the loss.
nut was confident that ii was protected
by Insurance. matter which was left
entirely in the hands of the board Of
directors OF the home. Chief Wise
estimated the damage AT about $500.
The building, two-story frame
structure. was practically wrecked, but
Captain Graves said that il would be
rebuilt 1T once.
Nearby the bakery. beside the hos
rital. are located the mess hall.
kitchen. Il storehouse and other frame
buildings. A woodshed and small saw
mill in the rear of :hc bakery were
damaged. Tho other buildings were
slightly scorched, but the flames were
prevented from spreading 10 them.
Town Alarmed by blaze.
| safety of the veterans when the alarm
from the homes private box was
sounded, and this was increased when
a red hue appeared in the West End.
Many people. including Il large number
OF women. FASTENED to the home as
soon as the alarm was heard. and in
n few minutes big crowd had col
lected. However, IL did not remain
long. for i'll less Than an hour the bi;Ie
was virtually out. and the low tempera-
ture prevailing, with several inches OF
frozen snow on the ground, did not
make for comfort.
When the special call was sent in
for No a. Chief Joynes raced TO the
home, but the blaze was Well in hand
when he arrived.
The quick work OF the Fire Depart
mcnt undoubtedly saved the lives of
the veterans in the hospital. and pre-
vented much destruction OF property