Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-10
Two Men Who Slept in
Crenshaw Offices Are Re-
ported to Be Missing.
SPREADS RAPIDLY TO
ADJOINING BUILDINGS
Entire City Force Fights Hard
to Keep Fire in One
Block.
DAMAGE PLACED AT s5oo,ooo
Immense Quantity of Tobacco Burns,
Filling Air With Pungent
Smoke.

Smoke.
Fire originating in some unknown
manner and which had spread through
the Crenshaw Warehouse, in Shockoe
Slip. before 1t was discovered shortly
after l o'clock this morning. completes
ly destroyed this building and It's con-
tents of thousands of pounds OF tobac-
co, burned the buildings on Virginia 4
Street, in which are located +. V. Gum
e Co, the Federal Sugar Refining Co,
the r. \. Cauthorne Paper Co, Flen,-
ing Brothers and partially destroyed
the building in which Robert S. Chris
tian and Sons are located. L. Neal &
Co.'S place, in Cary Street, was burned
also
c. p. FuQua and r. NJ. Bagby. en-,
ployed by Julius a. Hobson, who is In
charge Of the Creushaw Building, are
though. to have been burned in the
building They were seen earlier In
the night in the vicinity. but absolute
ly no trace OF either could be found
after the fire started. Both were em-
ployed as assistants and watchmen in
the building.
FIRE LOSS Is
PLACED At S5OO,0O0
lnc nre lS the most dlSaS-
trous which has been experienced in
Richmond in many years. and last
night it was practically impossible to
secure any idea as to the amount OF
property and stock loss. It is known
that more than 100000 pounds OF
tobacco. purchased for the Italian"gov-
ernmcnt, was on storage In the Cren-
shaw I'uilding. In addition to this
there were about 200 hogsheads. Each
of the other buildings contained large
stocks OF merchandise and provisions,
and conservative estimate placed the
entire loss at something more than
100000 All of the stock, as we'll as
the buildings themselves, was we'll
covered by insurance, according to
persons connected with the various
firms which suffered
NO IDEA AS TO
ORIGIN OF BLAZE
Absolutely no idea as to the origirc cf
the fire could be secured last night. The
blaze was discovered by Watchman c.
y. Coleman as he made his way up
Cary Street about l o'clock. He saw
the smoke and the flames as they burst
through the roof of the Crenshaw
building, and sped to the fire box near
the building. His alarm brought sew
eral of the nearby companies within n
few minutes. AS soon as they arrived
the three skies were sounded and
every available company in the city
was rushed to the scene. All of the
fire chiefs were on the scene in a few
minutes. and the fight began.
The entire Crenshaw building was !,
caldron Of flame at that time. THE
flames were bursting through the roof
:. 81 wi n1 I,, arI@x
buildings were in serious danger
Within Il few minutes the roof of the
warehouse fell in with rcsounding
crash. and with force which sent a
shower of sparks high into the air.
The sky was obliterated by the mass
of flame and smoke which resulted
SPARKS SCATTER. FIRE
IN EVERY DIRECTION
Under Il high wind from the west
the sparks were scattered in gen.
orally easternly direction. They fell
In clouds on the Virginia Street build
inSs and on those at the lower end
of the block on Cary Street. Several
fires started at once and various com
panies of the Fire Department were
scattered throughout the surrounding
territory to conquer these confagra-
tions. They had the blazes on Cary
street under control in short order;
but, the wind maintaining IL high We
locity, they We're unable to prevent the
flames securing foothold on the Vir-
ginia Street buildings.
The building in which the +. V. Gum
Company has it's business was the first
TO catch seriously. With hremen pour
ing streams into and on 1t from every
available point the flames crept stead
lily on toward the front OF the build
ing. The stock within caught and
burned like tinder, and soon the build.
ings adjoining had caught and wore
burning briskly. Within a few min
utes all of the property north OF
Charles r.. Smiths place was in flames.
and but little hope was expressed of
saving any OF the entire block Ad-
ditional streams OF water were turned
on this building and the walls next
TO those OF the Gum building were
drenched, as was the roof This was
sufficient to prevent the fro getting
hold there. and from this point OF
vantage the fremon fought to down
the mass OF flame which was destroy
ing the other buildings on that street.
LARGE STOCK OF GROCERIES
GOES Up IN FLAMES
with the Gum building an entire
loss The confiagration first spread to
the rear OF tho buildings OF Elem.