The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-27
IIS0NtRS AIDED
N SAVING 0ccOQUha
- of Unknown Origin Destroys
Business Section Of Booming
Community.
MANY LEFT HOMELESS
xncacs Brigade Only Means Of Fight
m FYerce Flames, But ShitinS
& Wind Helped FIre-Fghtcrs TO Gain
Upper Hand.

occoquan. Va. Aug. 26.--bet"eoh
Aerty and ffty residents OF pcC"4"AH
Il haet night slept in the homes az treu"N
h br in the odd Fellows HaH here ~
eha result of a disastrous fire which
aver, away their homes ana othcF
property ~ the afternoon. ne loss
d between $4,000 ana SS"oNN'
The Ere originated about 80
II O'Clock from an unknown cause IN the
,wenr psYT> She home Of Mrs. J. Hood
Meedcn O. Mails Street. the principal
Shorcughfare Of this little town. ~
the time the flames were discovered
Nv Mrs Weldon, who had gone 70 the
4 front porch OF her home q few min
Y ntss before, they had gained consid-
Hrahle headwAy The cries Of MIS-.
meedon were heard ny retghhors and
room an alarm was sounding through
out the village calling for help. Is
4 hucket brigade was formed Water
\ WAS taken from nearby wells and ais"
From Occoquah geek. Oh Whtch I'D.
hown Hes The fire-fglters, however
were unable 10 DO much good against
Il the flames which were famed by
strong wind, Although Mrs. Wee
6on's home, formerly the Alton Hotel,
I was built Of brick il vas soon mass
Of ruins
Bank Building Burned.
with the outbreak Of the FIRE James
Barbee cashier OF the Bank 81 Deco
QEan. which adjoinei the hotel, placed
; Nil OF the money and papers IN The
barge vault. and then Went TO join
1 the fre-fghters In their efforts e.
keen the FIRE from spreading TO the
hank building Their efforts how
Aver, were without avail as the roof
cf the building was soon q mass Ct
flames. and in a few minutes the in
terror of the institution was wiped
out II was said the money and pa
in 10 r.
safe.
The FIRE spread northwar3 and SCION
the general mere haH@isc store and
dwelling Of W : Lynn went aR la
caught FIRE Ralph Whitaker superiu-
vendent Of the district workhouae.
across the creek heard OF the IRE
and dispatched the chemical engine
stationed at the Institution to the
scene For time the volunteer fire
men used the chemicals TO advantage,
hut the wind shifted the flames to-
ward the rear. and soon the dwellings
A and the 0ccoquau Nj. T.. Church
South, We're en- IRE.
Prisoners Render Aid.
In connection with the sending Of
the fire apparatus TO Occoquan. Mr.
Whitaker, with several guards, took
u Eeventy-fve prisoners from the work
house TO the scene. and they worked
diligently in carrying tuTitura cloth
Ing and other property from threat
ened buildings They also formed
bucket brigades.
After the flames had destroyed the
Lynn store and residence they burn
a ed through the residence Of Oliver
Underwood and then Jumped across
m alieywny and destroyed the home
OF Wade H Hammin.
Calls for help were teIephoned 10
nearby towns and an effort was made
g nv TEL n
4 osk that fire apparatus he sent. Com
1nunica ten. however, could not be
h1d with that place. and a telephone
message WAS sent 70 the Washington
Star asking that the fire department
OF Alexandria be notified II was ON
the m essare sent from the Star that
the big motor fire engine OF that
Town was dispatched 10 the scene
The run cf fifteen miles over a road
which Is bad in spots was made IN
forty-tf1ree minutes
When the SO apparatus in charge
OF Captain Henry Beach, pulled into
the town, he said later. It looked as
4 ~ the entire place would soon go up
IN flames The motor engine was
backed up to OCcoquan Creek and
residents assisted the fireInen tn carry
lng the hose several hundred Yards
n and soon water WAS being thrown
but not before the FIRE had fumped
heroes the street and destroyed tho
plant Of the Tiadex Manufacturing
COMPANY a dwelling occupied hy
walter Neal and the fee house or Or
Frank Horn baker
Aided by Shifting Wind
II was but a short time rater that
the fremea succeeded in checking
the fre in its nortbward spread The
wind, which had shifted also aided
1he fremen, as the flames we're kent
nwey from number ~ large build