The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-27
FIERCE FIRE ON FIRE
PREVENTION DAY
Five Eirenen Overcome By Heat In
Fight on Stubborn Climax
Warehouse Blaze
LOSS WILL PROBABLY
NOT EXCEED $4,000
American Tobacco Company Officials
At Loss to Explain Origin of Fire.
Wiring Had Recently Been In
spected

Five fremen were overcome by the
dense smoke and heat of the FIRE yes
terday afternoon at 4 o'clock. which
threatened TO destroy the Climax
warehouse of the American Tobacco
Company ~ Twentieth and Cary
Streets. The work OF the department
was efficiently carried out under the
most hazardous conditions, and Chief
Joynes and Assistant Chief RATIO con-
graduated the men individually and
collectively for the manner in which
they fought the fire.
1t Is not known from what source
the fire began. but from the time it
was discovered It burned nercely, send
ing out great volumes Of smoke. which
tmpeded the work of the fremen and
held promise OF cutting the entire
building. About twenty five hogsheads
OF tobacco were destroyed. all on the
third floor. to which the are was con-
fned. and with that rendered useless
by smoke, will. It Ia estimated. bring
the loss to about s1n.eaq.% cauantttiss
rot the leaf were soaked by the food OF
water thrown into the building but this
can be dried without damage to the
co bacco.
The hremen overcome by the smoke
were Captain r. H. Figg. Lieutenant
John Pagan, T. A. Chandler. G. J.
Davis and Joseph Pasistania, all of
No. Engine Company. All of the
| men with the exception OF Captain
Figg were taken to the Virginia Hos
p!tal for treatment where 1t was
stated late last night they were COM
ing around satisfactorily Captain
Figg was treated by doctor at the
engine house and was later removed
to his home.
Fire Discovered.
Shortly before o'clock Frederick
Jones. a buyer for the American To-
bacco Company. was directing the
placing Of some hogsheads on the top
floor of the building when ne discov-
cred the blaze. An alarm was sent in,
No Engine Company reaching the
scene in advance of the others Chief
Rafro put his men through top win
dow on the Cary street side, but the
heat from the blaze. which had then
spread over a considerable area, and
the smoke sent the men back to the
! windows for air. and with the greatest
effort they made their way into the
fiercest part of the fire. 1t was here
that the Ave mem bers of No. 2 Engine
ttQUpaUS were overcome lneF were
brought TO the ground by the elevator
and hurried into private automobiles
and sent to the hospital
In the meantime other companies
had arrived at the fire, and several
streams were pouring into the building
from the skylights and rear windows.
The fact that the Twentieth Street side
of the building Is not built with win
dows somewhat hampered the work of
the fremen
Confined to Small Area.
The Are soon broke Through the
roof, and II appeared as though il
had gotten a start sufficient to take 1t
through the entire building. but the
department succeeded In combining it
TO a comparatively small area. When
the roof fell In Fireman L. A. Haake
went in with II, a piece of tin lacerat-
ing his right hand badly. He was
treated by the ambulance doctor. After
nearly two hours work the hre was
entirely extinguished.
Unless the fire started from defec-
tive wiring, no cause can he given for
the blaze On Wednesday the in
spector for the insurance underwriters
went over the building and found no
conditions subject to complaint. No
person had been on the third floor
1HTer HourS prior 10 tHe oulDFedh Oh
the fire. and there was nothing to In
dictate its origin. The loss Is fully
covered by insurance.
Chief RATIO said last night that the
nien fought the fire bravely. going In
to the hottest part of II with deter
minatiou, The blaze presented many
obstacles but the firenaet. once started,
did not hesitate In their work.
Only one alarm was turned in, En-
gine Companies Nos 1, 2, 3 and I and
No. truck answering
Was Fire Prevention Day.
A coincidence was that Yesterday
had been designated by Mayor Aims
lille for fire prevention day for Rich
mond.