The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-22
Overcome by Smoke While
Fighting Flames Which Con-
sumed Imperial Coffee Plant
TWO OTHER FIREMEN
ARE SLIGHTLY HURT
Loss to Stock and Building
Will Reach 100000, Far
tally Covered by Insurance.
Origin of Fire Unknown

One fireman il dead AMI two
others are in Virginia Hospital
suffering from slight injuries Us IL
result OF a fire tina, started from
an unknown source about II
O'Clock last night. completely
WipiaG oui the stock and almost
destroying the building of the Inn
per 4 C0Fcc CoTrpa uE. ut Four
teenth and Cary Streets.
iCW u.tnutcA aGtrT the alarm
WAS sent In - dozen engine conn
panieS were rushed ca the scene.
but the fire burned witt, such
sidbEn;nDCS~ tfLtt tti.' smU4fn~+'
streams of water poarcd into ihc
tia1 with little apparent ef-
feet
captain William {. Matt, of In
-iEc Company. No. :, overcome
with smoke, fell from IA ladder
tower in front al the building.
and was fatally injured. lie died
shortly after midnight in the Nir-
g!nia Hospital. isrrina Nbrnham
potioI. Of Engine COMPANY No. 3.
was injured by falling from the
tower after he had been rendered
unsop-sionS ,3s >nokc, Fireman
j. L.. Buck, of Engine Company
No, 1, Tell from the roof of .an adj
Joining building. and ip~th men
vo'c carried to the hospital by
Br. LtTniCk.
Damage 100000.
Fu5' n@a * t~o hours thr flames
'a@ CIR pinto control OF the build
ng. and efforts of tremcn Ia save
h cope ~ were in vain. # Was not
anal the inside at the warehouse,
heavily stocked with cofffe. rice and
I'll. hal been completely burned out
hat the fire was brought under con-
roi. The damage To binding and
rock is estimated at sIoo 200
y Ene bloodci Collie, the property
'f X. W. Allen. manager Of the. COM
,any, was locked In the building. and
ns. its ltfe In the flames AZ times
IN danger OF the FIRE spreading 10
sthcr similar buildings nearby was
sTeat bat strenuous efforts Of tiremen
sept the flames within tae bounds OF
he coffee building.
~totk Valued VI S.a. 900
The building at ls29-31 tsas' Cary
Greet, occupied by the fmperiaI
Coffee Company. and owned by the
Iaaewincke} estate. WAS completely
4uttct The stock of the company
consisting of large quantities of coffee
and rice and considerable weigh; IN
ga is complete loss. water from
he dozen streams finishing the de-
'tructiye work of the fla mes and heat.
The stock was valued at upwards OF
Us, 600. by f, w Saunders, .ir presi-
lent. and r. w. Allen. manager of
he coffee company, They declared II
was virtually impossible early thi.
To state the value with GER
tainty, as inventory time was still
nearly two weeks in the future. The
oss is partially covered by insurance
Some 1000 boxes of rice had been
packed In the last week ready for
Shipment These were on the second
ioor. as also were thousands of pack
ages of coffee. Large stores of coffee
and rice were on the Other three
Fioors OF the building.
The stock usually carried. said Mr.
Saunders, ranges in value from SIS.
100 TO more than 100000,
The value of the building was
placed at $4,000,
Origin Not Determined.
The origin OF the fire was not de,
.ermined last night The blaze In be-
lexad- tel are-Asa start In AT
ear OF the Office on the ground floor
though il was said there was moth
ng in that space likely to cause a fire
The roasting equipment of the com
pany was located on the third floor
'front.' In the rear there were -four
stories.
The building was OF brick and wa.
lis by SO feet in size. 1t extended
back to Mill street. on which receiv
ne and shining was done
Discovered mt II O'clock.
The fire was discovered and thu
alarm sounded shortly after l O'Clock
asst night. the alarm going in from
BOX 1i2 at Fourteenth and Dock.
,econd alarm was Immediately sen
IN. to be followed by the third within
I've minutes. The blaze appeared t
10 IN the front of the building. a dul
Hare showing through the dens'
,ncke that rolled from the secont
.ocT windows.
TIE night was heavy with fog and
there drizzled n rain which forced
he smoke to descend to the stree
level In almost suffocating volume
the brick wall on the Four
.centh Street side came smoke, ant
from the rear and front window
smoke belched forth and rolling out
nosphere and borne to earth.
On the Cary Street side ladders
and a tower were run up. On tn,
tower were Captain Matt, Of No. 7
and Fireman Abraham Podoll. Of No
3. within ten minutes both wcr,
being borne away In the virgini,
Hospital ambulance. which, In charg,
OF DR.. Ilpnick. had been called to tn
scene for emergency work.
That they were overcome by tn
heavy smoke and fell, with the los
Of consciousness. Is the belief of IRE
men and police. Captain Matt. VIII
was perhaps thirty feet above tn
cobbled pavement. struck on his hea.
ana shoulders. Ills skull was fractur
"a. Podoll was more Fortunate. ant
though his injuries this morning ar