Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-24
FIRE ROUTS OUT
g AGED WOMEN
Destroys Confederate Home, En-
failing Damage Estimated
at $4,000.
ALL INMATES SAFELY MOVED
Prompt Work of Matron and Fire
Department Averts Loss
of Life.

D.
nthS cause" damage 10 the amount of $1,000
his t''' ''''i'S '"o hseh inmates
III to seek shelter elsewhere The discoy-
10 a cry OF the iames. in trunk room on
han me third moor by Miss Mary Coleman
cor - " '"' almost III us IN
day n'o"'"'F saved the lives of a
livi number of the women who make their
as home there. Promp, response by the
hrcmcn and the heroic work Of police
men and citizens saved both tho in
mates OF the home from injury and the
property from total destruction. The
home Is at East Grace Street
The fire was discovered b. Miss Blo1-
ION "hen her attention attracted
" by tn" falling OF Il piece OF blazing
wood into a nearby yard. She at once
went to the third floor and opened the
door OF the trunk room. Flames and
" smoke belchcd forth. She slammed the
door and rushed TO the telephone The
hreiHeh were summoned and she began
getting her charges out of their beds
w and out OF tho building. So coolly did
she perform her task that all were
taken from the building without in
jury
Patrolman T. T Dunn, ot tho Sec
ond Precinct station. and !. l.. Walter.
Of 5o4 North Twcnty-nfth street, an
enpioye" or the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company. rendered
- Faiuabi" service. The mcn rushed
w through the dense smoke and assisted
"A number of tho inmates TO cscape
from the burning structure.
, IN ALARMS bring FIREMEN
TO SCENE IN A HURRY
The several alarms turned in from
the corner Of Foushee and Grace
streets. brought the nrcmcn ou, in a
hurry. Engine Company No. and
0 90 Truck No. were nrst on the scene
followed in quick succession by Engine
Companies Nos. >, and and Truck
% No. .. With the arrival OF the first
apparatus. Fire Commissioner Robcr,
Lecky, Jr. and r. s. Sycle and w s
Sycie appeared and assisted the women
TO escape. T. o. Heinrich. Scout mas
ter, formed q flrc line and helped the
police 10 keep back the excited crowd.
0 90 The building was thoroughly Guttcd,
and the thirty-;wo inmates will he
without their abode until such time as
0 90 IT is rebuilt. Fircmcn saved parts OF
The building. but il is not believed that
the walls Will sustain now structure
In the meantime. the inmates are
0 90 being cared for By citizens of Rich
mond who have thrown open their
doors to them. Thrice tho number OF
women would have found the doors OF
o 90 the most palatal homes Of the city
open TO them
home OF +. Il. Phillips. East Grace
Street Here Or. Il. w. Rawles. Of 7,a
0 90 West Grace Street. physician to the
home. camc and ministcred to his sew
erai charges. Some Of the women were
III high state of excitement, border
o 90 ing In some cases upon collapse. None,
however. required moro than a tenn
porary stimulant.
FLAMES DEvOUR PRICELESS
W RELICS OF LATI; WAR
fhe damage TO the building was
partially covered by insurance The
real damage is the destruction Of pcr-
a oo sonal articles. things which would have
been considered Of priceless value in a
Confederate museum. MANY OF the
women had articles intimately CON
: m nected with the War Between the
States. articles Of ante-bellum times
treasures that no money could buy.
These are ruined.
The board Of directors OF the home.
of which Mrs \. j Montague is pres
idcnt. met yesterday afternoon Mrs
Montague was not present, having been
M in Washing ton. She left for Rich
mond at once on hearing of tho fire
The board adopted resolutions thank
oo ing the citizens who have taken the
women OF the institution into their
; no homes. They thanked tho nremen for
m
thanked the matron. Miss EloXton for
: "a her work.
The matter Of Insurance was taken
"""' up and il WAS stated that the Insurance
on the building Is only $4,000 not
nearly enough to rebuild. There is no
way OF learning the exact damage un-
0 90 I'll architects have gone over it and
made an estimate. There is some
doubt that the home can he rebuilt with
hoc TO-
0 90 struction.
The list OF inmates. compiled by
Miss RloXton. Immediately after she
had assembled them in the home OF Mr.
and Mrs. Phillips. for the purpose of
seeing if all had escaped. follows: Mrs
- Ferguson. Mrs. Kenningham, Mrs
D 90 Mitchell. Miss Hicks. Mrs. Owen. Mrs.
Talley, Mrs. Macarthur. Miss Briggs
Miss Clash Mrs. Shepherd Mrs
Briggs. Mrs. Smith. Mrs. SPOTS. Mrs
Saunders. Mrs. Purcell. Miss stone.
Mrs Nertegans. Mrs. Netta Jones.
Miss Harris, Mrs. Grady Mrs Kersy,
Mrs Ellis. Mrs. Locke. Miss Fielding
Lewis. Miss Brooks, Mrs. Early, Miss
Norvell. Miss Goggin. Miss Macgru-
90 der. Mrs. Hutchins and Mrs. Smith.
Miss Virginia Hicks, an inmate OF the
homo, was later taken to the home Of
w. r. Moale. IA North Linden Street.
HOME FOUNDED THROUGH
~ EFFORTS OF MRS. MONTAGUE
While Congressman Montague was
Governor OF Virginia. Mrs. Montague
launched the plan to open home for
aged and needy women who had served
, "a TTontjrnad ~, 1rI,I.Il