Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-14
Roof Crumbles Following Ex-
plosion, Burying Victims
Under Debris.
JURGENS' AND HOPKINS
STORES ARE DESTROYED
Thousands Watch Firefghters
Battle for Hours to Prevent
Flames Spreading.
s'x OF INJURED IN HOSPITAL
Public SAFETY Director Myers Or.
'icrs Probe to Fix Response
bility for Fatalities.

Five men, including four of
the city's firemen, were killed
Yesterday afternoon in fight
ing one OF the most disastrous
fires in the history of Rich
mond, as thousands watched.
Two more bodies are believed
to be in the still smoking ruins
OF the Hopkins Furniture
Store, % West Broad Street.
Six injured are in hospitals
some OF whom arc seriously
hurt.
"oariS draft IS credited as the
cause of an explosion which wrecked
inc walls OF the Jurgcns building. de-
moliShine the building of the Hop
htns furniture store at Adams ana
Hrcad streets
More than :, score were Injured six
"' whom were in hospitals last night.
fh' cause OF tho fire. which was dis
covered on the third floor OF the Ju-
gems binding at l2:35 O'Clock yester-
faN afternoon. has not been deter
mined. The damage is estimated a,
between S35o.o00 and 100000. The
IRE was not gotten under control I'M
I'll AFTER o'clock last night and
At 10 T. VI. ;!remcn were still frhtinp
The l'amcs and fire lines still pre-
vailed
VIII Probe Holocaust.
CoioAci William M Myers. Director
't fupl'c safety, last night appointed
commission OF four experts to in
Nestigate the caving-in OF the roof
"i the Hopkins building, which car
r'"d down about fifteen men. five nos
s!biE seven, TO death, and TO fix. ~
possible, the responsibility for the
fatalities.
hniidinS Inspector John Il. Butler
VIII conduct tho investigation. and
other members OF the commission an
pointed hy Colonel Myers include +
Amb!er Johnson, chief of Fire De-
partment Joyncs and A. 4. Van yecr.
of the J. L. Wilson Construction Com
,pany. The committee meets at Adams
and Broad Streets at $50 O'Clock this
morning TO start the investigation.
MI s!N OF the injured in hospitals
are fircmen from Companies No. and
NO = Resides these, who were the
most severely injured, a number OF
hremen we're Knocked out by flying
bricks when the top of the wall on
the JurEens building fell, several
were emporariiy put out OF the fight
by smoke and minor injuries
The first alarm was followed by
the second q, 1887 O'Clock. by third
at i2Io. and Il general call for the
entire fire department at 1e:i5.
Firemen had just carried a line OF
hose to the top OF the Jurgens build
ing and had been compelled to de-
| scend because OF lack OF pressure
when the explosion occurred. Had
! they remained on top of the doomed
| building five minutes longer the en-
tire company would have been tossed
into the raging furnace beneath.
Volunteer civilians, working with
| crow-bars to pick holes in the walls
separating the two buildings, so that
hose could be played ON the flames,
aud hrcmen preparing TO separate
these treams OF water were the men
who were caught and carried down
when the explosion occurred
The Hopkins building is n four
story brick standing next the Jur-
gems building. which Is six stories.
! and when the wall OF the taller strue-
ture fell. its weight broke through
the roof OF it's neighbor and the
weight OF the roof carried down foo.
after hoor and sank through the main
floor into the celler. Somo OF tho
men who were caught on the roof
were carried only to tho third Hoor.
where they lodged on a she!f which
did not break away near tho front of
The building. only the rear part OF
the second floor gave way. The mait
tioor went through with the weight.
Continued on Pare ., asI iJ SIS