Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-12

| - '''''''> worth OF SaIIabi,S
BLAZE DRAWS THOUSANDS
TO BIG DOWNTOWN HOTEL:
BUT PERIL PROVES SLIGHT
Continued From rirs: pagc)
III" gathered in the streets around
tn" hotel Tor blocks. climbed nm nm
'ht roofs OF adjoining buildings on,,
mounted 10 every po:nt Of van,ag.
10 catrh Whatever glance of Tn, fir,
! 'ha' would he had. II is estimated
''o"" persons watched tn. fire. How
| ever, II" hames could be seen from
me outside. only the continuous flow
OF dense smoke
f""r engines and one truck were
. quickly on the scene Limo. wor.
stretched from four or five of the
| hr" Plugs IN the Immediate vicipi,v
| ihch began the tremendous task NJ
! ''rN"''hS the hose to the eleventh
! ""r' ropes were dropped from m.
| ROOF ANA attached 10 the lines Of
nose which were then pulled up to
| me scene "i the fire. The work was
SLOW ana tedious since tha fir,mcn
| mad t" work from windows. fir. OK
| 'apcs and in one place from :, mar
| row irdIc that ran along the build
ing at this height
Lieutenant W. Il: Cardwcl' az an
Sih" NO. u. narrowly escaped break
IiE one %: his arms when The limo
on which he was working siirp.J and
caught has arm. giving it . uuicl,
snap downward. Somehow. lie could
not tell himself. he cxtricatcd the
arm wttr"ut hurting i; severely. al
though i is thought that the arm
VIII IL" nainful for few days.
One line was finally hauled I'M tho
northwest corner of the buiIain,.. o,,
up the fire escape on the northeas,
corner. In the meantime, the flremen
used tho hotel apparatus on the tenth
ana eleventh iioors to the hes, adj
Nartnec. I'ho smoke was so thick
tha' II" one could stay in IL for NOR,
'n:in i few seconds at a. time The
ircm"n worked from the fire escape
ON the n"rth Side and from the stair
way on the west side. They !et them
selves /" the floor anl crawled on
all-iours with their hose 10 a vantage
point. where the water was turned
on the blaze
Firrmcn ChOked by smoke
Every lew seconds those who held
the hos" had to come choking out to
the stairway for air while fresh men
took their places. Thus they worked
IN relays stubbornly but inslstcntly
beating back the flames. Engine No.
= and engine No. 3 crews finally met
in the hall, and. by drcnchiug each
other ana the fire. managed to drive
OF enough OF the smoke TO work with
SOM degree OF completeness. plas-
to- rom the ceiling fell al around
item as they kept up a eight. ana
just as they were nearing Il point OF
control. the electric lights went out
This LEFT them cropping about the
r".row nall. flashlights were Sc
cured. and with the help OF these the
blaze WAS soon qucllcd.
But IL was not until the water in
this hall was nearly ankle deep and
the blaze had h"r.ed along the hall
and scorched walls. doors and ceiling.
The iircprooi constructio of the
building is said to have prevented
what might have hc:n a considerably
larger fire. Just across the hail from
the room in which the blaze. started
is located the print shop and the paint
supply room In the latter large
quantities of pain, and oils were
stored, which. had they caught, would
have added untold danger and trou-
Though the filing OF the walls was
baked red hot the Two rooms on
either side of the fire were left un-
touched as far as the hamcs were
concerned
The men of Ensin" Companies Nos
{? and and Truck Company No |
did ycoman work, according 10 Chief
Joynes. in getting at the fire from
difrcrcn, places. Scaling ladders
were used TO drop from the roof To
one Of the windows on the north side
overlooking the court facing Ninth
street was the scene Of much activity
Cnpfnin Meadows Overcome.
Captain Meadows, OF Engine Com
tho fight from the very beginning.
finally had TO be taken downstairs
Whcr" he was given some strong
coffee. after which he recovered suiH-
GENTLY from the SInok. which had
allied his lungs to go about his duties
unaSsistcd
Water secped through Tho ceiling
Of the tenth floor and did consider
able damage 10 rooms on this floor
Cons dcrahl" damage was also done
by the iircmcn in getting at the
hiaH" Many of the windows and
doors on the Noor where the fire
burned had 10 he smashed in 10 gain
entrance.
Throughout the time which was
needed to conquer the flames the fire
men worked with sped and precision
No confusion resulted in getting the
lines TO the plugs and up the side ~
tn" building. and. despite the dense
smoke. the fight was carried on
slowly, hut surely. against the blaze
Assistant Manager Valentine Of the
motel after viewing the dasiaGc fol-
low ing tn" can of FIR" all cut" said
ihat the damage could he ConscrVa-
lively placed ut fully 10000 with
perhaps little more added when a
inll examination could he made of
IN" walls and tho destruction created
| bN water estimated.