Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-12

company's warehouse and about half
of the men "a sufficient force being
maintained by the chief at the ship
yard to handle the situation.
The tiremen worked on the shipyard
fire till about midnight and afterwarG
maintained a plug stream which was
continued all day Sunday.
The blaze at the shipyard threaten
ed to wipe out the entire plant con-
sisting of twenty-five buildings, all
brick and metal structures. The 9,4OO
ton steel freighter Gec~gie NJ. Morse,
valued at $2,000,000 was in the water
at the company's dock within a hum
dred yards of the burned building.
The fire, however, did not reach her.
This ship is about completed with the
exception of fitting out the interior.
Directly south of the burned building
was the immense fabricating plant
one of the largest buildings at the
yards. This plant was untouched by
the flames. It is now being used by
the Trent Amalgam Company, eh-
gagged in the making of process coal.
Part Of the equipment of the latter
company was on the ground near the
burned building and this also was un-
damaged The tool paint, and copper
. shops and power house of the COM
)any were other buildings in close
proximity TO the burned structure.
The burned building was 100 by
100 feet and of brick concrete and
rrl, s1I
.he builders having provided amply
'or lighting the interior. In this
building was stored every piece Of
equipment necessary for the compile
ton of the interior of the George NJ.
More which included brass, steel, life
preservers, pillows, blankets, nauti-
.al instruments and host of other
things.
According to Mr.. Christie the watch
nan only short time prior to the
discovery Of the fire passed around the
burned building and did not see any
trace of fire. The fire apparently
came up all Of sudden and may have
been burning for some time before it
broke out.
A hurry run was made by the fire
department to the second fire at the
Mutual Ice Company's warehouse. At
this fire, too, the firemen arriving on
the scene realized that their chief
work was in saving the adjoining
buildings the frame building so by
100 and so feet high being enveloped,
big black clouds of smoke coming
from the structure, and the blaze be-
ing visible for miles around.
Several streams were put on the
building and several otheR used on
the adjoining building The fire ap-
paratus at the Alexandria Naval Tor
pedo Station also was nut into opera
ton and the marines helped wonderful
y ~ TIE lire.
The building was divided into four
rooms, each separated by petitions.
In the front half Of the building was
stored about 100 bales of ceston desks
and other equipment of the United
States Government, the building being
leased by the Mutual Ice Company to
the Bureau of Markets. In the second
or east half of the building the Mutt
ual Ice Company had stored quanti-
ty f equipment including three col
lapsible icing stations, four wagons
an old automobile and other goods.
Their loss according to Mr.. Harry
Hammond probably will be in the
neighborhood of $4,000 with about
$4,000 insurance.
R. V. Bailey, assistant e the
chief of the Bureau of Markets to-
day told representative Of the Ga
zette that there was stored in the
building 100 bales CT Gotten, used by
the Agricultural Department for
tests. and about $500 worth Of office
furniture, including desks and chairs.
Out of the 100 bales of cotton only
about ten bales can be salvaged and
the loss to the cotton at the rate of
Is cents per pound which was made
by Mr.. Bailey as to this particular
cotton would make the loss $3.50
for cotton and the $500 for office
furniture would make the total loss
10 the government s725O.
The fire soon spread to the lumber
yard of w. A. Smoot and Company,
Incorporated, and a small auxiliary
mill about 90 by 25 feet one-story
Continued on page two)