Evening star., 1935-12-27
SIX HURT FIGHTING
FERRY DEPOT FIRE
Norfolk Terminal Damage
$50 ,000-Seryice Tied
Up -Four Hours.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, Va, December 27.-Fire
swept the east half Of the Norfolk
County ferries terminal at the foot OF
Commercial Place yesterday after
noon, causing damage estimated at
around $50,0O0 and stopping all Nor
folk Portsmouth ferry traf1c for four
hours.
Six firemen were injured, none seri-
ously, in the fight on the blaze that
threatened at first to raze the pine
and stucco structure. Northwest winds
razor sharp with sub-freezing tenn
peratures, made the fire fighting
bitter and dangerous job.
Emergency operations by ferry OFF,
cials resulted in the resumption OF
the pedestrian ferry traffic last night
in the west slip while the fire was
still smoldering in that part of the
ferry house serving the other two
slips. Vehicular traffic was resumed
later at the west end. The eastern
two of the three slips were definitely
out of commission for some time.
The ferry house was the first of
two 2-alarm fires in the city, and the
result of this double drain on the
local flre-t1ghting resources was the
calling in of companies from South
Norfolk. Portsmouth, and the Norfolk
Navy Yard to serve as reserve force.
1t was the first time since the big
water front fire of June, 1881, that
outside aid has been necessary.
Three Cottages Razed.
Three cottages were leveled and a
fourth was Quilted by a $4,000 two
alarm fire which swept Staten streeE,
Willoughby, yesterday afternoon as
the result of an attempt to thaw
frozen water pipes with blow torch.
The blaze originated in the two
story frame dwelling owned and occu-
pied by Jesse r. Gilmore, and spread
quickly to adjoining buildings. Only
a few pieces of furniture were saved
from this structure.
Likewise destroyed were the home
Of Henry o. Edge, a one-story dwelling
owned by Gilmore, and vacant two
story dwelling owned by the real es-
tate firm of Stephenson & Taylor
Only the shell remained of the home
of Lloyd S. Snowden, two-story
building from which practically all
Of the furniture was saved by neigh
bors.
Blow Torch in Use.
The first alarm was phoned at Apt
pm. by Mrs. Maude A. Allen, who saw
the blaze from her home across the
street at 410 Staten street She saw a
plumber using a blow torch on frozen
water pipes near the rear of the Gill
more home, saw the flames ignite the
contents Of trash can standing by
then leap up the side of the building.
Firemen answering the alarm from
the Ocean View station found the
fire hydrants frozen. While these were
being thawed with gasoline and wood
shavings. the flames licked higher and
higher and second alarm was sent in
Five of the six firemen injured at
the ferry terminal fire were hurt when
a big universal nozzle, fed by three
hoses and operated from a stationary
base, got loose and whipped about,
knocking two men 20 feet by the force
OF its stream atnne and injuring the
others in the few seconds before an
engineer cut Off the water pressure.
The injured, all members of No. l
Engine Company, were Capt. j. w.
Gregory, fracture Of left wrist: Joseph
Elmer, injury to left hip and bruises,
and Vincent j. Chinchello, j. Pierce
and Alfred Fairbanks, all bruises.
David ]. Matthews was overcome
by smoke earlier in the afternoon.
An explosion and the collapse of the
roof over the east slip passage were
other spectacular features Of the blaze.