Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1897 — BIG FIRE AT WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

BIG FIRE AT WASHINGTON.

Million Dollar Conflagration Visits the Nutional Capital. In Washington, fire broke out in the central power station of the Capital Traction Company a few minutes before 11 o’clock Wednesday night and in thirty minutes the magnificent six-story structure was doomed. The building occupies the entire block from Pennsylvania avenue to C street, and from Thirteen and One-half street to Fourteenth street. The blaze started on the southwest corner and despite the efforts of the entire fire department swept like wind through the enormous building. The heat was so intense that the men were driven from the adjoining streets. When it became evident that no efforts could save the power station, the department turned its attentions to the adjoining property, but the flames leaped across Fourteenth street on the west to a big livery stable and then across Thirteenth and One-half street on the east and attacked a row of threestory brick houses. So fearful was the heat that the firemen could not get within reach of the burning buildings. They were driven back foot by foot until the streams from the hose pipes could not reach the fire. The entire fire department was on the scene, but so fierce was the conflagration that their efforts were futile. The power house was built four years ago. It was six stories in height, and besides containing the power plant of the Pennsylvania avenue linear of the Capital Traction Company was occupied by dozens of offices. The walls began to fall by 12 o'clock, and with the decreasing heat the firemen were enabled to get to work on adjoining property. Two hours after the first alnrm was given the huge building was reduced to a few crumbling walls, aud damage to the extent of nearly a million dollars had been done. The loss on adjoining buildings will not be large, as those burned are old and small. At one time the offices of the Southern Railway were threatened, but prompt work by the firemen checked the flames.