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Quite a Serious Fire on Cove Street*K.o«« Estimated n( About 813,000 mid la Abotti Hair 1'ovfrrd by liisnr* nncp-Pnrt or Danins* Occasioned Itntrr-DiclilDff Incident,Firo yesterday destroyed Emerald Hall, on Covo street. nnd adjoining property was slightly damaged by the blaze and consider.)bly damaged by | water, the loss possibly being between *10,000 and |12,0£0.The Ure whs one or the hottest and most stubborn that has visited Norfo k for some time, but was fought with determination by the department, the firemen winning the battle after a hard struggle, Chief tty an and his men deserve the greatest credit for the splendid fight they made, and but for the excellent work the damage would have been more serious,A MU) DAY 11LAXE.The fire broke out about It: U) o'clock, and It was several hours ti i ^ sl,c-cumhed to tin* water that was poured upon it. It originated in tho first ll-mr of Emerald Hull. occupied by the Southern Silver Plating and Manufao-luring Works, and was pessbly eau.-cd by an explosion of oil. The interior being of wood, and contalnln.-; combustible material, the blaze «iuickiy spread through ihe structure, and when the i department responded to the rail, which was very prompt, the house was found - to be beyond saving. The attention of f the firemen was then devoted to the holding the* lire to Its present bounds, This they sill-, eid.vl In do.ng. though the roof of an adj'tifilng house was damaged by a tailing wait, and the fur-nlture house of John Willis, Jr., fronting on Church street, with a wooden shed extending to the fence next the burning brlrk block .caught several times, but was quickly put out.THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT.The entire depniemnt, with the except loo of the little York Street engine, turned out to fight the fire, anil the ser vices of every man was needed.Emerald llall was burned to the ground. The two upper stories were used fur lodge purposes, and the Typographical, Cigar makers'. Retail Clerks', Fill m hers4 and Central Ext bur Unions, which in. t th. re, lost their effects. The Plumbers* Union had Just moved in and e.t-re to have held their first meet jug there last night. They lost between ffid and JlOO worth of bocks, seals .etc., also the articles of agreement between the master plumbers and Journeymen.Emerald llall was owned by the Emerald Itenefielal Association and was insured for 12,500 and had |,0G on contents, They also had a library of about 100 volumes. Mr. K. T. Lawler, n member of the Association, tried to get Into the building to save some of the books, but could not get further than the stairway, He was searched some little In tho effort. It is thought the damage to the building and contents will amount to aboutMr. John Willis. Jr*s. furniture establishment was seriously damaged by water, and his loss Is only partly covered by Insurance.The Flcisehmnnn Yeast Company’s building, next door to the hall on the east, was very badly damaged by a wall of the ball, which fell on It.AX EXCITIXfl INCIDENT.An exciting Incident of the fire was the fact that n. colored man at work In tii* third story had a very narrow’ escape, He was cut olt from descending the stairs by fire below, w hich was advancing rapidly to the lop *p»ry. lie went to a near window and hung out by his hands and was rescued from his perilous position by Captain Kegcbcln and UoKtiJutn Foster, who went up as high as they could on a ladder, and when ilie negro dropped they safely caught him and look him to the ground, when it was found his hands were unite badly burnt.Mike Dyer, a hosemnn at house No, -, was considerably burned.Th • Duijovan building, on the opposite side of Cove street., was burned n little.Tho American Printing Company occupied pan of the first story of the hall, and was, of course, burned out.The falling wires rm Cove street broke a number of telephone and electric light wires.The kitchen to the residence nf Mr, thick, on Fenchurch street, was damaged and the furniture was moved out of Ids house.Mi Ssrs. Fal k r Ellis, gree ra, on the corner of Church und Cove streets, were not damaged.( The off. ets of the Silver Plating Works we tv entirety destroyed,A very large crowd was attracted to the scene of th- fire, and there was considerable excitement incident to it.Tho entire department being necessarily called mu yesterday, with the exception of the Utile York street engine, had another fire broken nut In the city It might have resulted very seriously, HURNINC* CLOT11ES.The alarm of tire turned In from box 2,i, about lo oYlo ’k last night, was ••aused by sunn* clothes becoming fir-rilled from n stove In the house No. :%ti Chapel str nt. The damage was trifling.
Newspaper Details
Norfolk Virginian Pilot
Norfolk, Virginia, US
Sun, Feb 05, 1899
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Denise N.
USA 08 Aug 2023
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