From the Richmond Dispatch, 8/26/1879, p. 1, c. 6

A BIG FIRE.

Castle Thunder and Whitlock’s Box-Factory Destroyed.

ESTIMATED LOSS SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, ABOUT HALF COVERED BY INSURANCE – TURPIN BROTHERS, JACKSON TURPIN & CO., AND ROBERT H. WHITLOCK THE HEAVIEST LOSERS – MRS. JANE KING AND S. H. HAWES LOSERS TO SOME EXTENT – A GRAND ILLUMINATION OF THE CITY AND GREAT OUTPOURING OF THE PEOPLE BETWEEN 1 AND 2 O’CLOCK THIS MORNING.

Shortly after 1 o’clock this morning an alarm of fire was sounded in decided tones from Box 2 (First station-house). In a few moments the outbreak of the flames reflected upon the dark clouds of the sky pointed out to the hurrying firemen the spot where their services were needed, and gave to the people who rushed to their doors and windows the impression that the entire business portion of the city was afire.

When first seen the flames were streaming forth from the windows of Robert H. Whitlock’s tobacco-box manufactory, on Eighteenth street, into the alley which separated it from the tobacco-factory of Jackson Turpin & Co.

POSITION OF THE BUILDINGS.

This tobacco-box factory occupied a large lot at the northeast corner of Cary and Eighteenth streets. East of it was the old Castle Thunder building, occupied as a tobacco factory by Turpin & Brother; north of it the factory of Jackson Turpin & Co., and south of it Cary street, separating it from the coal-offices of S. H. Hawes and the offices and ice-houses of Mrs. Jane King and a number of other business-places.

THE DISCOVERY.

Though the firemen were prompt as possible in reaching the spot the conflagration had already made great headway, and access to the box-factory premises was impossible.

The police report that they heard voices in there, and Sergeant Dan. Wren was this morning clear in the opinion that they could not have been mistaken. This, together with the fact that among the excited crowd the watchman was reported missing, gave rise to the impression that there was loss of life along with the destruction of much valuable property.

SPREADING.

Captain Fuqua being early on the scene of action, wisely ordered a second alarm to be turned in, and that brought out every piece of fire apparatus in the city. The plugs of the neighborhood were all put to instant use and engines placed on the dock-bank.

The firemen directed their first efforts to saving Castle Thunder and the wooden buildings of Mr. Hawes, Mrs. King, and others, on the south side of Cary street, and J. C. Smith’s, southeast corner Nineteenth and Cary.

They were fairly successful as to these latter, but found it impossible to check the progress towards Castle Thunder; for the wind blowing from the southwest carried the great volume of flame directly towards it.

CASTLE THUNDER GONE.

The tobacco-box factory of Mr. Whitlock was totally destroyed. All efforts to save it were given up within about ten or fifteen minutes after the arrival of the Fire Brigade. It was filled with piles of boxes and piles of lumber. Castle Thunder, with its contents – factory-fixtures, stock, &c. – was next destroyed. The factory of Jackson Turpin & Co. caught fire several times, but was put out without considerable loss.

SOUTH SIDE CARY.

The line of houses on the south side of Cary was damaged to some extent by both fire and water. It was only by good management that they could be saved from entire destruction, for the wind shifted from west to northwest at one time and almost drove the firemen from their position on Cary street, which was the only ground they could occupy to fight the flames on the right and left of them.

UNITED STATES HOTEL.

The wing of Jackson Turpin’s factory extended nearly to the old United States Hotel (now a colored theological institute), and the flames were once or twice running along it towards the hotel, and were only checked by changes in the wind.

INSURANCE – LOSS.

In the confusion incident to the fire it was almost impossible to gain any information as to the insurance upon the buildings. Mrs. Jane King is insured, but her son, who is the bookkeeper, could not name the companies. He estimates her loss upon ice and office at about $500. She has insurance of $400 on the building and $300 on her ice.

Mr. S. H. Hawes’s loss is about $500, and he is fully insured in the City Fire Insurance Company of Richmond.

R. H. Whitlock is insured in the agency of Thomas M. Alfriend & Son for between ten and twelve thousand dollars, and the following companies are among the losers: Petersburg Savings and Insurance Company, Pennsylvania Savings and Insurance Company, Westchester of New York, Fire Association of Philadelphia.

Castle Thunder (Turpin Brothers), stock and buildings insured for $30,000. The risks were chiefly taken by the Virginia Home; but as they had reinsured very heavily the greater part of the loss will not fall upon them.

Jackson Turpin & Co.’s building is insured in the Virginia Home for $3,000. Loss to building not very considerable, and stock but little damaged.

Castle Thunder and R. H. Whitlock’s box-factory were total losses, and the insurance will hardly half cover the loss.

INJURED BY FALLING WALLS, &C.,

A young man, about nineteen years of age, named Daniel Driscoll, was badly cut and otherwise injured by falling walls. W. O’Dwyer and two young men named Ball and Allen slept in Whitlock’s box-factory, but it could not be ascertained whether all escaped. Police-Officers Dan Wren and Moody state that they heard cries for help in the box-factory, and endeavored to break open the door, but could not succeed.

TELEPHONE WIRES – BURSTING HOSE.

Son after the fire reached the second stories of the burned buildings the many telephone wires in the vicinity began to fall to the ground, and greatly hindered the firemen and others at work in the vicinity of the fire. A detail of firemen was made, and they gathered up the wires as best they could, in order to save the men from being tripped while at work.

The men labored under another very serious difficulty – viz., the bursting of the hose, from the steamers at work taking their supply of water from the dock. Not less than a dozen sections of hose were bursted, and much valuable time was of necessity lost in stopping the engines and replacing the injured sections by new hose.

INCIDENTS.

The boilers in Turpin Brothers’ factory exploded about 2 o’clock, making a loud noise, but doing no particular damage, as by that time the floors and walls were tumbling in.

A great crowd of people came out of their beds to look at the fire. From upper Cary street it seemed that the Planters or Centre Warehouse was burning. The illumination of the streets was grand. The gas-lamps appeared as feeble as tallow-candles by a big log fire.

The masters of several large schooners lying on the north side of the dock, fearing that the firemen would not be able to control the conflagration, moved out of danger.

The fire, it is supposed, originated in the immediate vicinity of Whitlock’s steam-engine, and is believed to have been accidental.

William Lewis (colored) was caught by Officer Tomlinson stealing cigars from S. H. Hawes’s office and taken to the station-house.

The sparks from the fire fell upon the adjacent buildings and shipping as thick as rain-drops.

THE LATEST.

At 3 o’clock this morning the fire is pretty well under control, a steady rain is falling, the crowd is dispersing, and the firemen are hard at work, with every prospect of keeping the flames within the limits described above.

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