Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1855-10-11
DISASTROUS FIRE!
Union Car Works i'm Ruins!
500 600 WORTH oE PROPERTY DESTROYED!

500 900 WORTH oE PROPERTY DESTROYED.
We are panied 10 be Obliged to chron-
icle one Of the most disastrous res that
he's taken place in this city for many
months. About quarter to l o'clock on
Saturday night last. fire broke out IN
the extensive premises OF the Union Gar
Works Co. Of Messrs Stone & Bloomer.
or South Clark street. which spread with
fearful rapidty. When discovered by
the night Waterman the flames were pro-
ceeding from the noriheas. corner III the
machine shop, whence they extended to
the framing and setting up shops and the
brass foundry which were soon In light
blaze. 1t has been customary as gene
raj rule of the establishment Tor llght
head of steam to be maintained through
out the night, for the express purpose o.
rendering service should fire break out
and the experience Of this occasion fully
attests the wisdom of the measure. The
steam whistle was Immediately blown &
/ the alarm spread. the first arrivals most
/ lv of persons connected with the works.
manning instantly the lines of hose and
fire buckets, to which prompt action alone
is due the preservation OF the large wood
en- building farthest west. fronting Clark
street. and the extensive iron foundry
and finishing shops TO the north.
The distance precluded the speedy ar
rival of the Fire Department. They ar
rived, however, just when their services
could not have been spared a single mo-
ment longer. The devouring elements
KEEP: down and checked by the tin roof
had just burst with furious violence
through the ends Of the large frame build
ing and the fiery ton sues Of the flames
had already touched and enkihdled the
scorched and smoking surface of the lar
gest and most westerly building. which
in its present appearance a,tests how
narrow was its escape from destruction -
The fire ragged with fury for an hour and
A half. and only ceased with the annihl-
iation Of the structures upon which II
had proved. These with their dimensions
were: a two story framing shop. sixty by
one hundred and ten feet; two story ma
chine shop thirty eight by one hundred
and twenty feet; setting up shop forty
by one hundred and ten feet, with an L
thirty by thirty eight feet, and bras:
foundry twenty five feet square. They
were of wood. and filled with the besl
and most approved machinery.
In the setting up shop there were com
pleted one baggage and eleven box freigh
cars. and in the framing shop was The
finished material for nearly fifty cars, and
!, in The cabinet lop above. was a large
stock of costly material and finished
work. upholstery. &c. These all fell q
; prey 10 the flames. and so rapidly tina
little or nothing could be saved. and tha
} with the exercise OF the greatest daring
From ;he setting up shop few chests o
tools were removed and we blush for oul
common humanity to add tina: some mis-
: cradle wretch or wretches stole and mad
off with one Of the chests. which haC
been carried a little distance from tbs
building and left among the group Of by
ISLANDERS. One of the employees TO whom
Sl25 had been paid On Saturday. depos
r tied it in a desk in the framing shop
which he rescued with difficulty, all .ha
was saved from this building.
The Union Car Works were established
} i'm 1852 and with such energy aud enter
prise have they been conducted that there
is no danger Of their being extinguished
even by the crushing disaster of lS55.-
Their loss is in the rough estimate as fol
, lows, which figures il will exceed rathe
than fall below:
Cars and other VI rk finished, sl2 00(
Machinery. 20 COT
Buildings. IS 0OC
Material, $4,000
S65 O0t
This falls upon Messrs. Stone & Bloom
err. and also upon Messrs Chapman s
Atwood, contractors with them for TIT
patterns, finished stock. tools. and mate
rails enumerated above.
Upon this there is an insurance of on
, ly Sl7 O00 divided among several Offices
and part of which inconsiderable sun
has expired; less than $4,000 will b'
realized or below one sixth of the loss
Their best insurance. however. is theI
OW SAIL anu ~
' which they have an indispu,ahle soun'
] pol;cy, and we look with confidence Il
see the establishment restored and ever
5 amplifed in all lis parts within yer,
. brief period. Among their heavy Jesse
there is reason for congratuiation that |
? was no worse. Their beautiful and cost
Z ly engine was preserved uninjured; TIT
l foundry building. though exposed TO
, heat so Intense that it melted the solde
of the tin roof, will be repaired for III
r fling expense,
The Union Car Works gave employ
} ment TO about three hundred hands. anC
was turning out the equivalent of TIVE
: cars per diem We shall look to see tn
interval of a few weeks suffice TO restor'
=. to the firm the unexampled prosperit.
S which has been the fruit of their enter
prise and energy. aud won them a prom
nen, place among the manufacturers o
the Garden City.
Little can be said as to the cause o
the disaster, beyond the abundant proof
that it the fiend work of an incendi
airy. 1t originated in part of The build
ing where no fire is used. in the oil room
on1 IL thouuht IN ha We heen c,used hy III