The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-01
CHARIOTS OF FIRE.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE.
THE SOUTH BEND CONFEDERATION.
A DISASTROUS FIRE AT SOUTH BEND-4OO MEN
THROWN OUT OF EMPLoYMENT-sYMPATH
EXPRESSED.
The South Bend Tribune of the 18th inst.
gives full particulars of the disastrous fire in
that place on the previous day: Our citizens
were aroused this morning about quarter
before 5 O'Clock, by fire alarm sounded by
the third ward bell. The alarm was taken
up by the other fire bells, and soon became
general. Our citizens who were hurried
from their beds into the street by the alarm
quickly ascertained by the dense black
moth brick wagon works of the Studebaker
Bros. Manufacturing Co., that they
were on fire, and thither they thronged
as fast as their feet could carry them,
the fremen following the first at
the fire with their pharaphernalia with all
possible speed. When first seen, the fire
was in the southeast corner OF the building
in the second floor, at 4:45. 1t appears to
have been seen almost at the same instant
by several persons. Conductor Kelley, of
the passenger train which came in at that
instant saw the smoke pouring from the
windows when his train was some distance
from the building, and when it got to Lafa-
yette street, H. c. Noyes, train-dispatcher
at Laporte, jumped off and went to the Of
fee door to give the alarm. at the same
time j. NJ. Pool and I. D. Baird
saw the smoke and sent two
of the Tribune newsboys, AL
Fairfield and Hubert Dunbar, to ring
the bell. In their chase for the engine house
Dunbar stumbled and fell near the school
Gall
was the first to ring the bell, but was soon
joined by his companion.
Mr.Spry and others being near the factory,
got into the building and attempted to ring
the alarm bell in the cupola. but for some
unexplained reason the bell could not be
rung. Meantime the firemen had got to
work, and soon had several streams playing
upon the flames through the windows, but
it soon became evident that the fire had got
such start that only by the most her
culean efforts could any part of the vast
structure be saved. About O'Clock an ex-
plosion took place inside the building which
spread the flames. and the work of taking
the four story part began. At $50 O'Clock
the sight was grand but terrible as could be
imagined. The building, the most elegant
factory in the United States, and the largest
wagon works in the world, SOS feet long, 62
feet wide with
FLooRAGE OF OVER THREE ACRES
was nearly the whole of it burning and
seething in the interior. while the smoke
rose like huge black pillar to the sky, and
then fioated off and settled over the city in
great masses of clouds. Inside the fire
rolled and surged beyond the control of all
the water that could be massed upon it, and
occasionally great sheets of flames would
shoot from the windows as if seeking more
food for its destructive NAV. Before 8
O'Clock the fire was at its hight. The
flames had crept up story by story
until they reached the cupo1a and
finally the flag staff, burning 10 the
very tip before the roof fell. Then piece by
piece the walls went down. except the office
wall on the north and east. Meanwhile the
firemen had not been idle. Inch by inch
they fought their way, with the most terri
BILE odds against them, and every inch
of ground they gained they held with the
most stubborn pertinency. Like brave sol
diers in the face of an enemy not one of the
firemen thought of danger. Duty was
their motto, and they could be seen on
they had to fight the flames for position, on
steep ladders sprung against walls heated
nearly to redness-everywhere in short,
where duty called them they were quick to
respond. Our citizens, also, worked as, per-
haps, they never worked before, and saved
mucn and ValuaDle property. Az tuo nIo
wall the firemen made stand and there
turned the tide of battle and won victory.
On the roof from each side in front and In
the rear of the wall they poured streams upon
the wall, and by $50 o'clock had the IRE
under control.
CHIEF ENGINEER NICAR's STATEMENT.
Chief Engineer Nicar, in answer to ques-
tions concerning the conduct of the depart
ment which he commands. states that the
first stream thrown was taken from the by
drant opposite the Office, and the next from
one of the openings of the four-way hydrant
inside the company's grounds. These streams
were opened at the direction of Assistant
Engineer Norris, who, living close by, was
the first officer at the fire. They were di-
rected into the windows of the south
east portion of the building. The
next streams were taken from the
twin hydrant opposite the National Hotel,
the next from the hydrant at Heinzman's
grocery, corner of Lafayette and Monroe
streets, and the next from the other three
openings of the four-way hydrant. These
streams were all run by the stand-pipe, be-
sides three-inch stream furnishing water
to the factory. The steamer was also in OPP
Grafton, the hose being furnished it by the
Birdsell Manufacturing Company. Mr.. Nj