The Portland daily press., 1879-10-31
Destructive Fire.
BURNING OF JORDAN'S COOPER
FACTORY.
Estimated Loss $12, 900.

The largest and most brilliant conhagration
that has occurred in this city for months took
place last evening. AT $50 p. m. an alarm
from box 10 was pulled in, followed by two
repetitions III quick succession. The flames
were discovered in Granville E. Jordan's
large cooper factory, situated on the Dump at
the foot of Wilmot street, or rather between
Wilmot and Pearl. When the fire was first
discovered it was situated apparently in, or
near, the boiler room, and spread in the fierce
northwest wind, with great rapidity. The
first men on the spot endeavorcd to get out
COW and two horses that were in the doomed
building, but the animals were sufocated
with the smoke. The flames from the great
structure, which was about $50 feet long, three
stories high in one part, and two stories in the
other, lighted up the whole city, and the gale
took the great burning cinders and waited
them in every direction. The fremen, how
ever, worked like Trojans and the fire was
confined to the factory. A number of plat
form cars on the track, close by the burning
building, were run down, by the exertions of
There was considerable difficulty at first-ow-
ing to the bursting of main on Wilmot
street-in getting water from the hydrants,
and the tide was out, but it soon turned and
began to come in. The ell of the factory was
built on piles right over the water, which
proved an advantage in helping quench the
flames after the tide had turned.
The three alarms brought out the citizens
in thousands to the spot and the location was
well adapted to accommodate the crowd. The
sea of upturned faces in semi-circle about
the building, lighted up by the flames, pre-
scented a sight long to be remembered.
Mr.. Jordan was working full force of twen-
ty-two men of late He had received orders
from the Buffalo, n Y, Grape Company for
large number of barrels, and had got in new
engine and great quantity of slaves on We'd
nesday. 1t was reported he had 1000 barrels
all made ready for shipment, in the building.
Mr.. j. E. Dow stated that there was an insur-
ance of ST 900 last summer Oh the building
which he Dow had at that time but trans
ferred to Anderson, Dow & Palmer.
AT midnight nothing was left of the factory
but smouldering ruins, yet the firemen kept
steadily at work pouring powerful streams OF
fresh and salt water upon them.
Mr. Jordan informed US that the building
was valued by him at about $1,000, and the
stock in it was so large that he could not esti-
mate it's value without referring to his books.
Neither could he give the amount of insurance.
but thought it was about $1,000 or $4,000,
placed with Messrs. Dow & Palmer and Albert
Warwick. He thinks the insurance will not
cover over two-thirds his loss, which will
bring the total loss up to about $4,000. He
had just bought new 30-horse power and had
it in the floor, but not in position for working,
which is now ruined.
One of Mr.. Jordan's workmen pluckily
rushed into the burning building and saved his
kit of tools.
Two Grand Trunk cars loaded with slaves
were also burned.
Our city has good cause to be proud OF its
fire department. The boys last night worked
like heroes and prevented what might have
been most disastrous confagration, for in
the immediate vicinity of the burning build
ing was a perfect nest of old wooden buildings.