Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-16
DEVlLISH WORK OF AN INCENDlARY
CoNE>TVGA CORK FACTORY IN RUIN


the alarm was given, nearly all the fire
men were in bed, and the engines were
rather slow in getting into service. Even
after they got into service it was found
that the ireplugs in the vicinity would not
supply sufficient quantity OF water to
effectively serve them, owing To the small
calibrc of the water mains, and some of
the companies We're obliged to change
the positions of their steamers several
times before they could get 4 full supply.
Meantime, the great frame shed, contain
ing $4,000 or S17, 900 worth of baled cork,
was a mass Of living fire, the flames lap
ping up the dry cork and mounting high
into the heavens, cOmminglcd with dense
volumes Of smoke and sparks and embers.
All attempts to save the shed and its con-
tents were quickly given ur, and the ii! emen
directed their efforts towards saving the
factory proper and its valuable contents;
but here, too, they were fOiled. Scarcely
had they removed the books and some
valuable papers from the safe, and drag
ged few bags OF finished corks from the
first floor of the building, when it was
discovered the second story vas III li;;mcS
having taken fire at the west end, where
4 frame projection connects with the main
building. Soon the entire interior, both
upstairs and down, was in flames, and SO
great was tho heat that tho iiremen were
driven back some distance. and it was great
ly feared the Episcopal chapel, adjoining,
andknapp's brewery on the opposite side Of
Locust street, would be destroyed. The
chapel was several times on fire, and the
belfry, cornice and windows, are badly
damaged. Meantime the factory and its
cOmbustible contents burned fulinusiy.
The attic floor fell into the secuni story,
and the second story fell through 10 the
first. Then the roof fell in with u crash,
and the whole mass of burning lumber,
cork and machinery was prcc:pitatea into
the cellar, and burned fiercely tor hours.
The walls cracked and to:tered, and part
Of the front wall fell into Locust street
with crash, but luckily no ouc was
caught beneath it. Tie firemen were sue.
cessful in confning the destruction to the
cork works, no other buildings being burn
Ell except a few OuthOsscs III rear of al ia
cent dwelling houses on Middle street, ant:
a small carpenter shop belonging to t;co.
Bear, who saved his tools. His loss is
about 5000. and uninsured.
The COnestoga cork works We're owned
and operated by Mrs. Henry Baumgar.lncr
(formerly Mrs. Jay CadwelD. Tho works
were built by Caldwell Il Boardnan. some
ten years ago, after the destruction by fire
of their factory in Locher's building, in
Mitilin street. The main building burned
yesterday was two stories in height ex
elusive of attic and finished basement. 1t
was 100 feet long and 40 feet wide, cxcIi,
sive of the engine and boiler house, which
formed a projection at the north corner,
and the frame projection before spoken of
at the west corner. The building and
shedding arc estimated tohavc been wo:ti,
5000 the machinery was very Zine and
costly, and was worth, including the en-
gine, boilers, shafting and betting, 81, coo.
On the 1st Of January, an account
of stock was taken which showed
the value OF manufactured a.u!
manufactured cork to have been
$28, 900. Since that date additions have
been made, which will swell the value of
the stock considerably, making the total
loss about $4,000. Against this heavy
loss, Mrs. Baumyardner has an insurance
of 525, 900, divided among the companies
named as follows: Merchants of Newark.
$4,000 British America Of Toronto 81,
500 Williamsburgh City, n. Y, 50, 800;
National of Baltimore, s., 500; Howard of
New York, 800, (of which companies
Bausman & Burns are the local agents)
National of Hartford, 81, 800; Westchestcr
burg, $500; Springfield of Massac!lu-
Kaufman are agents. ; Hamburg OF Brc-
men, 81, $50 State of Pennsylvania, 81,
$50; New Hampshire, S1,2jO; Watertown
of N. Y, 81 $50 Fireman's Fund of Cali
fornia, 81, 600, (of which companies III. r.
Breneman is local ascnt); United Fire
mems of Philadelphia. $1,000 (of whic
A. A. Herr & Co. are the local agent
There is not tho least doubt that this !
disastrous fire was the deliberate work of |
an incendiary, one Of tho gang, probably,
who have heretofore entailed such heavy
losses on property owners and insurance |
and by their diabolical acts !
have thrown so many worthy laborers and |
artisans, out of employment, and deprived ,
them of the means of earning their daily !
bread. The cork works gave constant /
employment to about seventy operatives, !
Of whom about twenty were men and the .
others girls and boys. 1t was 4 sad sight !
to see many of these operatives, standing
with fearful eyes, gazing on the ruins OF
the factory that had furnished them :: !
livelihood. Had the cO,d-blOGded incen |
diary been present and known to them, |
his shrift would have been short and his |
punishment fearful. !
The 1irencn deserve credit for the visor- |
Dus manner in which they fought the :
iames. The companies remained in ser-- !
vice until after sunrise, some nI them |
until 0 O'Clock a. NJ. and plug streams !
we're thrown upon the debris from time to !
time all day yesterday. Between and ! |
o'clock last evening the flames broke out |
,fresh and there was . general alarm of !
lire. but no further damage was done.
The cracked walls of the building should !
be at once taken down to prevent acci-
lents. Since the fire thousands of people |
have visited the ruins. and thougltless |
boys run close under the totterins walls
Ind pull loose bricks from them and even
attempt to pull down the walls. A serious
accident may result if the walls are not
speedily taken down.
The Poultry Show.
The poultry show in Excelsior hall con
inues to attract much interest. On Sat
lrday there was a very large attendance,
md among the visitors were u nun Der OF
poultry breeders from abroad.
The judges have finished their ar,iuous
abor of scoring the birds, and while few
# the exhibitors arc little disappointed
n not receiving premiums, there is a
,encral expression Of opinion that the
wards have been made fairly and with
killed discrimination. The score cards
re now placed On nearly all the winning
oops, and on many others, so that the