The Portland daily press., 1885-07-20
FIRE RECORD.
Burning of the Western Union Offices
in PHILADELPHIA.

PHILADELPHIA, July 18.-The operating
room of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany in the main building at Tenth and
Chestnut street, was Quilted at an early hour
this morning. The room is situated on the
fifth floor of the building, and contains about
100 operating tables and several hundred in
strumentS. The fire started at 200 o'clock,
and by 2.12 the whole Office was ablaZe. The
fire seemed to spring up simultaneously from
every table At the time no one was in the
room but K. l.. Maize, the chief night opera
tor. and operators Campbell and Woods. A
flash OF electricity came in, as supposed,
from an electric light wire in the southwest
ern corner OF the room, close to the large
switch board, setting the woodwork of the
table on fire. The fire department promptly
responded to a CALL but by the time water
was gotten upon the fire the place was roar
ing mass of flame and the greater portion of
control about thirty minutes after the alarm
was sounded. The fire did not extend be-
yond the operating room. This morning
Supt. Gill, with corps of linemen and OPP
orators, is making every effort to get the line
IN working order, having taken possession
of the basement for the purpose and erected
tables out of common boards New instru-
ments have been brought into requisition
from every telegraph office in the city. 1t
will take some days, perhaps weeks, before
the immense business transactedin the build
ing can be handled
Fire in the Illinois State Pdson.
ST. LOUIS, July 1S.-A Joliet, ILL.,, special
says a furious fire ragged within the walls of
the Illinois State Penitentiary at that place
during the whole Of that night 1t originated
in the cooper shop and spread SO rapidly
that 1T soon threatened to eat up all the
wooden structures in the enclosure The
flames got beyond the control of the prison
fire department, and the mayor was called
upon for aid, when he promptly sent steam
er to the scene. The fire was subdued at
late hour this morning. The loss to the State
is at least $25,000. j. III. Winterbotham &
Sons, contractors, lose $4,000. The prison
ers behaved heroically in fighting the flames.
More Than Dozen Business Houses
Burned.
RISING SUN, Ind, July 19.-Fire last
night destroyed more than dozen business
houses and dwellings. Total loss $35,OOO.
NJ. Y. & N. {. Car Shops Burned.
Boston, July ia destructive fire oc-
Cured at the New York & New England
Railroad car shops in Norwood this after
noon. The fire originated in the engine room
and destroyed the main building, which was
of brick $50 70 feet, and used as passen-
ger and freight repair shops and for turning
out all the woodwork used in their construc-
ton. The flames also communicated to a
brick building, 200 60 feet, used as black
smith shop, then to the foundry building,
also 200 60, which were burned A long
wooden structure used for tin shop was
partially consumed. A great deal of val
uable machinery was destroyed, and in all
about one half of the company S extensive
works were ruined But very little rolling
stock was injured. The total loss is esti-
mated at 100000. Probably fully insured.
Plaster of Paris Mills in Ruins.
New BRIGHTON L. l., July 19.-J. B.
King & Co.'S plaster of paris mills were de-
stroyed by fire today with large amount of
stock. 1t is said that the fire viii greatly
advance the price of all plaster of paris on
the Atlantic coast. The fire started in de-
feetive boiler or the furnace. The loss will
be about $260,000, and the insurance is less
than $120 GOO