The Somerset reporter., 1888-10-04
a Bad Fire.
Tnf flnrmrE MANrrAcrrmNd COM

/ THE FiBEHIE MANuFACTUHNG COM
rANY's WORKS BADLY DAMAGED.
/ Wednesday morning at five minutes be-
/ fore eight O'Clock, the fire alarm sounded
and Immediately thereafter flames and
smoke burst forth from the small build
/ ing used by the fiberite Manufacturing
| Company adjoining ~ their main build
ing for Il treating room, where their
wares are subjected 10 chemical indu-
rating process in Ahich iunanabic ma
tcrals are used
The cause Of the lirr Wa, boiler filled
with chemicals boiling over aud takma lire.
aud instantly the whole room was filled
with flame which rapidly spread 10 ey,ry
part of this wooden building aud 10 The
the main building The Fire Department
was out in good time but there Wis a
slight delay in getting water through
the hose. The Corporation pump got
two streams Of water on, and the pump
in the Wooden mill and that in the Rich
ards Pulp mill got one stream each on
early, which with the two streams
played by the steamer, made six streams
that were poured upon the fire early.
Hose was stretched across the river on
the railroad bridge and attached to "A
Water Works hydrant on the north side,
and a stream Of water played from this
thirtyiiye minutes after the alarm struck,
SO that in all seven streams were playing
fun force upon the burning building, aud
thus the lower part of the main building
was completely flooded with water, aud
the machinery On the lower floor saved in
a somewhat damaged condition
The damage to the building itself is
not vefy large, probably inside and out
not far from - OHo. rhc loss ON ma
chinery. material, manufactured goods
etc cannot be determined with ANYTHING
/ like accuracy at this time. Il. the extent
of damage to machinery aud the amount
of material destroyed has not been as
ccrtained yet. There was no insurance
on the building, hut there was ) nm on
machinery, placed through the agency of
who is familiar with the business places
tie whole loss at > 5,uoO
The main building Is quite an old on.
built about 1874 for Il starch factory. 1t
was Quilted by fire When it was lust about
ready for occupancy, but the walls were
saved and the building completed for
manufacturing starch, and subsequently
used by X. Il, Lyon y Co. in the maunfar-
ture of paper. The building and power
are the property of Lewis Anderson 4
Co.
The Fire department did good work,
but the fire was very hot one and "A very
stubborn one. The seven streams of
water at one time seemed to have little
effect upon it. The fire in the annex was
in position where the nremen could not
seem to get the water ON to it early. and
the fire in the upper story of the main
building got thoroughly under way inside
before il could be got at. Then one end
of the mill could not be reached because
of the river on that side
The actual destruction of property is
not the worst feature of this fire Great
loss is incurred by the neco s>ary
suspension of the operations of the com
pany. They were oytrrun with orders
for their product, We're working To their
full capacity and inc easing their output
every week to fiji their orders
The fibcrite Company are erecting
building entirely detached from their
main building to be USED for their indur-
ating process. 1t is to be covered entire
ly, roof aud walls with iron and they
would have occupied it within few
weeks, but for the fire.
Cur people now evidently all see the
desirability of the watcrworkS. Had the
system been completed and in running
order for fire purposes this fire could have
been drowned out on the start and been
confined to the wooden annex. \ half
dozen additional streams could have been
got ON early from hydrants in that i'm
mediate vicinity and got ON in the
right direction,
1t is very fortunate that the mills, fac
tories and shops in that vicinity were so
thoroughly wet down by the recent rains
otherwise the damage might have amount
ed to a very large sum, and been a disae-
ter to our town.
We have been so fortunate in this vii
lagc in regard to fires that we began To
think we should never have another, but
this fire has dispclled this illusion. Let
us have the very best protection from
fire poSsib