Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-19
HEAVY LOSS BY FIRE.
STEWART, COMFY & COMPANIES
FOUNDRY BURNED TO
THE GROUND.
The Company Heavy Loosers and LlgnI
Insurance-Sixty-th three Men turned
Out of Employment.

| cart OIL NO. =, Will lOui iiOAoSo W ~NSAs
owing to the deep mud making IL I'M
possible for two to do the work Reacn-
ing the point from which the call was sent
| in, parties on the street stated that
the fire was further east on the avenue
and the department went on down the av-
enue, tracing down the report, and very
soon was able to SEQ the light in the south
east part of the city. Going to Rock Is
land avenue it was seen that the fire was
in Stewart, Coney s. Co.'S foundry, one
of the leading business enterprises IN
the city. The nearest water plugs were
on Rock Island avenue and the one hose
was attached and unreeled as rapidly as
possible, calling for seven hundred feet OF
hose to reach the building. The chemical
engine was put into service and two horses
sent back after hose cart No. l. They
FASTENED to the scene as rapidly as posi-
BILE and reaching Douglas and Washington
the sewer ditch, which was not supplied
| with danger signals, was run into and
three horses went down. 1t took few
minutes to get in line again and second
attachment was made.
The fire by this time had gained
such Roadway that it was
quite evident the department
would have terrible struggle to save any
thing that would burn. The boys worked
as hard as possible, but an hour after
found the walls falling in and the fire
back in the roofing and windows Of the
foundry proper.
The fire was first seen by Mr.. j.
NJ. Martin, who was on Douglas
near Washington who commenced yelling
fire. and the word came down the av-
enue to Topeka, where an alarm was turn
ed in. He states that he first saw the
flames in the front part of the building in
the Office. 1t seemed to be spreading rap
idly as if something like oil was in its
reach He stated that before the
department reached the building it was
evident that everything about the build
ing that would burn would be destroyed.
The watchman stated that about half
hour before the alarm of fire was
turned in he left the building
for up town and intended to
return in few minutes. He
said there was no fire in the front Office or
in the front part of the building, nor had
there been any as far as he knew for some
DAYS. 1t had not been needed in the
stoves. He seemed to be wholly at loss
!, for AN explanation of how the plant
caught fire.
The ook-keeper, MIR Cornell stated
that according to his best informa-
ton the stock on hand called for forty OF
fifty thousand dollars while insurance
about $1,000 The company had just COM
pleted contract of S. 900 for Ft Scott
l which was in the ruins and was total
loss The company had also
L. Of nnfn
; for Pueblo and one car load for Texas wa:
. also in the loss.
= The company has been overrun with or
ders. Is doing the work for the Wichits
sewer, for the new court house, and con
-. tracts on hand amounting to nearly $780,
q 600.
: The building belonged to T. H. O'Nei
and cost about s12, 900, with insurance fol
s., O00
The plant has for some time been giving
employment to sixty men, most OF then
have families. The loss to the company
as will be readily seen is not alone thu
5 loss of the stock and the delay of the pres
: ent large, orders, but the future, for THU
would evidently call for an immens
u amount of business. The Oklahoma
=. country was being eyed by the compan.
= and it was expected to do an immeps
@ business there With the present an(
). past conditions they had worke'
up a big trade in Texas and estimat
ed that they could handle tn
IL Oklahoma business with perfect ease
r They had also worked up an immens
o business in Colorado and New Mexico, il
d fact sent some OF their fancy fence pattern
l. to California
1 A member of the company was seen thl
morning about l o'clock and seemed con
Ia sderably depressed by the loss. He had n
y definite idea, of course, what the compan
d would do, but was inclined to think the
! would proceed with business just as 500
II as possible He hoped that they would b
? able to rush things and take care of pres
ent orders or most of them
This morning at 2 o'clock some of tn
Is parties who were at the fire soon after th
alarm were seen, and it seems to be tn
J. general opinion that the fire was the wor
of an incendiary.
k Mr.. STEWART TALKS.
III R. C. Stewart said this morning at %
O'Clock that the stock and fixtures includ
y ing work finished and in process of cor
~ structiou amount to $4,000 or $40, O0
20 The Fort Scott government buildin
= stairs, a 5000 contract, complete an
70 total wreck and had it nc
"A been for the condition of th
!. streets ON account of sewe
- construction would have been moved OF
in and loaded Yesterday. The other finishe
orders were mostly for outside states an
consisted of fencing and general architect
D. ural iron work. The Burton Car work
he lost in patterns $1,000. The compan
T. had IS men under employment.
ne INSURANCE.
~ The insurance he states is only 100
- He could not remember the companie
One thousand dollars in a compan
taken through Taylor & Blacl
welder. P. V. Healy Niederlande
ed Boyd and Viele s. Co.
av The only way that he could account fl
70 the fire was that fire was seen in the Off
j. first in the corner where lay the matches {
.. the safe near the Office stationery. II
os matches in some way ignited al
y, when afire the blaze could easily reach Il
"A pattern room along the frame work.
H. The company has proved itself one
of the most successful firms in the Yves
They have five men on the road and ha'
built up the business in the last eighties
70. months, and had been in their new qua
VS. tiers one year the 18th of this month.
d, The building cost 81, 80; total wreck ar
to insurance $4,000.
a AT THE CITY OFFICES
ed The city clerk and assistants are bu: