The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-25
The Chair Factory of @. H.
BOulware & Bro. Re-
duced tO Ashes.
Over One Hundred WOrkmen
Thrown Out Of EN-
plOyment.
Property Destroyed to the Amount Of
$l5,OOO.

Ats o'clock on last Monday evening
a colored workman in the vanishing
department of c. H. Bouiware & Bros
chair factory struck match in order to
light his lamp. A burning piece OF the
match fell or was thrown into large
tank containing varnish in which the
chairs are dipped. The varnsh is of
highly inflammable nature, containing
large quantities of henzine and other
oils The result was an explosion, which
in a moment coninan Gated the fire TO
the partly completed furniture with
which the room was filed. TIE alarm
was Immediately spread through the
building, and O. desperate fight was made
by the workmen to extinyuish the fire
or confne It until the fire department
arrived The finishing department is on
the third floor, aud was therefore very
difficult of access with water. Mean.
while the hands went to work with q
will and succeeded in removing the
Office furniture end books AMI all the
most valuable machinery on the ground
floor.
After the engine arrived some delay
was experienced in getting into action,
owing co the scarcity of water and the
lack of sufficient hose. A cistern con
tsining an unlimited quantity of water
was under the building, but its situation
prevented it being used by the engine
The water used during the fire was taken
from the cistern in front of the Main
street school building and from pond
on he premises.
The factory of Boulware & Bro. was
filled from foundation to roof with
thoroughly seasoned chair stock in all
stages Of manufacture. The building
was light frame structure, and all the
conditions were present for grand con.
flayration when once started. The flames
spread directly from the third to
the second floor. The men who
were trying to save the machinery were
driven ont and the entire structure soon
became blazing mass The combus.
tible material burned with great fierce
ness and within an incredibly short
time the whole concern was reduced to
ashes quantity of unfinished work
which had been removed from the builc
ing and piled up on the north side O.
the road, caught fire from sparks anC
burned with the rest.
The chair factory of G. H Boulware 4
Bro removed from Williamsburg, Cler
mont county, to Hillsboro in October
1889. The building ami lot occupied b,
: them Was bonus from the people o
Hillsboro. The main building was 100,
so feet and three stories high. The frs
floor was filled with machinery used il
saving, turning and getting ready tn
material. The second floor was used il
! Gaming and upholstering chairs an
, putting the parts together. Abou
twenty young women and girls wer
employed in this department On tn
third floor the work Is painted an
:, vanished and the finished chairs store
for shipment. 1t was in the third foo
that the fire originated at about tn
center of the building.
!, There were finished goods to the valu
8 of S., 600 in the ware room at the tim
9 of the fire which together with $500
|. worth of unfinished material was tots
:; loss. The total loss is $4,000. Their
= was no insurance.
7. The occurrence of the calamity at thi
:, time is a severe blow to the workin
men and to the industrial advancement
}. of Hillsboro, which it will requir
energy. enterprise and courage to ovel
come. The firm was furnishing employ
!, ment to over 100 hands and their pa
! ! roll amounted to many hundreds {
), dollars per week.
! The firm was engaged in the manr
:. facture of q medium class of dining an
g kitchen chairs, cane seated and plus
!. upholstered parlor chairs and rocker
!, Their goods have been finding q read
!, and growing market in the South an
West and the outlook was encouragln
!. for a prosperous future trade. The fri
is composed of @. H. and A. v. Bou
ware, with Mr.. Flynn as superintendent
The misfortune which befell the grow
v ing enterprise just as it wa, gettin
q barely upon its feet will not put sto
n ! to the manufacture of furniture in Hill
!. boro. The factory will probably be re
q established ON a location more Col
q venient to transportation, and in th
a shortest time possible unemployed me
4 will be provided with work.
Mr.. Lloyd Not Dead.
= | n