Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27
FIRE-BUGS AT WORK.
Three Blazes in Soho Discovered in
Less Than 100 Minutes.
TUBE WORKS BADLY DAMAGED.
Moorhead, McCleane & Co., Lose $4,000
on Their Machinery.
FOUR OTHER FIRES IN THE TWO CITIES

Several fires occurred last evening at
Soho, and the origin Of three are wrapped
in mystery. In two cases, at least. incen-
diarism is given as the origin of the fires.
Shortly after 10 o'clock last night the
watchman at the machine shops attached to
Moorhead's Tube Works, on Brady street.
Soho, observed flames issuing from
the shop. He ran to the Fourteenth
ward station and notified Sergeant
Headrick. No. engine company was just
returning from the fire at box 90, and the
Sergeant ran out into the street and started
them for the second fire. They went to work
at once, but the fire had obtained too much
headway, and Assistant Chief Steele sent
in two alarms from station 81.
The portion of the works on fire was the
machine shop connected with the tube
works Of Moorhead, McCleane & Co. and
was two-story ironclad building. Beside
it was another two-storv ironclad
building, containing the offices of the
tube works. The fire spread rap
idly and was communicated to
the Office building. Both were badly dam
aged, the interior of the machine shop being
burned out and the second story of the other
building being burned. The fire was e1-
tinguished before the place was entirely de-
stroyed.
HEAVY LOSS ON MACHINERY.
The damage, it was stated BY officials of
the works, would range from SIS, 900 to 500
900. In the shop there was a large quantity
OF valuable machinery, comprising lathes,
dies for cutting thread on pipes, &c., all OF
stroyed. The office building was finished
in hard wood and the upstairs portion was
used as store room for patterns, &c.
Eighteen clerks were employed in the build
ing.
The origin of the fire is not known. There
was no fire in the building other than gas
jets. The watchman stated that il must
have started from gas escaping from leak
catching fire from one of the jets. The loss
is almost covered by insurance. The de-
struction of the shop and Office will incon-
venience the tube work considerably for a
time but will not compel a shut down.
At $40 fire was discovered in the old car
sheds and stables of the Second avenue
street cor line, Soho. The building at pres
ent contains few old cars and lot of hay
and there is nobody in charge of the build
ing. When the department carriage arrived
a Babcock was sufficient to e1tinguish
the flames. From the appearances
of the interior of the building it looks as if
the fire was of incendiary origin. A lot Of
loose hay and boards was piled ND in one
end of the place against the side of the shed,
and it was this that was on fire.
ANOTHER INCENDIARY BLAZE.
The alarm from box IS at IL o'clock last
night was caused by the burning of the
sheds in and about the brick yard of Henry
Dickson & Sons, at the corner of Seneca
and Tustin streets. The supposition is that
the place was set on fire. There was no fire
about the place and no one seemed to know
Just where the blaze first started. The dry
sheds and mold sheds, covering about 120
square feet of ground, were entirely con-
sumed, eptailing loss OF about $1,000, on
which there is insurance Of $1,000.
Yesterday afternoon the rig of the Gra-
ham we'll at the West View field was burned,
the loss and resulting expense being about
1000. Gas was struck in the salt sand,
and the escaping fluid caught fire from the
forge. One of the dIillers had a narrow
escape from the flames. The tools are in
the hole.
An alarm of fire from box 38, Allegheny,
about o'clock last night was caused by the
burning of a shed in the yard Of the Da-
mascus Bronze Company, South avenue.