The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-04-26
A GREAT INDUSTRY
Totally Destroyed by Fire Last
Evening-Loss Very Heavy.
BURNING OF KING & HAMILTON cos
Splendid Wagon and Farm Implement
Factory-The Fire Starts on the Sec
ond Floor and Leaves Nothing but
the Paint-ShOp and once,
A BIG FIRE.

hundred and twenty-five workmen II
was Tuesday blackened ruin, whose
four corners stand as sentinels above
a mass of foul and unsightly embers
At ten Monday night fire was dis
covered on the second floor of the grea,
farm implement and wagon works OF
the King & Hamilton company. The
fire department was at once notified
but before water could be directed tC
the building the entire second and
third floors were burning mass,
smoke pouring from the crevices about
the windows and from under the cor
nices. The firemen began their work
upon the southwest corner, but every
light broken to admit the streams OF
water only gave draft to the flames,
which, accompanied by volumes OF
smoke, poured out of the windows.
Seeing that the one engine was
wholly inadequate to the needs of
the hour, the second engine was
placed in position and five streams di-
rected into the building, which was
soon frey furnace from the second
floor to the roof. In twenty minutes
the roof burned through and fell in,
carrying with it in its descent the
third floor. Then the first floor was
added to the flames and in few min
utes the second floor fell, carrying
everything to the cellar.
Then, despite the efforts of the fire.
man, the west end of the south wall
fell with loud crash. Ten minutes
later the east end fell ard soon the
west and east walls followed. Then
all hope Of saving any part OF the
building vanished. In half an hour
the eastern end Of the north wall fell
upon the switch and the east-bound
track. Some time before the wall fell,
however, Agent Prettyman, of the
Rock Island road, seized lantern and
rushing back, tagged an east-bound
freight and ran the engine up to the
switch, upon which were seven cars,
valued at 1000. These were quickly
coupled together and gotten away
before much damage was done them.
When it was found that it was i'm
possible to save the main building,
attention was turned to the Office,
paint shop and lumber piles. The
bridge connecting the factory with the
paint shop was cut away and Il stream
of water directed upon the front Of
this building, keeping it protected
from the intense heat. In this way
the Office and a house near by were
also saved.
Half an hour after the alarm was
turned in, fully 1000 people stood
upon either hank of the canal and
feeder and upon Marquette street,
watching the progress of the flames.
One by one they were driven back
from the building as the fire advanced
and when it had reached its climax OF
ferocity, all but the brave firemen,
some thirty in number, had retreated
to safe distance from the blistering
heat and thousands of flying sparks.
At cevery crash of falling floor or
wall the crowd retreated, until the
fury Of the flames had spent itself.
Great clouds of heavy black and
gray smoke foated over the north end
of the city, carrying with them mil
lions Of sparks, while the blazing tim
bers lit up the surrounding country
with the brightness OF hundred
thousand electric lights. The scene
was one Of ferOcious beauty: not such
a one as men delight To look upon.
At ! o'clock this morning the fire
was gotten under control, and naught
portion Of the north and west
walls, with the brick partitions re-
main or the line factory building.
The paint shop, the Office, the
spoke and axle warehouse and few
of the piles Of lumber are left intact.
All else Is ruin. At o'clock Mr.
Taylor, of the Clifton house, sent the
fire boys nice lunch of rolls and hot
coffee, which was dispensed under the
direction of Mrs. G.. c. Rickley.
The fire department exerted all pos
sible energy in fighting the fire, but
had there been ten engines throwing
water instead of two, IL would have
made but little difference, as the fire,
when discovered, was under great
Roadway and burning almost in the
center OF the building, where IL could
not be reached.
TIE LOSS.
The King & Hamilton company's
large wagon and farm machinery
works will be rebuilt at once, and the |
men thrown out of work by the fire |
will be employed in the work. The
loss to the company Is about sl20,O OO
or about $4,000 more than estimated |
during the progress of the flames. The |
insurance amounts TO $4,000, placed |
with some . mutual insurance com
panies.
The wOrkmens losses In tools burned |
are: Daniel Beckwth, 500: c. Beers.
500: John Burns, s75; Dan Wright.
500; A. J. Bennett. sl75 1925 ins,Ir.
ance); John Wendell, s25; Thos.