Middletown transcript., 1891-09-17

stroyed by fire karly SATURDAY mdlElllll
and it was the most disastrous conf1a
: grafton that town has seen for many
years.
9 The buildings destroyed were thu
blacksmith shop, fine mill, bending
: mill, socket shot and ball grindery, en-.
failing loss now estimated at $500,
600. The whole works occupy an area
: Of about seven acres, and are situated
on the Delaware river, mile south Of
the centre Of the town and short dis
tance east of Dobbinsville. The fact
that they were running steadily and
paying out good wages to force oi
nearly 800 men weekly, makes them
New Castles chief industry, and a
long suspension Of the works would be
deeply felt by everybody. Fortunately
a large portion of the plant was saved,
for which the New Castle fire depart.
ment is deserving OF all the credit.
The fire was discovered just at seven
O'Clock on Saturday night by some
residents of Dobbinsville, who noticed
a small sheet of flame issuing from the
ball grindery, which adjoins the main
building and under which the bending
and f1ue mills are situated. Several
men at once alarmed the watchman
and the handful of people at once
formed a bucket brigade and began
work on the fire. In a few minutes
the flames began spreading rapidly.
and in very short time the fire had
reached the bending and f1ue mills. the
flames shooting hundred feet in the
air meanwhile the whistle sounded a
vigorous alarm and the Lenape Fire
Company promptly responded. In
short time three streams from the
river were playing upon the flames and
three more forced by the pumping en-
gine at the works.
BY 10 o'clock all that was left of the
fire was smouldering ruins and the
crowd of spectators dispersed and the
gates leading to the works were closed.
The firemen. however, remained on
the scene until s O'Clock Sunday morn
ing, the engine being in service for a
good portion of the night. The origin
of the fire is mystery.
The mills destroyed are the most i'm
portant part of the works and the
whole plant is temporarily crippled.
The bending and fue mills is practi-
cally the starting point. All the pipes
and tubes are made here and the other
departments put the finishing touches
on the manufactured material. Fortu-
nately most of the machinery, which is
Of the latest improved pattern and
valued at several thousand dollars, is
underground and slightly damaged.
The large furnaces are badly wrecked.
but some of them will stand repair.
The fire could not have happened at a
worse time. The works We're inst
commencing on their fall trade, which
vas very promising. The burned {
are fully insured. The exact |
however, could not be ascer- 4
aimed.
The Delaware Iron Works are oper- 4
ted by Morris, Tasker & Company of q
They were erected in y
873 and cost million dollars. Since I
hen it is estimated that over $780, b
90 worth Of improvements have been Ii
lade. The machinery in the cutting n
hop alone is valued at $500, 900. The I
liant is the largest of it's kind in this If
'ction of the country, and the mater ri
is manufactured are wrought iron, v,
ater and gas pipe, boiler tubes and te
'tings. Their goods have national r
putation and shipments are frequent
made to foreign countries.
AS soon as the insurance agents have
ewed the ruins, the work of rebuild he
g the destroyed mills will begin. N