Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-12
FIRE AT M'KEESPORT
Destroys a Valuable Rolling Mill
Plant at a Heavy Loss.
IT OCCURRED AT AN EARLY HOUR.
The Loss Will Reach Nearly $15O,OOO, With
out ANY Insurance.
AN IRON AND BRICK BUILDING TO COME

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH!
MCKEEsPoRT, Oct. 1.-THE most de-
structive fire that has occurred in this city
for MANY wears was that which broke out
between and o'clock this morning, de-
stroying property valued at over S150,OGO.
The extensive planning mills, factories,
sheds, ETC., composing the plants of Messrs.
NeeI & Wampler, the original McKeesport
planning mills and lumber yards, caught fire
at that hour and made blaze and eonse-
quent excitement only equaled by the burn
ing of the old car works. The plant was
built entirely of wood and the buildings
being mostly old and dry, burned like tin
der.
At $3.50 o'clock a Tube Works watehman
discovered blaze in the large building,
and promptly gave the alarm. Fifteen
minutes after the entire plant was envel-
oped in flames and the city, the Tube
Works, and the Wood fire departments
played numerous streams on the confagra-
ton in vain. The heat finally became so
intense it was thought best to abandon the
buildings to their fate, and every effort was
turned to preventing spread OF the flames
to a row of some 90 frame tenement houses
t0oreDV, WHICH were uuu LuEedlcus
ing to blaze up every instant.
THE FIRE KEPT IN BOUNDS.
The handsome offices of the W. Devices
Wood plant, the large Walnut street build
ing of the Tube Works and the Jewish syna-
gogue and Pemickey freight depOts were
also threatened, and only by hard work was
the spread of fire prevented, and had not the
city fire department been reinforced by the
hoe oF 4bo oil
these would have gone. Tremendous ex-
citement followed the breaking out OF the
flames, and when the entire Neel &
Wampler plant, with hundred piles of
lumber in the yard, were found to be almost
a total loss. with every indication of the
fire spreading, CONSERVATION reigned in the
tenement houses and on the streets.
The roar of the flames sounded like q
Niagara, and foremen had the greatest diff
Guilty in making their orders understood.
The plant is located in the First ward, ad-
entire square from Walnut to Water,
Market and Third avenue, and threatening
property as it did on every side, there was a
tremendous hurry and skurry among the
residents of the neighborhood to get out
their goods Two hours after the fire was
discovered, it had nearly burned itself out,
though streams have been playing on the
ruins all day.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
It was at first thought the fire was he
work of incendiaries, but later investigation
showed the fire had started from within the
works, the supposition being it was a case
of spontaneous combustion in a pile Of
shavings and oils.
The plant consisted of the following
buildings, besides large yards containing
100 piles of fine lumber, ETC., all of which
was burned: An immense two-story planning
mill; a big factory, with the latest and most
costly machinery; large boiler and en-
gine house; six large warehouses, all
stocked to the roofs; wagon build
ings; stable and barn, both fully
stocked with hay and grain, and half dozen
large sheds The only articles of value
saved from the entire square were - splen-
did draught horses, which were taken out
with great difficulty. Twelve delivery
wagons with harness, ETC., were. burned.
Several Pemickey ears, loaded with lumber,
standing on the siding, were destroyed, the
fire in fact making a complete sweep of the
entire square. The direct loss to the firm
in actual property destroyed will reach
fully 100000, while stoppage of the
works, loss on orders and contracts will
run their total loss to not less than $500
on which there was not one cent of insUr-
ance. The firm dropped their insurance
years ago
TO REBUILD OF IRON AND BRICK.
Mr.. Wampler could not say positively
whether his firm would rebuild, as his part
ner, James Neel, of Monongahela City, will
not be able to get here until tomorrow. Mr..
Wampier, however, said he thought they
would rebuild with brick and iron buildings.
He said the business of the firm had doubled
within the past two years, and they could
not afford to lose their immense contracts
on account of a fire.
The firm has operated the plant for %
years continuously, and pays good many
hundred dollars per week to its employees.
1t was the oldest plant in the city, and has
been on fire fully 20 times, but heretofore
has always been saved. Orders have been
issued that the several fire departments
keep streams of water on the smOldering
ruins all night, for fear they may break out
anew. There is no doubt had the fire oc-
Cured in the day time. as did the others,
the plant would have been saved, as it had
got bevOnd control before q drop of water
was turned on it. People here are hopeful,
and believe it will be rebuilt on a larger
scale than before.