Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-19
WAS An UGLY FIRE
a Fierce Blaze Consumes
hartmann's Foundry
DESPITE EFFORTS TO SAVE 1T
The Firemen Saccscd N Saving Adjoining
Buiidings-The Loss Is $4,000,
Parity Insured.

shortly after o'clock last night IRE
machine shop, near the corner of Front
and West Fulton streets. aud the estab-
lIshmens was totally destroyed. The
origin OF the fire Is not definitely
known. 1t Was first discovered by some
Of the employees in the Priestly sleigh
and express wagon factory. VINO were
working nights. The fire had started
somewhere IN the vicinity OF the boiler
room, which Is located about the center
of the south SIDE of the building. An
alarm was turned in fran box No. 7l3,
but before the department reached the
fire the entire foundry part OF the
structure was in blaze. The ire
was one OF the uglIest the de-
partment has ever nad 10 contend with
and kept the entire force busy for over
an hour. The building was So long
and the heat was 60 intense that the
lighting had To be done mainly from
the street aud the water could not
reach the hottest part of the fire. An
accident TO No. hose cart delayed the
department until the flames had oh
tanned mastery of the situation. The
structure was about 2O0 feet long aud
was wedged In between the Henderson
x McGraw Carpet Beating works and
another wooden structure. The build
ing was wooden one, and III spite or
the efforts of the department the
flames spread rapidly and the structure
burned like finder. IL was impossible
TO save any Of the patterns or machln-
| cry, aud when this became evident the
| tiremen turned part of their attention to
| the Henderson & McGraw's factory. II
was less than fifteen feet distant from
| the blazing building, but it was saved t,
| and the damage TO 1t will not exceed
| $500.
About 500 Lost
The total Losses on the Hartmann
| building and machinery will foot up
| about $4,000. There is an insurance
| of about $4,000 on the building and
contents. the foundry and machine
shop employed about thirty-fve men,
| most of whom lost their tools. The
machine shop was owned by II. F.
foundry was owned by H.J. Hartmann.
the machine stop.
| urIc was WI hiuH III tuO
| foundry, where the fire started yester-
| day afternoon. A casting of brass had
| been made IN the morning and the
J fires drawn. Before the men went to
supper Mr.. Hartmann had them thor
oughly wet down the boiler room. He
is uncertain whether he will rebuild or
| not.
| No. hose carst had an accident on
the way to the fire and the men mar
rowIy escaped serious injury. While
| coming down Fulton street, near the
corner of Winter, the driver, Michael
Maher. saw a lantern near the middle
| of the street and turned to the left to
AVOID it. As ne did so he saw an open
sewer in front of the horses. He tried
to turn them, but it was too late, and
men, horses and cart went into the
sewer. William Fitzpatrick was thrown
clear over the cart and on the railroad
track, but sustained no in uries beyond
a general shaking up. Michael Maher
| fell between the horses in the ditch,
and IS wondering yet how he escaped
being killeu. The horses were finally
pulled out Of the sewer, not seriously
injured. The excavation is about eight
feet deep. There was only one lantern
to mark the locality and that was at
the end of the excavation. Leonard
Schneider is said to be the contractor
having the work in charge.