Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-18

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1.-THE fertilizer.
works of the Tysert-Allen Company, at
Delaware avenue and Bigler street. were
almost entirely destroyed by fire yesterday
afternoon. The abandoned warehouse of
the Standard Oil Company. Immediately
north, was utterly demolished. while the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company's coal
piers and sheds, adjoining on the south,
narrowly escaped destruction. The total
loss is estimated at S250,O00.
The exact origin of the fire is a mystery,
although it is known to have started in the
grinding room, near the centre of the main
building. John Bestler, an employee who
was at work in that room shoveling bone
into the mill, was startled by tongue of
fame which shot from the spout Of the
mill, slightly burning him about the neck
and face.
Bestler at once sounded the alarm, and
within five minutes tho employees, with
two streams of water, were battling with
the flames, which, in this brief space Of
time, had made such Roadway owing to
the inflammability Of the building, which
Is Of wood and very dry, as to be utterly
Soon after the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company's tug Varuna, which was living
only short distance off in the river
came up, followed little later by the tugs
Jamesburg Alert the police tug Stokley
the Mary ]. Walker, r. W. Mum and
finally the Samuel G. King, the Schuyl--
kills harbor police boat, all doing good
work in extinguishing the flames.
In the meantime an alarm had been
turned in by Sergeant German of the
Twenty-fifth police district, but owing to
the remoteness of the works RS well as the
difficulty of approach, the engines were
unable to reach the scene till nearly half
"a saEt L.. l.. l. =.
No. 10 from Eighth and Morris streets
being the first to put in an appearance.
Engines 3, IL and "a arrived a very few
moments later.
OTHER BUILDINGS ABLAzE.
All this time the fire was spreading rap
idly toward the river driven by strong
wind which was blowing almost directly
from the west, and it was only few min
utes before the long storage shed immedi-
ately adjoining the main building on the
east was cnveloped in flames, and the oil
soaked warehouse of the Standard Oil
Company, set on fire by flying sparks, was
| almost demolished. Although streams of
water were kept constantly PLAYING on the
buildings already on fire, the chief atten-
ton was directed to saving the adjoining
structures, which were likewise Of wood
and looked as If doomed to destruction.
The warehouse on the wharf, which was
well stored with the raw products as well
as the phosphate itself, and which was at
the eastern extremity of the burning stor-
| age shed, was saved only by the strenuous
and lntiring efforts of the tugmen, while
the iiremen devoted their energies to the
preservation of the drying house and stor-
age sheds, which extend westward from
the main building.
RAILROAD PROPERTY IN DANGER.
Although the shed of the Pennsylvania
Nnfta tiss ..nl.. IL 1
only ~ feet south of the fertilizing
works, was on fire. by the timely
| work OF the company's tugs Varuna and
Jamesburg, under the direction of Fire
Marshal Heston, the flames were soon ex-
tinquished and the destruction of the
Pennsylvania's coal piers and sheds ad-
Joining thereby prevented.
Two streams OF water were all the while
kept playing on the derrick. over the mix
ing house, on the top Of which rested two
mammoth acid tanks, which, although
empty would have caused disastrous ex-
plosion had they fallen on the huge boil
ers i'll the engine room Just beneath them
II was only by the most industrious and
| interchangeable labor that this catastrophe
was prevented, as the derrick, which is of
wood, was several times in flames, burning
| fierccly.
1t was by surrounding the fire with
streams OF water that the flames were con-
lined to the burning buildings and the
destruction of the entire plant of the
Iygert-Allen Company prevented.
THE DESTROYED PROPERTY.
The fire destroyed the main building, a
two-story structure about 800 feet square,
with all its contents. which included the
entire plant of machinery and large
quantity of stock; also the one-story
storage shed east of it, which was about
40U 1eet by ~, with the 10000 tons of phos-
phate stored in ii. The Standard Oil Com
pany's warehouse, which was utterly de.
| molished, was q two-story wooden build
ing about $50 by $50 feet 1t had been
formerly used as storage place for oil in
barrels, and was oil soaked, so that il
burned like tinder
The loss to the Tygert-Allen Company.
tendent at the works, is about S2jo, 900,
The buildings, stock and machinery were
insured, but it could not be learned whether
the insurance covered the loss.
The Standard Oil Company's loss will
come within $4,000.
AN EXTENSIVE ESTABLISHMENT.
The Tygert-Allen Company is an exten.
sive manufacturer of fertilizers. The
works and warehouses cover several acre,
OF ground, and in the busy season they
turn out from 200 to 80 tons Of phosphal,
per day, employing about 800 hands. This
is the very beginning of the busy time
and the works have been undergoing ex
tensive repairs in anticipation of ar
unusually large business during the com
NJ season.
Although large number of men ar,
thrown out OF employment by the fire
they Will soon be able to resume thei,
laDors as the works will be at once rebuilt
|