Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-07-21

OF the cold storage warehouse Ut the
worlds lair grounds naS led to some
considerable embarrassment to firms
concerned and to the divulging of Ger
tain particulars not before known.
The report is now very firmly ground
ed and is becoming currently substan-
uated that the insurance companies
had been given Il tip by their learned
ones upon the condition of the build
ing and had withdrawn their insurance.
and the cold storage company had
not been able to find any companies,
UP to the date of the fire, willing to
accept the risk. So the loss to the
cold storage company is practically to-
tai.
The cold storage plant was operated
by the Hercules iron works, of Aurora,
a stock company of which the ma jority
of the stock was owned by John i.
Skinner, the president and treasurer,
and Charles MacDanield, the secretary
of the company. 1t had been granted
the concession of furnishing ice and
cold storage and for running an anti
fetal ice skating rink-the ice being
made by the companys ice machines.
The plant at Jackson park was just
completed at cost of over 100000.
The company loses everything except
the ice freezing tanks and pipes, but
the cost of recovering them from the
ruin will greatly exceed their value
Mr.. Macdonald, the secretary at Au-
rora, was seen today and he stated
hot hn hnl nf ln
fire originated, unless by the careless
ness of Workmen. 1T was not from
the smoke stack" said he to the re-
porter; that was Impossible. BESIDES
l had had large hole cut into the
tower fourteen feet across, through
which escape steam was directed, keep
ing most of the woodwork moist and
damp. Electricians have been ut work
in the tower wiring for new lights and
it may have started from the explo.
sion of one Of their lamps. We shall
not rebuild. 1t was really too big an
affair for one man to handle. The prof
it would not pay ut this stage of the
fair"
Were you not warned by Fire Mar
shall Murphy that the chimney was
unSafe?'
Il never heard such a complaint.
There was no ground for complaint
The architects, Edbrook and Burnham,
planned to carry the friedrich about
the smoke stack up only forty feet; and
to be sure of no danger we carried it
up seventy-five feet. We regarded the
building as thoroughly safe"
/ The Hercules iron works had so
laid itself out OH its structure at Jack
son park, that the loss to it was very
was forced to assign to the Chicago
Title and Guarantee company. The
plant will not shut down as it was
in q very prosperous condition with
large orders upon it's books. The
creditors will not crowd the company.
Attorney William George, of Aurora,
the representative of the company,
said today that judgments were con-
fessed and entered UP merely to as
sure the creditors that they will be
protected, and the parties have mutual
ly agreed not to interfere with the
company in filling it's orders. The
old Second National bank, of Aurora,
is concerned in the transaction to the
tune of about $4,000; and Henry Gil
lett, Of that city, is behind an interest
of about $4,000. Other small creditors
are interested in the aggregate to the
extent of $1,000 or $4,000. The
greatest concern for the welfare Of
the company is felt at Aurora, and it is
thought that public-spirited citizens
will come forward If assistance is
needed.
The Hercules company does not fear
the responsibility which must be placed
somewhere over the condition of the
warehouse. If the warehouse were not
properly constructed it was the duty
Of the superintendent Of construction
of the fair to have known Of it and
remedied it. His responsibility is not
in the least lessened because the strue-
tlre was owned and built by private
individuals. The company denies be-
ing cautioned against leaving the tow
er in the condition in which 1t was
burned by the fire department officials.
But the building should never have
been allowed to be opened by the ex-
position authorities until it was pro-
nounced safe.