The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-07-26
S55,OOO CONFEDERATION! F.!
REYNOLDSvILLE WooLEN MILL
TOTALLY DESTROYED.
The Fire Companies and Citizens Done
Quick and Effective Work.

The Fire Companies and Citizens Done
Quick and Effective Work.
IL has been many years since as large
and destructive fire visited Reynolds
vile as the one last Thursday morning.
A few minutes after eight o'clock the
large wooden mill OF Sykes, Allis e.
Moorhouse was discovered TO be on fire.
The alarm was given and the fire com
panies were not long In getting TO
where the fire Hend was devouring val
liable property. All attempts TO save
the factory or any of the machinery was
fruitless. Everything about the building
was good material for the fire TO feed
on. There was more or less oil over all
the floors and machinery from the eel
lar TO third floor. The 6remen saw
they could do nothing with the factory
and they tried 10 save the store, but as
IL was close 10 the mill ard the heat
was intense their efforts 10 save the
store, the building for storing wool
which was filled with $1,000 worth OF
woodland two wagon sheds, was also
failure. The flremen gained the vic
tory and stayed the flames after the
sides, next 10 the mill, Of two dwelling
houses were burned out. Amidst the
heat and smoke the men fought bravely
10 save the balance Of the property
nearby. At one time the flames were
climbing so high and the sparks were
falling so fast that the Ross House, A.
V. Ry Co.'S freight house, superintend-
ent's office and passenger station, and n
number Of dwelling houses were in i'm
minent danger OF going up in smoke.
The Moore House, which stands across
the railroad, about one thousand feet
from the fire, had little blaze started
on the roof from burning ember falling
upon it.
The two fire companies, the Bell e.
Lewis Hose Co., the A. V. R'y Hose Co.,
and the employees Of the tannery and II
number Of citizens were doing good
work, but Supt. Rumsey wanted TO be
on the safe side and he wired TO Dubois
for assistance. The gravel train engine.
4S, with Martin Gleason engineer and
Daniel Nolan conductor, which was at
Falls Creek, was sent up TO Dubois
TO bring the Union Co. and engine,
John h. Dubois Co. and Volunteer Hose
Co. TO Reynoldsvile. The train was
given clear track and Gleason pulled
the throttle out two or three inches
farther than he gets an opportun-
ity to do on the gravel train and
he and Mr.. Nolan enjoyed a "ny
ride" TO Reynoldsville. The fire com
pany men were badly frightened and
some OF them laid down on the fiat cars
and clung to anything they could get
hold Of to keep the train from running
out from under them. The fire was
under control by the time the Dubois
| fire companies arrived and their para
| phernalias were not unloaded from the
| cars.
The fire originated in the picking
room by spark from nail in the wool.
Once before there was IA small blaze in
this room from match in the wool but
the fire was quickly extinguished that
time. There was hose attached ready
for use at moments notice in the pick
ing room. Blaine Grubbs, a lad not far
in his teens, was the only person in the
room when the oily wool caught fire.
The boy says he had the hose in his
hand but could not turn the valve and
he ran down stairs to give the alarm
but the flames spread so rapidly that all
that could be done by the employees
was to escape from the fast burning
building with their lives. ID. III. Leach
jumped from a second story window
only second before the floor he had
been on fell with crash. Mr.. Moor
house, one of the proprietors, was badly
burned about the arms and head in at.
tempting to turn on the water in the
picking room.
The woolen mill plant was valued al
$4,000 with only 5000 insurance
They had 5000 worth Of wool stored
away, $1,000 Of which was put in
only few days before the fire. A
thousand pounds Of soap was put In
Wednesday. Nearly $1,000 worth o.
dyes was burned up. There was nearly
$1,000 worth Of Aannels, &C., in tn,
store room, $1,000 of which was de
stroyed because number Of men stood
around with their hands in their pockets
looking on. With more help all tn,
goods in the store could have beef
saved. A healthy man who will stant
and look on when another's property 4
being destroyed and he could assist il
saving it, is deserving of no sympath.
or aid when in like trouble, and ye
such men would expect others to worl