The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-18
FIRES DESTRUCTIVE WORK
Lewis-Porter Cabinet Company's Works
Partially Destroyed Last Night.
II Involves q Loss Estimated at So, 900. Fully
Covered BY nsurance-Noihing Known
the Origin of the Planes.

A call for help was sent to the city fire
department. about $50 o'clock last night
from West indianapolis, whore the Lewis
Porter cabinet worke were In q destroy ing
blaze. The department responded with
three companies. but wss not able to rem
der much assistance for lack OF water. The
nearest plug was two thousand feet away.
aud this proved to be the only one in reach.
The local fire department had one line of
hose attached to this. The water ayaila-
bic. therefore. was of little effect.
There was nothing saved of the machin-
cry department.. and oaIy fortunate play
of the rather heavy wind from the north
saved the large warehouse. This lies only
about thirty feet from the destroyed build
ing, and as il was. with the wind blow
ing the other direction. the intense heas
came very neat setting it on fire. The part
destroyed included the engine room and
the drying kiln. The latter contained
$4,000 feet of mahogany lumber. The
lumber yard was set attire. lying directly
IN the path of the flame. This was mostly
quartered oak and some walnut. and was a
costly kind of lumber. Ben Hackemsn.
who is stock keeper In tho lumber yard.
said that mono of the lumber In
the yard cost less than from
SSS TO ei4 Thousand feet.
This was all destroyed, and made
very hot fire. 1t burned slowly, but with
appalling ferceness. The sparks were car
rIed with the wind TO the yards of the Sar-
Aen wheel works plant. but there was no
danger. from the fact that. between the
buildings and the shavlngs In the yard
which were set atre. there was pond OF
water. The W heel works are several squares
distant. and there are no houses interven-
ing between them and she destroyed WORKS
The origin of the flre Is not known. Mr.
Frank Mcconnell, the superintendent OF
the works, said to q Journal reporter: II
was working in the shop. laying out some
my Overcoat TO 60 home. As l stepped
ont of the Office door, into an
apartment leading into the machinery
room, 1 saw u great blaze. lt wac in the
center OF the building and was already too
hot for me TO get very near IT. 1 pulled
the box. The night watchmen and fonr
others of the men had been In this part or
the building not over i've or ten minutes
before. Bert Werzinske; foreman. and
three of the cabinet workers had been at
work during the evening. They left shortly
before 1 did, as l had not quite finished
what 1 was working at. The ire 10 mys-
terry TO me-"
The blaze was seen by Merchant police
man Einney, who also sent In an alarm.
The flames were then leaping through the
roof. They spread so rapidly that
nothing could be done to save the building.
Ii was then abOut9 O'Clock. In the course
of an hour the walls OF this part
of the structure were . mass OF RUNS.
blazing with intense heat. The building
was l00x200 feet In size and only one story
high. lt was built four years ago. about
the time that the company began business.
There was much valuable machinery IN 1t.
especially che hydraulic presses whIch were
need In pressing the glued veneer to the
bodies of desks. etc. The number et men
employed in this department. wac abouS
fifty-tive, and there are about seventy men
who will tenn porsrily oe thrown out OF
work. The offices of she company were de-
stroyed, and the books of the firm were all
In the safe. This was q fire-proof safe. and
no donbt when il can DO eXtrlcated from
she debris to-day the books will be found
intact The hooks not In the safe were
saved by the superintendent The office
furniture was also saved.
Mr.. Charles Lewis 10 the active head of
the concern, but went to Chicago the first
part of the week TO attend the worlds
fair. 1t was therefore difficult last night
to get q statement: of insurance. IT is
known. however. that the company was
accustomed TO keep fully insured. and it
was SO stated by those connected with the
being the case. it is presumed that the
company will at once begin To rebuild. 1t
has been doing largo business In the
manufacture of fine grades OF desks. side
boards. ohitfoniers. etc. The company did
@ large export bueIues.
The chemical tanks of both the local
company and of the city chemical compa-
Mes were exhausted without Derceptlble
effect on the blaze. The local companies
howeN or. refilled the tanks with the chem
zeal PREF aration and made q second effort
TO save some OF the lumber. Very little
was accomplished. The fire had too much
the start. The blaze as unusually bright,
being free from smoke, and lighted mp the
great deal of complaint on the part of
West Indianapolis citizens on ac-
count of the Incomplete. almost to-
total, lack of means to resist the
location of plugs had been selected, but
that the water company. which has the
contract to put tho plugs In connection
with the mains. had been very Negligent
about dong so: though ordered some time
since to proceed with the WORK at once.
There was q desperation to blame the town
board for not compelling the company to
| finish the work.
The fire, of course. attracted q large
crowd, though the factory is quite a dis
tance from residence portions of the suburb.
| It is. in fact, so isolated that the premises
we're q rendezvous for rabbits. One un-
fortunate bBnnie became blind with fright
| and darted out among tile crowds. yell
| was set up and. sflll more frightened, the
! rabbit turned right into the tiames In its
| blind race and was burned TO death.
The Company and It's Goods.
The firm consists of Samuel p. Porter.
who lives in New York. and has charge OF
| the Eastern branch of the business; Charles
s. Lewis, who is secretary and treasurer OF
the company. and lives at No. GOO North
| Illinois street. and Charles A. Lewis, who
boards at No 529 North Meridian n, hos