The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-10-13
10 tie WING.
A COSTLY FIRE
The Mccullough Iron Works at North East
Partly burned

The Mccullough Iron Works at North Easi
Partly Burned
NORTH EAST, Oct II, 1894.
The Mccullough Iron Company
Works here were visited by serious fire
on Tuesday evening, which for a time
threatened to destroy tho entire plant.
The works consists OF Eve depart
ments, two sheet mills, bar mill, forge
and annealing furnace, and which are all
Joined together The bar mill and build.
ing over the engines were the largest
| The fire broke cut in the bar mill engine
room and was first discovered by Thomas
Hitchcock, the engineer, about Z o'clock
who went out for e short time and
returning saw the entire cngiue room in
flames. l. is the general opinion that
the waste kept III the room and the ma
chine grease everywhere, which it is
necessary to use, staretd the flames. An
| effort was made to -extinguish the
flames but they had gained considerable
| heaiway. Manager James Mallen, ard
tho Chief Engineer G. w. Reynolds,
were Immediately notified aud hurried to
| to the scene, with all possible speed.
| The pipes connecting the furnaces with
| the oil tank were cut off, sEd buried, al
precautions beirg taken to prevent a
| boiler explosion. The large water Wheel
was started at its utmost speed. the hose
kept On hand was attached to tho forge
dandy pump, bat by this time the fire
had gained considerable Roadway and an
appeal was telcgrapbed to the fire depart
ment in Wilmington, for = fire engico
and company. In the meantime the hose
was turned on the flames and the men
went to work to the number OF Il huG-
dred.or more, 70 save the plant. Mr.. VI.
Irving Walker vice president of the
company who happened to pass the
works about 7.30 O'Clock in the limited
express from Philadelphia 20 Baltimore
saw the fire from the car window. He
went to Parryville and returned on the
SIG O'Clock train and joined in the work
OF fighting tte flames. Il was hard
fight, the men conducted themselves in
such a way as to equal the work OF az
fire company. After the fire wes over
many wondered how the fire vas pu5 out
at all, without consuming all the build
ing, but they were favored with q light
wind and moderate rain which began
at O'Clock, and the root of ali the build
iugs being of sheet iron and the sides in
some cases being covered with CORFU
gated iron, with a steady stream from
the pump anC the bucket brigade, the
fire was gotten under coutrol.
The fire burned over an hour and
half. \ telegram was immediate II
dispatched to stop the fire engine
which had not yet left Wilmington. The
bar mill building was entirely destroyed
as was also the water sheet mill except
the lower side, which was somewhat pro
tected by the large water wheel, which
threw water some distanc,. Al old
building over tie kitchen pudiling far
mace and the new part erected three
J h9c Ci0iS iO
large Corlips engine was damaged by the
falling timber and neat 80 that it is
worthless, the Spear and other small
engines are all badly damaged aud tho
machinery broken up. Altogether it is
estimated the damage will reach $50, 900.
A large number of men were keps at the
works all night but the heavy rain dur
ing that time put the flames out entirely,
but left desolate scene which was
visited during Wednesday BY hundreds
OF people. The works arc insured in firms
outside of the State, in Philadelphia and
New York and the loss is nearly covered
AS soon as the damage is adjusted the
work of rebuilding will begin at once
At this time the forge, steam sheet mill
and Shannon mill are running aud a turn
of heaters will be sent to Wilmington on
Monday to mako iron Tor the North East
sheet mills. \ great deal of credit Is
due the Manager James Maiien and the
men. not only employees OF the company
but citizens, who made such al effort
to save the mill which is the largest
in the county OF any kind Gnd employs
300 men, when all departments are run
ming. A, present over so men will be
deprived of work.
The first loss tho company sustained
BY fire occurred ten years after the build
ing of the plant here in 1852, when the
works we're burned to the ground. They
were rebuilt and enlarged TO their pre-
sent size. The Shannon sheet mill was
destroyed twenty five years ago, and this
is the first fire to occur since that date.
The insurance companies in which the
iron works are Insured are as follows:
The German American, $40, 900; Royal,
England, s., 900; Liverpool, So, 600; Lon
don and Union, s., 900, ell of England,
with offices at New York and Philadel-
phia; Fire Ass Jciation of Phildelphia,
So, 0U0; Union of Philadelphia, 5000;
and $4,000 each in Phoenix, Springfield,
and the SUP, Lancashire, England,
making a total on all the work of $40, 900
including Shannon sheet mill. Several
members of the company went over the
burned portion gu Wednesday, bn5 tie
insurance companies officers at this writ
ing have not arrived.