The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-01-31
DESTROYED.
The Entire Plant of the Royal
Brick Works Burned.
Bursting Hose Makes Fire Fighting
Extremely Difficult

But the Steamer is Placed in Position
and the Firemen Succeed in Doing
Some Excellent Work. Manager Gies.
sen Talks of the Company's Prospects
and Says the Works VIII be Rebuilt
as Fast as Money Can do it-A state
ment of the Loss and Insurance.
The plant of the Royal Brick Company was
burned Monday night. At about 1915 an
alarm of fire was telephoned 70 the central
engine house from the Brick Company's Of
flee, and also by the night Waterman at the
Wrought Iron Bridge Co.'s works. An alarm
/ was sent in and the entire department re-
/ sponded. When the department arrived they
found that the main building, containing the
machinery and the drying room, was in flames.
A line of hose was laid from the Wrought
Iron Bridge Works, but the hose burst and il
was impossible to use it.
The engine was then placed on n bridge
over a little creek that runs by the works and
a supply of water was obtained.
The firemen could do nothing towards saw.
| ing the main building and devoted their at
! tention to the engine and boiler house. This
was saved with but slight damage,
The origin of the fire is mystery. The
watchman was in the building at 1855 as
! shown by the indicator. lie also reported from
| two other stations. lie was accompanied
| by his boy, the teamster employed
I by the Brick company and the teamster's
brother The four people were in the building
not ten minutes before the fire broke out and
none Of them saw the fire nor smellcd the
smoke until some hcadway had been gained
by the flames.
The plant is not running now and has not
been for some time, and there was no fire
about the place except the Office, their being
no fire under the boilers. The watChman says
that the fire seemed to break out in the center
of the building, about 10 or 10 minutes after he
had made his rounds,
As soon as he discovered the fire he tele-
phOned to the central engine house and also to
Mr.. Otto Gessen's residence. Mr.. Giessen is
the manager of the Brick company. The line
to Mr.. Giessen's house wouldnot work and Mr..
J. II. Lehman was called up by the telephone
people and went ovcrto Mr.. Giossens residence
and awakened him. He informed Mr.. Giessen
that his boiler house was on fire. Mr.. Giessen
misunderstood him, never thinking of the
Brick works, and Immediately called all of the
family up, telling them the house was on fire.
On being informed of his mistake he had one of
his boys hitch the horse to the sleigh and in 12
minutes from the time they left home they
were at the Brick plant, When he arrived he
directed the firemen to save the engine house
and leave the main building go, as there was
no hope of saving it anyway. A tin roof on
one Of the sheds was all that saved the entire
lot of sheds from burning and the kilns from
being destroyed.
A new machine for pressing brick had been
ordered some time ago and should have been
here and in the building, but it was delayed
for some reason and had not arrived yet.
The Royal Brick company was organized in
1890, with capital stock of $50, 900, with J. W.
Walscr, president; c. W. Keplinger, vice pres
ident; NJ. c. Barber secretary, and Otto Gies-
sen treasurer and manager. The presentplant
was built with a capacity Of $4,000 bricks
day, and was one Of the largest in the city.
Mr. Giessen stated this morning that the works
would be rebuilt as fast as money could do it,
as they want to be in shape 10 fill their
contracts in the spring. There is going to be
big boom in brick paving all over the country
this year, and it will be some loss to the com
pany, but they will be in shape in a short
time to do their share of the business. They
will have to buy brick with which to rebuild
The loss on the plant will be about SCI, 900,
with an insurance in the neghborhood of $780,
900. A short time ago the company dropped
between five and six thousand dollars ofinsur /
ance on account of the raising Of rates in the
city,