The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-04

/ have been checked before a tbousand
| dollars worth of damage had been done.
| But the proper conditions did not exist.
| There was no water and the slight blaze,
without let or hindrance, became a con-
fagration and swept everything before
| 1t.
The Warren Manufacturing Company
was organized in 1888 by John o. Water
man, afterwsrd of Johnston. In that
! year the first mill was built, and the man
/ ufacture of twills and satins begun and
carried on with such success that, in 1860,
the facilities OF the plant were more than
] doubled, and mill No. was erected. 1t
was an immense structure, five stories
high, adjoining and directly south OF the
old mill.
In 1872 the third mill was built, entire
! ly from the earnings of the other two.
Since then additions have been contin-
ually made, en- immense storehouse has
been erected commodious tenements
erected for the living of more than a
thousand operatives, and the most mod
ern machinery has been added TO the
equipment as fast as availa BILE, until last
night there was most magnificent plant,
valued in round numbers at 81, 250, 600,
giving actual employment TO 200 persons
and practically the only means OF sup
port for community OF 1000 persons.
The company never missed a pay day,
Ii was running on full time; there never
was a strike OF the operatives, and there
were 80 many orders ahead as 10 necessi-
tate running the mill on holidays
THE INSURANCE..
The insurance Is all placed on mill ma
terials. The insurance men are on the
scene this morning, and there is big
assessment in store for the other mills
participant in the mutuals, OF which the
Warren Manufacturing Co. is part.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Superintendent Arnold Schear was the
first man to discover the fire. He went
into the engine room just after IL started
nd found that the origin was near the
the cylinder of the enigne, and probsb bly,
caused by the igniting of the mineral
wool and wood casing. From there the
flames went up stairs into the picker
room, and then spread north into the cid
mill, and south into mills 2 and 3. There
was big automatic sprinkling system
in operation on the five floors of all three
mills and, although ii held the fire in
check for nearly an hour, the cooperation
of the outside service was not sufficient
TO prevent total destruction.
The tank OF the water works company
is 126 feet above the level of the land on
which the mills W ere.
At the pumping station there were on
ly % pounds OF steam on.
THE DIRECTORS.
The officials OF the company are: Will
liam II. Barton, president and director;
also president Of Merchants Insurance
Company, Providence.
John Waterman, treasurer and agent, OF
Warren.
Daniel l.. Turner Of Warren, director.
George Welcb, director, of Warren.
Charles ii. Childs, director, OF Brown
Brothers, Providence.
WILL PROBABLY REBUILD.
In an interview this morning one OF
the directors, Mr.. Daniel L. Turner, said
there would he q directors meeting as
soon as the insurance In adjusted, and
in all probability 1t will be decided to re-
build, and ths mills will be I'm operation
again by next May. All the papers in the
Office were saved.
Thousands OF people from the city are
at the ruins today.
rbree Big Mills Destroyed.
The WarNu ...DlaaCturing company Is
one of the largest of the cotton mauufac.
turing corporations In the state, John
Waterman of this town being The princl.