The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-01-01
SATURDAYS FIRE.
A Six Thousand Dollar Fire at Estey
Factory B-Narrow Escape of the
Whole Factory.

Whole Factory.
A wave of excitement and dismay spread
over the city Saturday morning, as the long
continued blast from the Estey Factory b
told of a fire in that factory which might
have thrown scores Of hands out of work
during the remaining winter months.
The fire company responded promptly
and soon had three streams of water run
ming from the hydrants in addition to the
two streams from the company's pumps in
the boiler room. Then as it became appar-
ent that this was not going to be enough
the Sisby fire engine was brought out with
the whole amount of hose available, and
soon another stream was playing on the
building. When it was seen that the fire
was not being put under control, the Corun-
ma and Ovid departments were wired for
and the Corunna department responded
promptly with their very efficient engine
and a full force of men, who may be said to
have saved the day.
When first found, the fire was in the west
end of the dry kiln, the end farthest from
the factory. But lumber which is heated
almost to the point of combustion through
out the whole mass burns fercely when fire
is really kindled, and in spite of the work
of the company, the fire seemed to gain
steadily. A dry kiln is a hard place in
which to fight fire any way and the boys
worked hard and well, though probably
they could fight such a fire again with
greater efficiency, as large amount of
water was thrown where it could not do
the most good. In ALL eight streams
were being used to put out the fire, and
even then at one time it looked as though
the factory too, would have to go. But it
was not for very long time. Windows on
the west end of the shop had been boarded
the caves. and when 1t looked as though it
was an impossibility for men to stay be-
tween the flames and the shop when the
flames were almost touching them, they did
stay and kept back the flames until the
point OF danger for the shop had been
passed.
Four of the lines of hose were stretched
across the Ann Arbor Railways track and
the north bound passenger was held thereover
an hour during the hardest of the fight. The
determination of Alderman Copas and James
Osburn alone prevented the uDcoupling of
these lines of hose at the most critical time,
a thing which might easily have lost the
factory for Owosso. The train was held
until the greatest danger was over, when
the hose were uncoupled and the train al
lowed to go on.
| The Estey factories have had such TO-
markably good luck in the matter of fires
in the past that it really ,u"k the people
some time to to realize ibat there could be
a serious fire this time
As to the origin OF the fire nothing is
known for certainty. A new heating ap'
paratus had just been placed in position, as
noted in our last issue. and it has been sug
gested by some that when liye steam was
turned on the coils after shutting down the
shop, the air which was forced through
them became so Lot that the lumber was
heated above the point of combustion.
There were nearly 200, 600 feet of lumber
in the kiln and the total loss is in the neigh
borhood of five or six thousand dollars
Insurance rates are so excessively high or
this character of property that but little in
surance was carried.
The company has been unable to ge
dry lumber fast enough to meet the needs
of the factory, and the loss will put then
badly behind in the supply. The work o.
building a new kiln was begun at once, {
contract being closed for its erection, Mon
day.
Summing 1t all up there is a loss of fiv'
or six thousand dollars to the company IL
property destroyed, while this amount will
be largely increased by the necessary los
of business while awaiting the com
pletIon of new kiln and the drying o
more lumber, and the consequent loss o
wages will not fall lightly on men who wer
dependent upon what they earned to sup
port themselves and their families.
Shall we sell the Silsby? Well, we thinl
not-unless IL Is to get an engine even bet
ter and larger than It,