The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-01

avenue bridges and on Mfllin avenue
and Sixth street, which traverse the
high ground on either side of the river.
For a half hour Immediately following
. the alarm the flames III their fury
leaped high in the air and were mingled
with a dense volume of smoke and
myriads of sparks, seeming to imply
the dire and extensive destruction that
would have been suffered by other
structures if the burning building had
been anywhere but in such an isolated
locality.
The destruction of the plant was
sure and quick. The burning was of
such ferocity that the glow of the
| flames lighted the heavens with a bril-
| liancy that led persons at a great dis
tance to believe that a more serious
conhagration was in progress.
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
Engineer Lawrence Lynch discov-
| cred the fire at los o'clock near the
caves where the electric supply lines
entered the building in the dynamo
| and engine room. He summoned Fire
man Charles Cooper who had charge
| of the boiler room. and the two other
| men, assistants, who are on duty at
night A line of 2-inch hose was at
tached to a water plug at the rear of
| the building and directed upon the
| flames, but the force of water was
| hardly sufficient to reached the
flames, which had secured too much
| headway to be subdued so easily. The
| water made little or no impression and
| it became apparent to the little force
| of men that the building was doomed,
| unless, by a rare chance the fire de-
| partment could in an unreasonable
| short space of time come to their aid.
| one of the assistants was dispatched
to the Weston mill to send in an alarm
| from box T.. Cooper with rare pres
| enCe of mind, proceeded to turn off
the water and release the steam from
the ten boilers in the part of the plant
| Immediately adjoining that in which
the flames We're raging, by which ac-
tion was prevented the serious conse-
| quences that would have followed an
| explosion or a series of them.
| BY this time the blaze had extended
| all along the roof of the dynamo and
| engine room ana driven the men from
that part. of the building. AS yet the
flames had not reached the boiler room,
separated by a 4-inch brick wall. Those
| TWO utDd Ottulllttl llt NuOle u
the building which was one and a half
stories in height. j was, however, less
than fifteen minutes before the entire
plant was a sea of flames.
SECOND ALARM TURNED IN,
The alarm from box ~ summoned the
central city companies who We're de-
layed, e Scount of the great distance
oil In thAip ,,ffn /.
extend their hose to the burning struc-
ture. A second alarm was Immediately
turned in by Chief Hickey. The addi
tional force finally had two lengths OF
hose stretched from Lackawanna ave
nue. and the corner of Mifllin avenue
and Spruce street. To one line {
twin" connection was formed, max
ing three streams which played upor
the then fiercely burning fire.
Any attempt to quench the flames
was realized as hopeless by Chief Hic,
key and he directed the entire force
toward protecting the boilers. The fire
| in the dynamo room had by this time
wrapped that part of the structure il
"A mantle of heat and flame and done ir,
reparable damage. The three stream
of water were directed on and abou
the boilers and as 1t was found later
preserved them from ruin.
BY 2.3O o'clock the fire had consumed
2 almost everything combustible within
reach 1t was two hours later, how
ever, before the last Vestige of fam
2 had been eXtnguished.
= The building was valued at $l2, 900 an(
1 it's contents at $4,000, of which tn,
4 boilers and connections that may b
used again are valued at $4,000 makinl
a gross loss of $4,000. Insurance wa
, carried to the amount of $37 900 in tn
following agencies and companies:
Q ! NORMAN & MOORE
! Phoenix Co., London ..............,.$l,UO ,UO