Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-01
LAST NIGHTS Big FIRE
1ur LOSS is ESTIMATED AT s4O,o
,,,.,o,,caI Data of n Finally Successful
Home Industry --Amount Of In
suFanco Carried.

A diPaStiDuS HIt deHtlpS' ~ wv N'Ah no
n, the Utah Portland Cement com
oorv. corner of Fifth West and Eighth
sa,,th streets last evening. The
harm was turned i'm to the fire depart
,nent about 1Oi5 but considerable delay
was occasloneg in making the trip and
hy the time the department equipment
arriycd on the scene, the blaze was
well under way and 1t was with con-
siderable difficulty that the flames were
combatted
chief Devlne and the West side boys
,,err the first to arrive. and when the
t,rmar learned of the iires magnitude,
a stsamer was sent for. but not much
Vas done with 1t before 1850 O'Clock
he blaze meanwhile eating It's way In
and through the company's entire
works b., ,,... l.. ,t,a
otarm. the exact scene OF the tlre was
mt given. and as chief Devine thought
II a small AFFAIR, perhaps the burning
nf a haystack or high weeds, he did
not respond prepared as he would nave
Lesr had he known Its exact location.
iona stretch of hose was required
~, conveyIng water to the flames, and
Inc arcmen were somewhat confused In
Looming the plugs, consequently this
also caused delay, the whole tending
10 enlarge the COnilagration anu make
IL considerably more dilicult TO handle.
As il was the first time the department
bad dealt with such IA ine, the boys
were n trifie confused and would have
damaged a large quantity Of cement
In throwing water on 1t, had not par
tics Interested interfered, thus cnus-
ing the. streams to he turned in other
directions. The framework OF the plant
all ablnze. and underneath the sunle
TONS of ne WY made cement, there was
NOT much remaining to be done, but
To check the hres program to adjoining
buildings. among them the Company's
warehouse, which. fortunately, was
saved. About 1880 second steamer
was sent for and this lent assistance
TO the nremen after one O'Clock.
The big fire Illuminated the heavens
for miles around. and the excitement
caused by 1t was intense. 1t happened
MT a time when the majority OF citizens
were preparing for slumber but not
withdrawing this fact, people from all
pnrts of the city floCked to the vicinity.
some partially clad and Others rubbing
their eyes to sweep off their sleepy
condition. It was "A great blaze and for
the time being gave to the southwest
ern part of the city, an air Of metro
polltanism not known in the time of the
oldest settler,
destroyed. and all that now remains
to tell the tale of most successful
home Industry, are the brick walls
large smokestacks and badly damaged
machinery. Even the company's office
removed some distance from the works
proper. was also affccted, while the
NVnsatch Asphaltum company's REIN
cry which occupied a part Of the burned
structure, was totally DESTROYED.
HISTORICAL DATA.
The launching OF the cement indus
try In this city has met with many re-
verses In the latter part OF 1880 a
local company consisting OF the late
ELIAS Morris and Messrs. sharp, Ly-
man, Wallace and others, commenced
the manufacture Of cement from IN me
burning OF rock and grinding it. TINS
work was under the management OF an
expert from Kansas city, but the pro-
feet was not successful. Later on the
manufacture Of Portland cement was
tried, eastern men being taken into the
company. a large kiln was built for
the purpose Mt cost OF $4,000, but II
was found to be defective, and suit
entered against the patentees resulted
in heavy Judgment for the cement
people.
This delayed uffnirs two years. and II
was not until 1896 that a resumption
was had. At this time Thomas c..
East nd on his return u new kiln
was erected In the meantime, how
ever. difficulties We're encountered and
Mr.. Cairns succeeded in interesting
an English gentleman In the
project who bought out the
entire works, and In the fall Of 1896,
cement was first turned out In large
Quantities.
Tests Of the product giving thorough
Catisfaction the company rapidly Sc
cured orders and In 1897 upwards Of
10000 barrels were shipped to Idaho ana
Montana for dam work. while over 1900
barrels were used In the city. AT the
time Of the fire the company was Rlling
n government contract for use in the
erection OF the Denver mint about
5000 barrels being required for the job,
The fact that the government was con-
verted to It's use. demonstrates clearly
It's superior quality. ms It stood the
most severe tests and was not found
wanting. Manager Cairns IL authority
for the statement that the company
had orders which 1t would take them
all year working day and night, TO fill
The industry was successfully
launched after the expenditure by the
original company Of about S75, 900. while
The present owners has spent about
$4,000, making the outlay a clear
100000, In view OF these circum
stances the fire II tu he all the more
deplored ms IL badly cripples an indus
Try Of which the State could Justly feel
proud. The material for the manufac-
ture Of the product came mostly from
Parley's canyon, where there is said u
be an unlimited quantity Of II.
LOSS AND INSURANCE..
The loss on the building, machinery
etc. Is roughly estimated at 10000
while the Insurance carried amounts to
s.1'vO, VI which the Home OF Utah
carries $4,000, The adiusters Of the
Home are ready TO proceed with the
adjustment at once, hut viii have "a
hde the time Of the other agents who
M.l not be here for n few days yet
Ihn Insurance and the companies car
lE.hB II, are as follows:
Home Of Utah Q. OnC
Ihntnix and Hartford ...,........ 2.OOC
H"Eul Exchange .,..,.. ......... 4,50C
london Assurance ......., ...... 2.0OC
drIatne n,..,., ........ ........ 2,0Ol
gun or London ..........,....... 2,70(
pHngheld 49,. ........,....... 1906