Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-01
LAST NIGHTS BIG FIRE
7H6 LOSS is ESTIMATED At $4,000.
,,.tor,caI Data of Finally Successful
Home Industry Amount OF In
surancc Carried.

A disastrous fire destroyed the works
-, the Utah Portland Cement COM
Dopv. corner of Fifth West and Eighth
sotith streets, last evening. The
farm was turned In to the fire depart
,rqnt about 1915 but considerable delay
,yas occasloned in making the trip and
no the time the department equipment
a,rIved on the scene the blaze was
we'll under way and 1t was with con-
.,derable difficulty that the flames were
combatted.
chief Devlne and the West side boys
,,ere the first to arrive, and when the
srmer learned of the tire's magnitude,
steamer WAS sent for, but not much
,,as done with 1t before 1880 o'clock.
The blaze meanwhile eating It's way IN
and through the company's entire
IT Is stated that in sending in the
alarm. the exact scene OF the fire was
nat given, and as Chief DeVine thought
il a small affair perhaps the burning
of a haystack or high weeds ne dld
nat respond prepared AS he would have
bern had he known Its exact location.
A long stretch Of hose was required
In conveying water to the flames, ana
inc iremen We're somewhat confused III
locating the plugs, consequently inns
caused utldgt NiN Nli'A' NNhN'taa
10 enlarge the cOnilagration and make
If considerably more difficult TO handle.
Is IL was the first time the department
mad dealt with such flle, the boys
we're a triile confused, and would nave
damaged large quantity OF cement
in throwing water on II, had not par
ties Interested intcrfered, thus cnus-
Inc, the streams to he turned In other
directions The framework of the plant
ali ablnze, and underneath the same
tons of newly-made cement, there was
not much remaining to be done, but
10 check the fires program to adjoining
buildings. among them the companys
warehouse which. fortunately, was
saved. About 1880 a second steamer
was sent for and this lent assistance
to the flremen after one o'clock
The big fire Illuminated the heavens
for miles around, and the excitement
caused 10y 1t was intense. 1t happened
nj a time when the majority Of citizens
were preparing for slumber, but not.
wlthstanding this fact, people from all
parts of the city lOcked to the vicinity.
some partially clad and others rubbing
their eyes to sweep off their sleepy
condition. II was great blaze and for
the time being, gave to the southwest
orn part Of the city, an air of metro
poitanism not known In the time of the
Oldest settler.
Practically everything Of value was
destroyed. and all that now remains
to tell the tale of a 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 affected, while the
Wasatch Asphaltum companys retin-
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 Inter part of 1890 a |
local company consisting of the late |
Elias Morris and Messrs, sharp, Ly-
man, Wallace and others, commenced |
the manufacture Of cement from the |
burning OF rock and grinding 1t, This
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 q cost Of $4,000, but It |
was found TO be defective, and suit |
entered against the patentccs resulted |
in heavy judgment for the cement |
people.
This delayed affairs two years, and 1t
was not until 1886 that a resumption |
was had At this time Thomas G. |
Cairns. manager of the company went |
East, nd on his return new kiln |
was erected. In the meantime, how |
over, difficulties We're encountered ana |
Mr.. Cairns succeeded in interesting |
an English gentleman in the |
project who bought out the
entire works. and in the fan Of 1896, |
cement was first turned out in large |
quantities.
Tests Of the product giving thorough
satisfaction, the company rapidly Sc |
cured orders and in 1897 upwards OF |
10000 barrels were shipped to Idaho and |
Montana for dam work. while over 1000 |
barrels were used In the city. At the |
time OF the fire the company was illine |
a government contract for use in the |
erection OF the Denver mint about
5000 barrels being required for the job.
The tact That the government was con-
rerted to its use. demonstrates clearly |
Its superior quality, as 1t stood the
most severe tests and was not found
wanting Manager Cairns Is 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 $4,000, while
the present owners has spent about
$4,000 making the outlay clear
stances the FIRE IL To he all the more
drplored ms IT. badly cripples an indus
Try NJ which the State could Justly feel
proud. The material for the manufac-
lute ~ the product came mostly from
Parleys canyon, where there is said to
be an unlimited quantity Of It,
LOSS AND INSURANCE.
The loss on the building, machinery,
etc, is roughly estimated at $4,000
While the insurance carried amounts to
ssoVO, Of which the Home OF Utah
carries $4,000. The adiusters OF the
Home are ready to proceed with the
adjustment at once hut Will have 10
hile the time of the other agents who
WI not be here for n few days yet
me Insurance and the companies car
lE'ng IT, are as follows:
tome Of Utah ..................$2 1000
IIhnenix and Hartford ...,...... 1000
Loyal Exchange ....,.. .......... $500
I,phdon Assurance ........ ...... 1000
Geeiatine .,...... ...,.,.. ........ 1000
gun or London ................ 300
Springfield ......, ..,..,,.......... 1900
Aaehen n Munich ....... ....... & 900