The record-union., 1898-11-08
AFTERMATH OF THE BIG FIRE
SOME FOUR HUNDRED MEN ARE
NOW IDLE.
millions of Dollars Worth OF Prop
erty Without Adequate Pro-
lection by the City.

NStS40dJ ICPOIl
of the fire at the railroad shops that
morning left little to be added except as
to details. The estimate of the loss
sustained $500 COO was verified by
Superintendent Wright and H. J. Small
yesterday. Both Of these officials said
the Record Unions" estimate was as
close as they could figure on it. Pos
sibly it was a little over the amount
of the company's loss.
The origin of the fire is unknown.
Only ten minutes before the flames
broke out in the upholstering depart
ment on the upper floor OF the car
machine shop, and it is thought an
electric wire may have come in contact
with some Of the woodwork, as electric
power is employed there.
The car machine shop was 100 feet
long, 20 feet wide, and high two
story brick structure. On the upper
Hoor was the upholstering and plating
department, with expensive machinery
and plating materials and appliances,
also large supply Of expensive drap-
cries used in the fitting up Of passen-
ger coaches.
The planning mill, which ran parallel
with the car machine shop and about
thirty feet distant was also a two-story
brick structure, 230 feet long by 100
wide. In the second story was the
cabinet shop, where all the fine coach
work was done. 1t also contained fine
and expensive machinery.
In response TO inquiries H. J. Small.
superintendent of Motive Power and
Machinery, said that possibly 400 en-
pIoyes would be affected by the burn
ing Of the buildings named, as there
are some departments that could be
operated only in conjunction with those
that We're burned
The work Of clearing away the debris
and removing the injured walls will
De prosecuted as rapidly as possible.
AS to the rebuilding of the burned
structures, Mr. Small could not say
just how soon that would be done. Pos
sipiy the buildings would be erected on
new plans, and there would necessarily
pe more or less delay. In the prepar-
atory work preference would be given
10 such Of the mechanics as might pre-
Ter to work rather than remain idle.
NO injury was sustained by any of
The shops other than those named, and
work IN all the other departments was
going on yesterday as usual.
While the fire was in progress great
anxiety was felt for the men in the
Lre-foom, Where the mammoth engine
that supplies most of the motive pow
er Tor the shops is operated and was
kept at work running the company's
pumps 1t was feared by many that
the south wall Of the planning mill
which the f1reroom adjoined, would fall
upon and crush the latter-a one-story
n fJJF II f10 I,
and that the great boiler would explode
ana deal death and destruction far and
WIDE. But this calamity was averted.
we knew we could depend on Eu-
gene Camp, who was in charge Of the
nreroom," said Mr.. Small, land that he
and his men would remain at their post
OF duty SO long as they could with
stand the terrible heat from the fire.
and they did So"
superintendent Wright said he had
no fear of the f1reroom being crushed
by the south wall of the planning mill.
because 1t served as a support to that
wall, and if the upper part Of the lat
ter had fallen it would have fallen in
ward 1t was a trying task, however.
but the men never fiinched until all
danger was past
SAtC AollAOdQ COllpduy mas q
very complete and efficient fire system,
1t was quite seriously handicapped by
the lack of hydrants connected with the
city water supply. There is a six-inch
pipe leading from the I-street main and
one fire-plug. The latter was quite
distant from the scene Of the fire and
difficult to reach in the dark. So the
city's fire engines were connected with
the railroad companys shop system,
with the result that as soon as they
began to pump the streams from all
the hose-lines were so diminished as to
be of little service.
After a while connection was made
with the city's six-inch pipe, and then
a strong supply of mud was obtained.
as usual, as the pipes carrying river
water are about one-half filed with
mud and sediment which is forced into
the firehose as soon as the fire pressure
is applied.
While the company's fire system is
very complete, it is not, of course, suf-
fciently powerful to cope successfully
with fire Of such magnitude as that
of yesterday morning. The company
maintains pumping plant on the river
bank, and another in the center of the
shop system, with a complete system of
hose reels. Every evening when the