The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-29
Engineers Now On the Way from
Syracuse
ESTIMATED DAMAGE 100000
Only the Charred Trunk of Will
liam 0st'S Body Found.
WAS SENT UP ON THE ROOF
To Secure Hose and Never Game Back
-Indiscrete Location ofOil Depart
ment in Frame Structure
Caused Confagration.
WAS SENT UP ON THE ROOF


uct plant at Ensley city by fire yesterday
morning is estimated at 100000 with pos
sibility that it will run as low as $4,000.
The amount of insurance, If any, cannot be
| aseertained. 1t is thought probable by off,
Gals of other industries that none was car
ried.
1t is impossible to correctly estimate the
damage at this moment The fire has not
| cooled, and a careful investigation of the
wreckage is out of the question. Engineers
of the company are now en- route here from
Syracuse, N. Y, and in a few days they
wlll be able to furnish figures.
The company notified President Baxter of
the Tennessee Coal and Iron company by
wire last night that the plant would be re-
built at once.
One Man Perished
One man persisted in the flames. His
name is William Ost, and he was employed
as "gas carrier" He was sent up on one
of the high trestles soon after the fire was
discovered to secure the hose which was
kept at Indl f1QlculOuSly n1Sn elevation.
The last time he was seen alive on
one of the trestles near a gas vat He dis
appeared in the midst of a mass of angry
flames, every avenue of escape being cut
Off
A gang of men were busy all day yester-
day clearing away the debris and searching
for the charred remains In the party was
J. fisherman, a brother-in-law of the I'M
fortunate "gas carrier" Ost was a Ger
man, so years of age and unmarried. He
lived with his brother-in-law's family, and
was considered upright and reliable by his
employers, and was greatly beloved at Ems
ley. He must have been literally roasted
to DEATH There was no falling of timbers
to crush out his life, and it is supposed that
he was overcome by the gases and fell into
the roaring volcano below him. Only a
small portion of his trunk was found.
The Property Destroyed
The buildings destroyed were the by
product building, containing five engines
and considerable machinery; a structure
next to this designated as the "a c."
building. This building held two coke
oven engines, besides valuable machinery
1t is probable that some of this machinery
can be saved and reftted.
The carriages which transported the coal
from the bins to the ovens were burned and
the tracks and trestling were twisted by the
heat and injured to great extent. The
coke ovens are not subject to injury by heat
and of course remain intact, excepting the
connections to the big machinery which
will have to be refitted.
There are four blocks of ovens, three of
which were in operation. The ovens rep
resent the most valuable portion of the
plant, their cost alone being estimated at
$3.50, 900.
Streams of water were kept playing on
the ruins all day yesterday and as fast as
one spot was cooled sufficiently for the
approach of the laborers the heavy pieces
of machinery and piping were carried to
one side in the effort to save it.
The scene of the conf1agration was weird
ly beautiful just before daybreak yesterday
morning. Shortly after the fire was discov-
cred the "caps' had been removed from the
coke ovens to prevent disastrous explos-
ion which would have wrecked everything
near the plant. The ovens were heavily
charged and when the "caps' are on, the
gas being constantly generated is carried
by means of pipes to the numerous mon
ster tanks. The uncapping of the ovens al
lowed the gas to escape. The gas at once
ignited and dozens of spiral tongues of
flame shot up twenty feet in the air re-
sembling the pen pictures. ~of volcanic
eruptions.
Details of the CatastroptIy
About 1890 o'clock Foreman r. W. Glad
hall saw smoke issuing from the oil room
situated in the east corner of the by
product building. Standing near him at the
time were William Simmons, w. w. Nc
Laren and p. r. Bray, all employees of the
plant. The oil became generally ignited and
1t was apparent at a glance that nothing
but quick work would save direful con-
fiagration.
They ran to the water tank and began
fighting the rapidly increasing fire. A
barrel of oil exploded at this juncture,
throwing particles of burning embers high
in the air and tearing an outlet for the
maddened flames. After this 1t was seen
that the by-product building was doomed.
A general alarm was given and the air
was pierced with shouts to the men in the
high tressels from those below to run for
their lives. All escaped but the unfortu-
nate Ost. 1t was reported during the fire
that a negro was missing, but he was
found at home in the morning.
Many of the men In the building were
forced to make their way through the
deuse smoke. and one by one out through a
small door. To add to their perilous posi-
ton they had to walk narrow plank