The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-12-29
Flames Refused to Be Put Out Till
Much Damage Had Accrued.
A GREAT CROWD ATTRACTED.


The old Laird iron toundry, more IA
miliarly known by the older citizens
as the Pioneer foundry, located on East
Ninth street, on the south side, between
Cherry and Saxton streets, was partly
destroyed by fire Tuesday night. The
flames which emanated from the burn
ing burning building for nearly one
hour stubbornly resisted the efforts of
the firemen. 1t was only because of
their most energetic efforts that they
succeeded in extinguishing the flames
without further loss. Hundreds cr
people were attracted to the spot and
they stood there for nearly two hours,
shivering in the cold.
About 11:10 o'clock Tuesday night
Joseph Leonard night watchman en-
ployed at a nearby foundry, discovered
flames issuing from the first floor of the
building, on the side fronting on Sax
ton street. He telephoned to the GEN.
trail engine house and the firemen with
the apparatus responded. The firemen,
however, saw the flames were growing
more violent every minute and they
turnd in general alarm to which all
the fire companies in the city responded.
In half an hour after the breaking out
of the fire the entire building was
mass of flame. and the fire resisted, for
time, the efforts of the firemen to get
it under control.
After about one hours work. with
streams of water pouring in from every
side, the firemen secured control of the
fire and they soon were enabled to ex-
tinguish it, Huge volumes of dense,
black smoke issued from the upper
stories of the building where the paint
room at one time was located. and IL
was probably owing to the floors of this
room being soakd with oil and paint
that the fire seemed the worst there.
The roof of the front portion of the
building finally fell in with a crash.
There was a scatterment Of spectators
and firemen who thought the walls
were about to tumble down.
TIL lower rear portion of the build
ing occupied by Shane Bros, and who
had just put in their place lot of new
machinery. They carried $1,000 insur-
ance on the machinery and about 500
on the laundry stuff that was finished
and unfinished. Claimants of laundry
will be made good whatever loss they
may prove that they sustained in the
fire. The loss to the Shane Bros. can
not be estimated until the condition of
the machinery can be ascertained and
the amount of laundry in the room at
the time. Their loss, however will be
very large, as the machinery will all
have to be sent away and repaired or
refinished.
Exclusive of the damage sustained by
the owners of the building, Mr. Edward
Langenbach, vice president, secretary
and manager of the Berger company,
sustained the largest loss by the fire;
Mr.. Ed Monnot, who was employed by
Mr.. Langenbach, had just completed
1S0 bicycles of the latest design, which
were stored in an upstairs room just
over the laundry. The fire burned
fiercely in this portion of the building,
and the machines were all injured and
the tires baked and totally destroyed.
Mr.. Langanbach had refused an offer
of over $1,000 for the machines only q
day or two ago. The machines were
worth $4,000 with some insurance there
on, but not enough, to cover the loss,
and 81, 500 insurance was carried on the
machinery on both floors. used by the
bicycle manufacturer. The assembling
room on the south side of the, building
down stairs was badly burned and "a
loss of about $3.50 sustained to bicycle
parts and supplies which were there.
A large number of frames were stand
ing in the front room on the south side,
downstairs, but these remained unin-
jured. A fine tandem, also stored up
stairs, was destroyed.
The building was owned by the Ber-
geS company and insurance amounting
to $4,000 was carried. Although the
building is not a total loss the wood
work inside will all have to be recon
structed and the roof rebuilt The
walls withstood the ordeal very wen,
and they are practically safe. Mr.. Ber-
ger was unable to state Wednesday
morning justswhat their loss will be.
The origin of the fire appears to be
a mystery, some people believing that
At originated in the drying room of the
laundry, while others attribute the
flame to spontaneous combustion from
the oil soaked floors upon which some
dry material was laying. 1t was stated
that the fire started from the boiler
room OF the laundry. but this is not
true. as a large electric motor provides
the power. and this also was saved
Athrough the efforts OF the firemen. I,