The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-29
BLAZE CAUSED ANXIETY.
Serious Confagration in Pine Brook
Owing to the Steamers Being Out
of Repair-Brown's Planning
Mill Totally Destroyed.

What threatened for a time to be q
very disastrous blaze last evening de-
stroyed the planning and drying mill of
tersection of the Delaware and Hudson
tracks. AS it was, a loss of $4,000 was
entailed, Sc, 900 of which resulted to the
mill and $1,000 to the carpenter shop of
Contractor Charles Lord, located on the
second floor.
Attached to the mill is a large lumber
yard and in close proximity are three
other large mills and lumber yards,
owned respectively by Ezra Firm &:
Sons, Price & Howarth and Frank Meyer.
No. school closely adjoned on the
east, and to the south and west the
neighborhood is very closely built up.
The fire broke out between the fire
room and drying kiln shortly before 6
O'Clock, and in a very few minutes the
flames had reached and seized hold of
the main mill building. Fortunately,
they attacked the roof first and burned
downward. More fortunate still, there
was not a breath of wind stirring. Had
these circumstances been unfavorable
instead of as they were, a large, fierce
conflagration would undoubtedly have
resulted, for it was fully half an hour
after the alarm was given before an
effective stream was turned on the
blaze.
The fact that the Crystal and Cen
eral Phinney steamers, which are sup
posed to protect that district, are both
disabled is responsible for the delay.
The General Phinney engine was
brought on the scene. but on account
of It's dilapidated condition, could not
be made to do effective work for fully
twenty minutes after being attached t.
the plug. The Nay Aug steamer was
brought on the scene by the second
alarm, and from the very moment it
was gotten in operation the firemen
began to make headway.
The mill building was totally con-
sumed, together with the fire room and
drying kiln in the rear, but the flames
We're checked at the storage room ad-
joining the drying kiln and the thou
sands of feet of lumber in the yard
were saved.
Ezra Finn & Sons. whose lumber
yard and store house, is directly across
Ash street, kepts garden hose play
ing on the front and roof of the build
ing, while the Phoenix Chemical en-
gine patrolled the lumber yard. The
anxiety of the entire neighborhood was
at the highest tension until the flames
gave way to the energetic but handi-
capped efforts Of the firemen. A feat
ure of the fire fighting was the work
of eX-Chief Hickey, who came over
with his company, the Centurys, and
took his orders from the new chief
like any other private in the ranks.
Mr.. Brown had no idea of how the
fire originated. The mill closed as US
ual at 4.S0 o'clock. The fires were
carefully banked, Mr. Brown says, and
all the customary precautions attend
ed to. There was no one about the
mill, Mr.. Brown says, from the clos
ing hour until the fire broke out.
The loss of $1,000 which Mr. Brown
sustained is complete, as he carried no
insurance. The building was erected
five years ago on leased land.
Contractor Lords loss was principal
ly in tools and seasoned wood and will
foot up $1,000. The tool chests of seven
of his workmen were in the carpenter
shop and all We're consumed, with the
exception of one, owned by Fred Bartz,
who arrived early on the scene and,
dashing through the smoke, showed
his tool chest out the window.
The mill was working right along,
not withstanding the strike, as was
also Contractor Lords shop.