The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-04
AIDOWNERS OR INSURANCE cos.
Damaged Clothing Is One Of the Most Diff
cult Stocks 10 Handle.
BURNED COATS DOCTOREO FOR SALE.
Hardware and Cut'ep MOI Easily Handled on Ac-
counl Of Rust The Successful Handling Of
fershabs Goods BY Salvage Men.

A recent fire, by which large stock OF
merchandise was destroyed, has caused
Inquiry as TO what becomes of such fire
swept stocks as are not entirely ruined
How are the goods recovered and who
does its
Insurance companies and adjusters Of
fire losses have no difficulty in answering
these questions and refer those people who
make Inquiry on the subject ia the salvage
or wrecking companies which exist in
New York, Chicago, Boston and Kansas
City There are salvage concerns In other
cities also, but only n few undertake large
contracts, and they are prepared TO handle
almost any class of merchandise, In any
condition, from Slightly damaged by
water" to severely burned. The salvage
company follows closely on the heels of
the insurance people, and as soon as the
Jiro has been put out it's inspector is sent
10 the scene of the contlagration, whore an
examination is made 10 see how much of
tho stock may be rescued from the ruins.
Sometin es the salvage concern works
for the Insurance people and sometimes
for the owners of the goods. That depends
on tho terIus Of settlement between tho
owners and the insurance companies. In
come instances. where by the terms of the
settlement the goods, or what is left of
tbeir. become tho property Of the insur-
ance companies, they are turned over 10
the salvage company which wrecks" the
goods and sells them for the account Of
the irsurancc companies that had paid
tho former owners for a total loss, the
usual process being To take out, restore.
house aud sell the goods for certain per
centage OF tho amount realized
The operation Of making goods which
have gone through fire salable involves
quick, skiilful handling and must be su-
perylsed by men who are thoroughly con-
versant with the limo of goods which has
been damaged. If the fire was large one
the stock will be found In the water soak
ed cellar, covered with heaps Of plaster
stones, charred beams and all sorts Of rub
Lish, The salvage company finds the
goods no matter " hat condition they may
bc in, carts them away 10 stores or ware.
houses rented for that purpose, and there
undertakes the operations 10y which they
may I've restored as nearly as possible To
what they were before the fire, SO that
they may be converted into money.
For dry goods, clothing and merchan.
bo provided and as soon ms the bolts rolls
and pieces of goods are dry they are put
into the hands of the cleaners and reno
vAtorA New labels, bands, boxes and Or
namental wrappers are provided, and in
some Instances goods which looked too
hsdly damaged TO pay for carting them
away ure sent 10 tho auction room looking
~ good as new. When silks, cloths or
dress goods have been so damaged that
Abey become useless because no long pieces
can bo saved, tho goods are trimmed and
cut into short pieces for the uso OF manu-
factu5ers of covered huttons, neckwear
CATERS, cloth slippers, caps and many 9TH
er lines of goods whore short pieces are
useful.
One Of the most difficult stocks IT, hau-
dlo IL clothing, and tho man who takes
charge of the work for % salvage company
must know the business In every detail
The garments, after being dried, must bo
gono over by experienced tailors, who
work diligently To oblitcrato the signs OF
damage by fire and water. Garments arc
changed In style and sizo On destroy the
fro marks. and i'm order to sell two gar
ments third one must frequently be
made.
A whole stock OF coats may have occu-
pied such place in the fire that "A sleeve
from each coat would be burned away, but
that would not make the coats a total loss
20 the salvage men The coats would be-
doctorcd In some way SO that they would
bring price at the fire sale. (which ends
the service Of the salvage company At
these sales goods which were miles away
from the scene OF the fire are often run
In for the purposoof averaging the stock,
and to make them look like wrecked goods
they are sometimes treated to "a bath just
before the sale.
At one OF these auctions which took
place recently buyer examined lot OF
coats and said that they looked remarka.
bly, clean and new 10 have been through "A
nre. EYES" said the man for whose bcne
1t tho sale was going on; you see, they
found the buttons In the ruins and mado
the coats to put them on"
Hardware and cutlery are difficult arti-
cles to handle because rust makes the
goods unstable. Finely polished steel,
guns, Yevolvers and plated ware look use
less and woSthy of the scrap heap when
they are thrown from burned out store
into packing cases and carted 60 the rooms
where the salvage company takes them in
hand. There, by means Of polishing buifs,
grjndstones, acid baths and Furnishing
tools, the metal Is made 10 look fresh and
new, old handles are destroyed and now
horn, ivory. rubber and celluloid handles
aro put on tho various articles. Then tho
small stuff is fastened on cards and pack
ed ia now boxes. The stock which il ruin
ed beyond repair is punched" and sold to
junk dealers.
Perishsble goods. like groceries, arc easi.
~ ruined by fire and water. but still tho
salvage companies know how to handle
such stscks, and have men in their em.
ploy who will not allow n coffee bean to
escape. A large stock OF groceries is now
bainG s11vngcd I'm western city. A va
cant building was hired for the purpose.
and on tbe upper floor thousands Of dol
lars worth OF coffees, tens and spices have
been sprcadout on canvas shelves. Great
rows Of boxes OF cigars arc piled on tables
ovar which draft Of fresh air Il blown,
end ON the floors below are great bcds Of