Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-01-18
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tmP oyes s ye5 Nezoosa f.ps fii
here are thg". larg- o4uer
'oa~a'He~ 5u he BIZ nIaa- IF
N,fc"e F-P,i CO. II Sezv. d
Machines No. l and ~. are together
! in one long room extending north and
south. In another room running
parallel With above, but separated by
TWO brick walls and several feet of
space. is machine No 3, and floor room
Tor a fourth machine. Extending
east and west full length across the
north end Of the machine rooms is
the beater department. and at the
south end the finishing room and
stock depository. All these depart
mentS connect by large double doors.
About O'Clock last Saturday morn
ing, machine No. 3 was shut down for
a few minutes to allow the WOrkmen
10 put on belt or make some slight
repair. The big reels or calendars at
The south end of the machine had
been IN motion again for five or ten
minutes and the tenders were at the
north end running on stock, assisted
oy Supt. FOgarty. Suddenly flash of
hre Illumined the room like a bolt of
lightning from clear sky. The
WOrkmen had to run for their lives.
In two minutes room 90X170 feet
was single sheet of flames and the
second largest paper mill in the state
seemed doomed to complete deStruc-
tlon. Up through the roof shot the
dlSheartening element. waves of red
licking and tapping one another in
their fury; into the finishing room the
demon leaped through the double
door, spreading pandemOnium and
ruin there, chasing everyone out in
less than five minutes Owing to the
present heavy demand for print paper
the stock on hand was very small.
hence the loss from that source in this
room was comparatively light.
Trimming machines and interior of
room were however sadly ScOrched.
The blaze originated from friction,
hot box or spontaneous combustion,
exact cause not known. Like
instances have occurred where fire
seemed to have begun with paper on
the rolls without any apparent cause.
1t started at Nekoosa in the big
calendar rolls very near the spot
where an employe had his head
crushed the week before. as if in
vengeance for that awful death blow.
The rapid spread of the fire was
assisted by the long dry felts that run
through the mammoth machine. bv
the many oil cups on the drv rolls,
each cup holding nearly two pints,
and by the dry paper dust which
generally covers the machine. Then
the belts running to the basement
also carried fire down with them.
Within five minutes after first
alarm had been given the mill fire
had five streams of water
playing behind two powerful pumps.
and the whole force of employees set
in to work as they had never worked
before. The night crew Just gone
nome TO sleep, came back to assist
SuffocatlonS from smoke, heroic
efforts and close cal were Numerous.
but no casualties. The boys stuck to
their posts like veterans and rendered
the service OF perfectly trained fire
department. Once they gave up hope
and took to the roof with the hose.
effort to stop the progress Of the fire
from over the whole mill, if nothing
more. This proved to be the very
pl'iSS WI NdUCl WdS I1CGu6u, lOI
almost as suddenly us the fire started |
SO 1T ended, that is, was under control. |
The interior OF paper mill is warm |
place without fire. Many of the |
men are attired only in sleeveless |
and short trousers when |
on duty. That is the way they fought |
the fre, dozens OF them, out on the |
roof, everywhere. 1t is but proper |
fn hn ~l14o
efforts, cool heads and bravery of |
of the NekooSa mill, with |
out discrimination, saved the plant |
from total destruction; no more and |
no less.
One hour and ten minutes after the
fire started machines No. l and 2 were
again turning out paper and one part |
OF the mill scarcely was conscious that |
anything had happened in the other
part.
The Grand Rapids steamer and
tiremen reached NekoOSa by special
train over the Marshtield & South
eastern Immediately after the fire had
been mastered, hence our engine was
not taken from the car. The run from
engine house in Grand Rapids to mill
at Nekoosa required only about thirty
minutes, including loading. Distance
eight miles.
Total damage to machine, stock and
building was estimated at about
100000, loss entirely covered by insur-
ance. The heavier loss will be caused
by delay in manufacturing paper while
the machine is tied up for repairs.
Fourdinier wires, deckle straps, felts
and all clothing of machine were
destroyed. An expert from Beloit
Iron Works is now on the ground
investigating injury done to dry rolls
and chilled steel calendars by excessive
neat. New roofs, new floors, windows
and window frames, Ietc., are required.
Some of the employees lost clothing.
watches and other yaluables. but on
the whole it was d lucky fire. At
least, it is considered a fortunate
misfortune by the pIoprietorS.