The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-25
FIRE AT
ALLIANCE.
Reeves Boiler Works of That
City Destroyed Early Tues
day Morning.
INTERIOR ALL ABLAzE
When Discovered by Cleveland and
Pittsburg Trainmen
WHO TURNED IN ALARM

L
Scene but the Flames Had Gained
such Headway That They Could
DO Little Towards saving
the Big Plant.
Special to News Democrat.
Alliance, May 22.--Alliance was Wis
tied by one of the most destructive fires
early Tuesday morning that has ever
been known in her history. The Reeves
boiler works. situated in the northern
part of the city. near the junction Of the
c. G. p. and A. G. N. railroads, was al
most completely consumed by the con-
fiagration. About 2:25 o'clock this morn
, ing the pickup train on the C. 6 p.
road was passing the Reeves works and
the engineer discovered fire issuing
forth from the gigantic tower on the
south side Of the plant. He began to
blow his whistle and an alarm was sent
in to the FIRE department about the
same time. When the flremen started
from the department the fire was we'll
under headway and lighted up all that
section Of the city. The firemen's ef-
forts seemed almost useless as 1t was
too late to save the building from de-
struction, although they worked until
about $50 o'clock this morning. The
workmen left the plant at $50 Monday
evening but they had been making riv-
cts in the tower and 1t is supposed that
some Of the melted metal or hot rivets
fell to the lower part and In this way
started the fire. They have no men at
work during the night, not even a night
watchman. Hence the fire was not dis
covered until the interior Of the building
was q mass of flames. The main build
ing was erected in 1894 and now employs
about 25O men who will be thrown out
Of work by the disaster. Last October
a large additional frame building was
erected at the east end of the original
plant, in which large cement dryers
were manufactured. The original plant
was brick construction and the frame
work was STEEL and the entire works
was rooted with slate.
The Reeves works is second only in
size to the Morgan Engineering works
in the city and was one of the largest
manufacturing plants in eastern Ohio.
The main building was 300 feet in length
and about 100 feet wide and the new
addition was 1913 feet in length and So
feet wide. The brick walls Of the main
building are mostly standing but the
machinery is total wreck. One Of
the long girders that supported the huge
electric crane is still in position but
the other one on the north side
Of the building was precip-
itated to the floor and the long crane
which spanned the building fell to the
ground as the fire demolished it's sup
porters. Five large boilers were also
badly damaged in the main building.
The large riveting tower which was
about rs feet in height stood until the
fire had burned the woodwork from the
huge steel supporters were heated so in
tensely that the whole tower tottered
over, twisting the iron work into mass
Of ruins. The new building contained
five large cement dryers mostly ready
for shipment. Portions Of the south
and east walls which are frame are still
standing but badly damaged. AL
though the supporters Of the large
crane in this building were almost con-
sumed, the crane still stands in posi-
tion, but the north end of its girders
are both down. One car Of coal for the
Wheeling and Lake Erie was consumed
The only part Of the plant that wal
saved was the office which stands abou
20 feet away from the main building.
The estimate loss is nearly 5000
and about $45.500 insurance This Il
said to be the largest fire ever expe
rienced In Alliance. 1t is not known a
lpresent whether the plant win be re
built at once or not.