The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-05-17
A HEAVY FIRE LOSS.
Flames Destroy the Large Ware Houses
of the Chicago-R Rockford Hosiery
Company Tuesday.
Loss is ESTIMATED AT $4,000.
Fire Breaks out in the Store Room and in
a Short Time the Whole Building
Was in Planes.

The most disastrous fire that has
occurred in Kenosha in the past eight
years, occurred Tuesday afternoon and
evening, when the flames devoureo
the large warehouse of the Chicago
Rockford Hosiery company, entai1ing
loss to the company of over thirty
thousand dollars.
The fire broke out shortly after half
past four O'Clock. It is supposed that
it was caused by a truck passing over
a match which had been dropped by
one of the employees in the store room
| of the warehouse. AT first the blaze
was only tiny spark, but in the
midst of great lot of cotton,
and other inhamab1e material, the
little tongues of flame shot out in all
directions and soon the entire floor, of
the store room was a mass of flames,
The fire was in all parts of the build
ing before the alarm could be given.
AS soon as the alarm was given the
department at the Hosiery works was
ordered to the warehouses and the big
pumps were started to going. But the
small department could do nothing to
stay the fury of the flames, and the
city department was at once called.
In the meantime some of the EN-
p1oyees had rushed through the other
buildings and had given the cry of
''fre!" This created a small panic
among the girls and young men en-
p1oyed at the factory, and they made
+loo ST.
Women and men alike mixed in the
grand rush for the doors, and it was
as by d miracle that the crowd of
1aborers escaped without any one being
injured. The girls fed from the
building leaving portions of their
clothing behind, and one or two were
willing to even leave their Easter bon
nets, and sought safety with nothing
over their heads but their aprons.
The foremen of the plant did all in
their power Ito stop the useless STAN
pede, but the girls and the men were
thoroughly terrified, and nothing
would stop them until they were safe
out in the open street. Thanks to the
splendid arrangement of the factory
the women and men all escaped, and
not single serious injury is reported.
While the women and men were
rushing from the building, others OF
the force were at work at the ware
house attempting to save something
from the building which was rapidly
being converted into a mass OF RUNS.
"Bob,'' the fine horse owned by Charles
Cooper, was tied in a shed at the north
side of the burning building and a
great effort was made to rescue him.
Charles Patchen and Charles Skil1er
made their way into the burning sheds
to rescue the animal, but they were
overcome by the smoke and were
forced to beat a hasty retreat. A few
seconds later the horse gave UP the
unequal struggle and dropped dead.
The trap belonging to Mr.. Cooper,
which was standing in the shed, was
also destroyed.
The Hosiery fire department worked
manfu11y against great odds until the
city department arrived and the entire
capacity of the department was at
once put to work. Stream after stream
of water was turned into the burning
warehouse, but all to no effect. The
flames gained great Roadway and as
soon as the flames were extinguished
in one part of the building they broke
out in another. The city fremen and
the hosiery men worked like heroes
and more than one of them was over
come by the terrible smoke arising
from the burning hosiery. However,
they refused to leave their work and
continued to fight the fire until it was
fully under control.
Various stories were aflOat Tuesday
evening in regard to the loss and it
was estimated by people in position
to know as large as 100000. In the
warehouse which was destroyed was
large amount of raw material, and be
sides this there was large amount of
finished work ready for shipment.
The exact amount of this loss is not
known, as no one at the factory seems
to know how much stock was in the
building. No certain valuation of the
goods destroyed can be given until
after the invoice is made. 1t is vari-
ous1y stated between thirty and fifty
thousand dollars.
To settle all disputes of this nature
w. w. Cooper when he returned home
from Chicago Tuesday evening issued
the following statement:
"The factory bui1dingssand machin-
cry are unimpaired by the fire, as the
same was confined exclusively to the
warerooms, where raw material of all
kinds is stored. Work in all depart
ments will be resumed in the morning.
The usual night force of hands is at
work in the factory this evening. The
loss will not exceed $500 and is par
tally covered by insurance. Business
and filing of orders will in no way. be
interrupted W. W. COOPER
The actual loss from the fire will not
be great, as the entire plant is covered
with ample insurance, which is given