Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-06
BIG D[S MONIES FIRE
National Starch Company's Big
Plant Almost Destroyed
by the Flames.
Two Large Structures Containing
Costly Machinery Are in
Total Ruin.
Loss Is Estimated at More Than
$500. OOO.. Trouble at
Eagle Grove.

Fourth floor of the main building ana
spread with such rapidity that the en-
ployes who were in the building barely
had time. to escape. The fire depart
ment was hampered by lack of water
supply other than from the private
plant of the starch company. During
the fire two firemen We're injured by
falling walls-Assistant Chief ray
lor slightly and Joseph Hamilton ser
iously. Hamilton was crushed across
the hips.
When the firemen arrived the flames
had broken thru the roof and 1t was APP
parent that nothing could be done to
save the main building. The kiln
floor, are the ones in which the starch
is dried preparatory to packing. Ihey
were as dry as finder and the flames
fairly leaped from one part OF the moor
to another. In ten minutes time the
roof commenced to fall In and the floor
gave way, precipitating the fire into
the floors below, occupied by the pack
ing department. The water mains 90
not extend beyond the Agar Packing
company's plant, a half mile to the
west, so that the firemen were depend
ent entirely upon the starch company
plant. Two lines of hose were at
tached to plugs inside the buildings
and fruitless effort was made to
check the flames In the main building.
Unfortunately the private mains were
laid wholly within the building. and
when the floors commenced falling the
water pipes were broken 80 that the
ND
could not be secured to throw water
dozen feet from the nozzle. There were
no cut-offs provided and SO the ma
chinery was stopped.
The firemen then turned their efforts
to an attempt to check the fire at
heavy wall extending between the main
building and the three story building
to the west. occupied by the mill and
germ rooms. For time 1t looked as
tho the fire would be checked at this
wall. With chemicals and buckets OF
water the firemen succeeded for nearly
an hour in holding back the flames.
The walls Of the main building fell
away from the mill building toward the
last, however, and the flames shot up,
completely enveloping the upper story
and the roof. In almost less time than
it takes to tell 1t the roof and the third
floor was seething furnace, and the
firemen, who were struggling to hold
the fire in check on the third floor,
were forced to retreat. throwing their
coats over their heads as they ran TO
escape the fury of the flames. The
last Of them were scarcely out of the
building when the third floor collapsed
and let the big germ machines. weig-
ing thousands of pounds, thru to tho
basement with crash that could be
heard for blocks and that carried half
the building down with it. The brick
walls on the north side were thrown
out to distance OF sixty feet from the
building, while the west wall fell over
on to the steel truss roof of the big run
room, a one-story building extending
west from the mill room.
The roof OF this building gave way
under the weight Of the falling walls for
q distance of thirty feet back from the
mill building Assistant Chief Taylor,
Fireman Joe Hamilton and a man
named De Long, employed by the starch
company, were in the building trying to
break the steam pipe connections, so
that the steam might flood the room and
force back the flames. They were
caught under the mass Of steel beams
and Hamilton was badly injured. Tay-
Ior escaped with slight bruises and De
Long got away without a scratch.
The south wall of this building, which
separated it from the big pump house.
the engine and boiler rooms, the 160,-
600 bushel elevator and the big steep
house did not go down. This gave the
.firemen another opportunity to hold the
flames in check and to save a portion OF
the plant. The west wall in falling car
ried down the roof of the run room for a
distance far enough back from the fire
to give a reasonable assurance that the
flames would not communicate with it.
and at this time strong wind came up
from the west carrying the flames back
over the ruins Of the main building.
The run room was flooded with steam,
and in the engine room the two openings
leading from it to the mill rooms were
barricaded with sheet iron stripped from
the side of the elevator. Chemical en-
gines were hurried around the building,
a bucket brigade formed, and for an
rour the firemen fought with chemicals
and buckets, aided by two lines of hose.
thru which streams were directed
against the fire. to prevent the flames
from breaking thru the opening and get
ting into this portion of the plant. At
1890 they had the fire under control and
had the satisfaction of knowing that at
least third of the plant, and probably
two-thirds in value of the machinery.
had been saved.
The buildings totally destroyed were
the main building, four-story brick
structure, 2s5 by 40 feet. and the mill
ard germ building, three-story struc-
lure 100 by 40. The east twenty feet Of
the run ROOM one-story brick and
steel building, 100 by 100, was demol-
ished by falling walls.
T. w. Jones. manager of the local
plant, estimated the total value OF the
plant at about 100000. He thought the
loss will reach about 100000 on the
buildings and machinery, to say moth
ing Of the stock on hand.
TROUBLE AT EAGLE GROVE.
City Council and Electric Light Com
pany at Outs.
Special to Times Republican.
Eagle Grove. Dec. 6.-some weeks
e,Yo ro1,., uaoo< IL, ~ want