The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-01
DAMAGED BY FIRE
Mayer Bros. Plant is Partially
Destroyed.
The Foundry Burns Early Saturday Morn
ing and the Machine Shop is
ScOrCheds

Mayer Bros. large foundry and
machine shop were badly damaged by
fire early Saturday morning. Both were
under single roof at No. 8O2 North
Front street, with wooden partition
between. The westerly section of the
building was occupied by the foundry,
the middle section by the machine
shop and the easterly section by the
/, Office.
1t was one O'Clock when Mrs. Louis
Mayer, wife of one of the,firm, whose re-
sidence is nearly across the street from
the shop saw from her window flames
and smoke pouring from the foundry.
She awakened her husband, who
quickly telephoned to the central sta
ton. The fire department responded
promptly and soon had two or three
streams on the fire, which was by this
time burning fercely. The west wind
drove the flames upon the machine
shop and lighted up the. sky for lon
distance. 1t seemed as though the en-
tire plant was doomed but the fire
men made such Il splendid fight that
the flames were stopped at the
machine shop after they had burned
the partition nearly away and part of
the roof. Long tongues of flame had
reached in and burned away the belt
ing and pulleys The heat stopped the
clock at the far end Of the shop at 90
a. m.
Mayer Bros place their loss at 81, 600
to SIS. 900, but this is rough estimate.
The foundry is complete loss, to-
gether with the patterns, TASKS
blower, gasoline engine and the vari
Gus utensils. In the machine shop,
$500 worth of betting is gone and the
shafting and pulleys are burned. The
machinery is more or less injured by
smoke, water and heat but can be
placed in serviceable condition with
much careful work The blacksmith
shop is a wreck. The firm carries
$12, 600 insurance on the bu ilding,
machinery and stock. H F. Leonard
has the greater part Of shis, and the
Mankato Citizens Fire association the
balance. The adjusters are expected
to arrive Tuesday.
The fire started in the west end of
the foundry, but what caused it is not
known. The firm have been very busy
of late, and have worked nearly every
night until ten O'Clock. Last night
men were working at the core oven
until 10 80 o'clock, and when they left
everything was apparently in good
order. Men were casting brass until
five clock yesterday afternoon, and it
is possible that the heat charred some
of the woodwork and caused it to
burn. This happened once before.
The fires were put out at five O'Clock,
but when member of the firm
visited the foundry at 10 p. m. some
of the woodwork was On fire. If the
fire did not start in this way, the only
other explanation is that it was of in
cendiary origin.
The firm started in business in 1892
and have built up large and growing
trade. They have been cramped for
room, and year or so ago enlarged
their machine shop. Eighteen patent
trip hammers were ready to be
shipped to Omaha next week, but the
heat has taken the temper out of these.
The fire will cause shut down for
three or four weeks during busy time
and this of itself is no small loss.
The many friends of the members of
the firm will regret their misfortune.