The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-08-08
A BAD BLAZE.
Plant of Iowa Manufacturing
Co. Wrecked by Flames.

was received at the tire department
ae twenty-five minutes of seven
O'Clock and a good run was made. BY
the time water was thrown the entire
main structure was aflame and all eff
forts OF the flremen were of no avail.
The entire building went up in smoke
and flame, excepting the extreme
northwest corner where the offices of
the company are situated. This was
saved. The foundry walls that were
OF brick standing about eight feet
above the foundation remainIand are
not greatly damaged. There is a
break on the east side and another on
the north, but these will be readily
repaired. The value Of the plant vas
about s27, 600, and the total loss will
figure about SIS, 900. The insurance
on the plant was but $4,000, held as
follows:
British of North America, 81, 200. 90;
Nelson agency.
Iowa State, Cowan agency, 81, 00o, 90.
Underwriters, the O'Hara agency,
81, 000. 90.
There will be considerable salvage
from the large stock that was in the
shops, store rooms and foundry or
account of the nature of the stock,
but there is also a great loss. There
is a great loss or patterns. Mr.. Baker
was just getting his soil pipe patterns
completed again and in working shape
after the great loss of a year ago and
these we're almost totally wrecked
again, the salvage on them being very
small. The loss of these.patterns
alone will amount to between four and
Eve thousand dollars.
Mr.. Frank Baker, owner and oper-
ator of the factory, shows a most
commendable spirit aud enterprise in
the face of the discouraging fcircum-
stances. The flames were still burn
ing parts of the building when Mr..
Baker said, THE foundry shall be re-
built Immediately, -" and preparations
to that end were Immediately set
afoot. All the workmen of the foun-
dry, numbering twenty-seven, were
told to report at sevens O'Clock this
Monday morning, and the work of
clearing away the ashes and debris
was begun.
The cause of the fire cannot be
definitely determined. 1t is thought,
however, that it was the result of a
spontaneous combustion in the fuel
DON Others think it resulted from
the ''core oven" and still others think
that the fire originated in the boiler
rooms and were communicated to
the other parts of the foundry by
running along the light wood work
The flames were first seen on the east
side of the building and south of the
boiler. The fire was discovered
simultaneously by Fay Kadel who is
employed about the factory as fire.
man, aud by Sam Graham another
employe who resides southeast of the
building.
Mrs. J. II. Kadel and her son Fay
who live at the northwest corner of
the factory were seated at the break
fast table, and the lady noticed that
theu@ vas a great quantity of smoke
issuing from the sides of the store
sheds on the west side of the build
ing. She remarked that the foundry
must be On fire some place and called
the attention of the son to the smoke.
He went to the building and discoV-
cred that the flames had gained con-
siderable Roadway in the main room.
He entered the Office and telephoned
the alarm to the fire department.
About this time Sam Graham saw the
FIRE from his residence southeast of
the building. The flames were just
breaking through the roof in a small
patch. Graham fastened to give the
alarm but young KadeI had sent it in.
The fire burned with wonderful
rapidity and great hereeness. The
heat of the fire was most intense and
the firemen could not get close TO the
great furnace. Great clouds of coal
black smoke rolled up from the roof.
There was not a great amount of
material to be consumed but what
there was covered considerable space.
The roof was covered with a tarred
paper and this assisted in making the
fire hotter than it otherwise would
have been. The destruction of the
place did not occupy a great length
OF time. The great truss roof was
500 burned and fell in and the sur
rounding store sheds went up like a
flash. The iremen did all in their
power to save what property they
could but they we're powerless in the
face Of the great heat made by the
flames. Some of the machinery is
not badly damaged. The engine that
mn the machinery Of the place is all
right and there are pieces of shop
equip ment that went through the heat
all right but some of, the best and
most expensive pieces of machinery
are totally wrecked. The heavy
planer, one Of the best pieces of ma
chinery that has ever been set up in
any machine shop in the city was
warped out OF all shape and win have
to be replaced by an entirely new
machine.
VIII Rebuild
The work of rebuilding the factory
IN A.-.nhnI 49, = mn-aAIu - In