The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-09
FIRE OWED
FATAL EXP I. / I..I0SI0NI.
Three Fatally and One.
Seriously Hurt. ID.
IRON GATE TANN.ERY'
Plant Destroyed Causing Property
Loss o. 100000.
WILL REBUILD A t ON C5E.
The Fire, Which is Supposed to Have Oris..
mated from Spontaneous Combustion,
Spread Will Great Rapidly.
Man Blown Through the
Roof by Force of
Explosion.
W / | |. REBUILD AT ON C.E
Especial pispatct .te The Ting. ,

Especial Dispatch ito The Tirnrs)
Z CLIFTON FORGE, VA. Jan. S.-One.
of the most disastrous fires in the annals
the tannery of David Moffatt and CO.,
Iron Gate, a small town situated on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, !. about
three miles east Of this place.
The fire was preceded by terrific
explosion, which utterly demolished one
of the leach houses 12S, feet long, by 40
feet wide, and from the heat OF ruins
the flames sprang up 40 feet in height.
The fire spread rapidly from this point
and the whole plant with the exception
of one building, was in a state OF COM
bustion before, the Clifton Forge .t1re
Department could reach the scene
Through the Efforts of the employees OF
the company andl the residents of the
town, about 80 tons of tan bark, which
was stacked some distance from the
buildings, was saved.
TILE EfCASUALTIES.
The casualties are as follows:
j. M. Schaffer, liquid runner. fatally
crushed. isE5j
Sherman Armstrong, Charles Brecken-
ridge, and J. W.ELeggins, laborers, seri-
ousy burned. 5ee.y.,.z
Armstrong and breckenridge are PROB
ably fatally injured, but Leggins, it is
thought, will recover
9 Schaffer was blown through the roof
of the building ana picked up 15 yards
distant from the scene, but the other
three men, being under the floor at the the
time. were2less exposed To the explosion.
WILL Bss REBUILT.
The possible theory is that the explo-
sion was due to spontaneous combustion,
there being ninety tons: lcf ground bark
in the house at the time. but no acid
within forty feet of this building
The total5loss. consisting of five build
ings and about 100 tons@of bark, valued
at IS per ton, will amount to 100000.
This is partly covered sl,v insurance, the
exter1t Of which the manager, Mr.. j. T.
MohIer will not divulge when inter-
viewed.
The plant was owned by David Moffat
and Company. of New York CITY,, and
employed from seventv-fye to one hun
dred men. Manager Mohler- states that
operations preparatory to rebuilding will
commence Immediately, and that he hopes
to see the plant in working order within
the next six months.
Assistance Sent.
(specia1 Dispatch to The -imes)
LYNCHBURG, VA. Jan. S.-A message
received from Iron Gate tonight called
for assistance from Lynchburg. and at a!
quarter past twelve an engine and 2,00Cs
feet of hose. with fifteen men, under
charge of Chief of Fire. Department
Sandidge, were taken west on a special
train over the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road The fire at Iron Gate has been
raging. ever since noon to-day, and the
damage as reported here is extensive.
Built in boom Days.
Tho tannery was built in the days of
the boom, and the Chesa oeake and Ohio
people estimator that the cost of erect
ing it was about s150000. They also state:
that the company had an immense stock
of bark on hand
The buildings were all of frame and of
a most in1ammable character. The tam
merry is Iron Gates principal industry.
The company has devoted itself to the
tanning of only the best grades Of leather