Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-02
Battendori Axle Company's Plant
Burns Completely-Loss,
Quarter of Million.
Same Plant Suffered Heavy Loss
Last N0vember-Books
Saved.
Insurance Will Not Cover the
Loss-Lumber Piles We're
Injured.
Special to Times-Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
| Davenport, May Fire late Thurs
day afternoon destroyed the plant OF
the Bettendorf Axle Company. The loss
is estimated at between 100000 and
$250,000. This is the second fire within
six months. In November the portion
of the works of the Bettendorf Axle
| Company on the north side of Front
street, at the foot of Ripley, was burned
with loss of 100000. Three hundred
employees are idle in consequence of
yesterdays fire. The fire started on the
south side of the large frame building
a block long and two stories high,
about it's center. 1t was occasioned by
the bursting of an oil pipe in connec-
ton with one of the heating furnaces in
use in the bolster works. In an instant
the flames leaped up between the outer
wall of the building and a car that was
then being loaded with holsters for
shipment, and in no time at all it was
on the upper floor, and spreading thru
the whole building with the greatest
rapidity. The company sent In its own
alarm over the Western Union system
of fire protection. and in the space of
half minute four streams of water
were on the blaze from the shop hose.
The fire department male a good re-
Spouse, but by the time 1T could get
stream on the contlagration there was
no hope whatever of saving anything
of the building or contents, with the
exception of the office furniture and
records.
1t happened that the wind was fresh
from the east, and the office being in
the east end of the building, little
time was allowed for making salvage
there. The whole force turned in to
hustle the contents of the office to the
Milwaukee freight house, next to the
east. Everything was saved. At the
instant of the explosion two workmen
had a narrow escape, but no one wac
harmed. It was fortunate that only
three men were in the upper part of
the building. There was no loss Of life
There was some damage to adjoining
The lumber piles south of
the burned building took fire and blaz
ed fiercely at the north end, and were
probably rendered useless for wagon
material. The fire took several rail-
road cars that We're in the alley be-
tween the buildings, consuming them,
On the north side of that alley-Front
other shops of the COM
pany were set afire, but lines Of hose
We're taken into them, and water was
played against them, and the flames
were confined to the exterior, in the
main. The shop on the side that was
burned some time ago, now in process
Of rebuilding is of brick, and is be-
lie.ed not to have been injured, as
there was no woodwork about it.
The line Of insurance on the plant
can not be given at this hour, but It |
is far below the aggregate of the loss
The shop was filled with costly ma
and the upper floor was pack
ed with valuable manufactured goods
It is probably fair to say that the loss
will reach s250.0o0, and it may be more
The blow is a hard one to the COM
pany.
Mr.. Bettendorf gave the statement
that the stock in the building was
worth S175,000. The building-all gone
was worth $4,000. The machinery
n 1t, being all of special design, must |
De estimated at least at $4,000. This
makes the fire total over a quarter of
million