Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-12
FREMONT HAS A BAD FIRE
Printing Plant Of the Tribune Destroyed at
Loss Of Fifty Thousand Dollars.
HANDSOME NEW BUILDING A WRECK
Valuable Manuscripts saved, but
Judge Goods Law Book VIII
Have TO ne Printed
over gain

FREMONT, Nsb.. March 1i.-(speoisl
Telegram.)-Fire broke out at 1920 today
In the brick block At the corner Of Fifth
and r streets, owned and occupied by the
Tribune as a newspaper and Job printing
establishment, and before II was gotten un-
der control. at 3 O'Clock. the contents were
destroyed and nothing was left Of the
building but tho walls and lower floor.
The fire caught In the elevator shaft on
the first floor and the second floor was
filled with smoke when It was discovered.
The first alarm brought out all the depart
ment and all the hose owned by the city
was used. The entire building was filled
with smoke, and quantities OF stock
were piled In the second floor and base
ment and the book bindery in the rear Of
the second floor wal we'll filled with work
In process Of completion.
The Hammond Bros. owners Of the
Tribune. had only just moved into the
building. which was two stories and . base
ment. built expressly for themselves. and
the newspaper and Job printing plant oc-
cupied the entire structure. TIL building
cost $4,000.
ribune Appears as Usual.
The Tribune appeared tonight as usual.
r. D. Kelley Of the Leader having fur
nished the Hammonds' once facilities. The
firm employed seventy hands. Hammond
Bros. & Stephens. publishers Of school sup
plies, were printing a law book for Judge
Good Of Wahoo. The stereotype plates Of
D.. v. Stephens book, 'silas Cobb were in
the vault and are supposed to be all safe.
Hammond Bros. had S13, 900 insurance or
their stock, machinery and supplies. and
$1,000 on the building. Their total loss will
reach $40, 900. Hammond Bros. & stubens
had $4,000 insurance on supplies: their loss
has been estimated at $4,000.
Blaze spreads Rapidly.
The FIRE was discovered in the basement
near the elevator shaft by George Nehrbas.
the foreman Of the press room. The blaze
instantly shot up the shaft and caught in
some paper on the second floor. In less
than a minute the whole second floor was
sblaze. The chemical engine company was
the first on the 8 'ound, but the building
was so full Of smole the men we're unable
to accomplish anything. The second story
had two stairways leading to the lower
floor. These and tn, elevator shaft acted
ss nues and the bI Ee drew up through
them. On the east side and rear Of the
second floor was ne bindery department
A new linotyr1 machine and a large paper
cutter were situated near the center OF thu
floor. The linotype is q total loss. tn,
lower floor was occupied by the ofhces
store and storage rooms and the Job print
ing department. The damage to the typ,
will be light. and to the other fixtures 4
principally from water. There is nothing
of the building left except the outer walls
which. are in fair condition.
Manuscript Saved.
Judge Goods manuscript Of his book. I'm
structions to Juries." was saved. About 20
pages had been printed. The forms wer
broken and the pages will have to be re
set and reprinted. The books belonging t
the firm were saved.
. The occupants of Richards & Keene'
building on the east made preparations I
move out. Some damage was done to tn
Masonic hall by the bursting of q hose
which was run up the stairways to tn
roof Of the Hammond building.