The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-07
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
OF CooPERAGE PLANT
 WAS DESTROYED.
Peperman Sykes of Fire Department and Abraham Prophet, Negro Brakeman, Badly Hurt
 During the Fire.

From a spark which blew from a pass ing locomotive Sunday afternoon into q sawdust pile at the plant of the Mont gomery Cooperage and Hardwood Com pany in North Montgomery a fire follow ed in which $s.000 worth of property was destroyed, Pipeman Joe Sykes of the fire department was badly hurt and Abra- ham Prophet. a negro brakeman employ ed by the Western Railroad, was seri. ously injured.
 The alarm was sent in about 2 o'clock The fire department found on reaching a destructive fire seemed imminent. Ii was feared that the entire plant was doomed.
 The plant is the largest in the South. ern States south of Memphis. It is situ- ated hesires the tracks of the Louisville and Nashville near Riverside Park. The property h 175 feet wide by 2eoo feet long. It is said to cover nearly twelve acres. The saw mills, dry kilns. engine room, boiler houses, storage house and all the space. The plant Is with the ex. oept1on of the brick boiler house and some brick kilns is made up of infiam- mable material.
 The fire began near the center of the prorerty and on the west side which ii near the railroad tract. Here huge pile of sawdust had been placed to be us ed as fuel for the engine.
 As soon as the spark struck the pile blaze sprung up and swept over the blowing from the northwest. The blaze sprang from the sawdust pile to the big sawmill and engine room, a building filled with valuable machinery.
 On this building the fire had gotten good headway when the department arrived.
 The cooperage company had put ir three fire plugs and these no doubt ore. vented the destruction of the entire plant The firemen in a short while had water playing upon the fire from all available the blaze 1t leaped from the sarffnil oak slaves. Here the progress of tn, fire was stopped and after two hour, hard work the blaze was extinguished During the fire piece of blazing wect fell among the piles of drying slaves if the extreme southern edge of the yart and a large number were destroyed It was said that se.eoe slaves in all wert destroyed.
 It was estimated by the officials of th, company that the plant sustained loss of between 5000 and s1o.Uo It was ir' sured.
 During the fire Pipsman Joseph Sykes of his comrades stood under heavy door. way to enable them to put a stream o1 water more effectively on the blaziAe saw mill building. The doorway above the neauS or the nTernen WdB soon Dufn- ing fiercely, and almost without warn ing a heavy piece of timber sxs. burned lose at one end and swung down from the doorway with a motion like a pendu. lum. The firemen with the exception oi Pipeman Sykes saw their danger and sprang back. On its first swing the timber struck Pipeman Sykes upon ths head felling him to the ground. As ht tried to struggle to his feet the timber was loosened and fell across his back.
 It was at first thought that he wal dangerously injured, but thorough sx' animation proved that he had been stun ned and painfully. but not seriously in jured. It was said yesterday that hs would be able to be about his duties IT few days
 Abraham Prophet, the negro brakeman lost his leg while assisting in removing some cars belong to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from the burning plants The cars were on a side traoh in close proximity to the blaze. rhey soon caught fire and would have been des- troyed but for the assistance of an engine of the Western in charge of YardMasteI Ray. Prophet was under the cars try' ing to couple them when they were struck by the engine. He was caught under the wheels and one leg was cut off. He was not fatally hurt.