Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-29
MILLION DOLLAR FIRE
Terrific Loss of Property In
Chicago Salt Company's
Blaze
DAMAGE WILL BE s@1,2s0,ooo.
DAMAGE WILL BE s1,25o,ooo.
international Salt company's Plant on
Calumet River Burned Last Night
Sixteen Acres of Sheds, Two Boats,
and Forty Freight Cars Destroyed
Other Buildings Endangered.

national Salt Company's plant at One
Hundred and Third street and the Calu-
met river, at $3.50 last night. completely
destroyed the company's docks and
sheds, covering an area of sixteen acres
two grain boats in the Calumet river
between forty and fifty freight cars
land damaged many adjoining buildings
and craft. The damage will reach ST.
$780, 900.
The fire started in the salt company's
engine room and spread first to shed
No. 9, a wooden structure 1000 feet
long, 200 feet wide and thirty feet high.
Inside we're 100, 900 barrels of salt and
hundreds of tons moro piled in bulk
among the barrels. A I'LL alarm inn
mediately followed the first call for the
fire department, and a few minutes
later another call for additional engines
was made.
In spite Of the work Of the depart
ment the shed was completely con-
sumed within a few minutes. Dock No.
! followed, the streams IF water which
were thrown upon it seemingly produc-
ing o the slightest impression. Shed
No. 8, a sheet-iron covered structure,
went next, and from there the flames
quickly spread to all the other build
ings Upon the company's grounds.
The teamer Mary Z. Kelton was in a
slip adjoining the burning sheds when
the fire broke out, and, SO swift vas the
progress of the flames, 1t was with the
utmost difficulty that the vessel was
saved. There was enough steam up.
however, to permit the crew to back
the craft into the river, tho with blaz-
ing rigging and the sides of the boat
considerably scorched.
Three grain boats in the next slip
were not so fortunate. All three were
In flames when towed into the river,
and, tho the fire on one of the number
was brought under control before the
craft had been entirely consumed. the
other two were burned to the waters
edge.
In the meantime, the iire was threat
ening to spread to a series of elevators
along the Calumet river and to other
large manufacturing plants. but under
the direction of Chief Musham the fire.
mems attention was directed to pre-
venting a spread of the flames after 1t
was seen the salt compaay's plant could
not be saved.
The salt company's main buildings
were three sheds, two extending east
and west and the third north and south.
The larger sheds were 1900 feet and
], 200 feet long and 500 feet wide. The
third was 500 feet square. In these
were stored 400. 900 tons of salt, and the
greater part of this is said to be ruined.
Included in the company's loss are
the docks. extending 1900 feet along the
Calumet river, these being 250 feet
wide. On those to the south of the
plant along the slip were two huge
hosting machines for lifting salt from
the boats, and on the slip to the west
along the river are four of these ma
The loss on the sheds and the
docks is placed at $1,000 600 and on the
salt at $500. 600.
To the south of the salt company's
plant is the United States Gypsum
works, which were badly
scorched, but were finally saved by the
department. The Rialto elevator.
one Of he largest buildings in South
Chicago, is directly to the north, but.
being fireproof, was little damaged.
The firemen were considerably handi-
capped by lack of coal FOL the engines
at first. but later the cooperation of
the South Chicago teamsters was Sc
cured, and supplies of fIel were hauled
from the large plants in the neighbour
hood as fast as they were needed.
The fire was discovered by a watch
mar in the Rialto elevator, who noticed
q small flame creeping over the western
edge of the roof of the south shed at
the plant. He turned In an alarm, but
before the fire engines arrived the first
of the big sheds was a mass of flames.