Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-12-13


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which arose as the coal eausar fire
laaalI> @iiterafed The bri4A flames
and made it difficult lar .Ae- tircmaa
T." 81, around The ehute~ Wer. load
81 with tons and TONS OF coaI whIra
b41nc.t with such fierce Ifqar ma
despite the cold winds the atmosphere
Oh thc inside Of tao Shops Has aS warm
Is Ii summer. As the burning Goa. fa..
10 the ground it scatrzted ar9und ill.,
racks aaa SCI many sae tics sg .5T5z
The flames We're seen t,eat their Wy
saEnWad and The heavy =timba4s
which supported The tracks OF tn
z.lzfte Wefa soon blazing ferccly. An
Intellectual effof was made al Gle tn8e
to play stream OF waller on these
aefnls. but The iremen We're soon dry.
eA back by the approaching flames.
The entire structure fell across the
switch tracks and there burned itseif
94t.
The offices OF the foremen and a
string OF b y eafs some distance away
were threatened for time by the
showers OF sparks, but hose was
sent in that direction and saved them.
| one peculiar feature of the fire was
that a small building between the ell
house and the coal chutes did not even
catch though no particular attention
was paid to It. With the burning OF the
cal chutes it was seen that the res
OF the shops could be saved though the
high winds blew a hurricane and
sparks We're scattered in all directions
Only by persistent efforts on the part
of hundreds of spectators and tiremen
were the shops saved.
The fire department force of the
shops who lived nearby, with the as
sistance of the watchmen and work
men in the shops. We're first on the
scene, and soon had the company hose
playing on the adjoining buildings
Three streams of water We're thrown
from these hose, but the pressure was
Was very light and the water thus
thrown had little or no effect on the
blaze.
The city fire department With Chief
Frazier in command made the long run
in five minutes from the time the first
alarm was turned in and lent efficient
aid in keeping down the flames. The
department was compelled TO stretch
a hose from the plug at Harvey's sa
locn fully fteen hundred feet away
and could get but enc stream of Wa
ter. The shops are outside the fire
limit. The stream from this hose was
strong. and no fault can be found with
the water company. Mr.. Adams. the
assistant superintendent of the shops,
arrived some minutes aIler the fire
started and lent his aid toward direct
MS HIS iliNll' l1Ctil w 'ti Ni.'o wa ~
ed faithfully nearly all night long.
The fire reached its limit in the de.
stGuctcn of the oil house and the coal
chutes, although many yards OF the
ties between the tracks We're burned.
The news of the fire soon spread
throughout the city. and many hun
dreds of spectators gathered on the
scene Every street car going east car
ried loads of passengers. The sight,
as the great masses Of famed rolled up
ward was a beautiful one for the burn
ing cils blended into varieties Of colors
somberness to the scene SO hGt
We're the flames that the spectators
stood the cold winds with ease and
many watched the burning buildings
for hours
The damage to the shops cannot
reasonably be estimated at this time.
Mr. Adams said that no one knew just
hew much oil was in the tanks and
that the losses will have to be figured
up Monday. He thinks the loss will
be fully covered by insurance. but does
not know the amount. The coal
chutes were filled with coal to be used
in the coaling of the engines and this
was all burned in addition to three
box cars of 40. 900 pounds each.
So far as can be learned no others
OF the bystandels were hurt by the ex-
poding kegs With the exception OF Mr.
ClaXton.