Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-08-29
SECOND BAD BLAZE.
Werheim Manufacturing Co. Suffers
Second Fire Loss Within Week.

AT about twelve o'clock Saturday
night the night Waterman at the Wer-
helm Mfg Co.'S plant discovered that
the carpenter shop was on fire and the
result was that the company suffered
It's second severe loss from the same
cause within week There are seven
boxes in and around the plant which
the Waterman must punch every
noGr TO show that he has been attead-
ing to his business, and he had visited
four OF them and gone to the carpenter
shop to make register on the fifth
when he made the discovery. The shop
was all ablaze and the shavings and
scraps of dry wood fastened the prog
ress OF the flames. An alarm was inn
medlstely turned in, and though the
department soon responded the
whole upper story of the structure was
then. one blaze. The carpenter shop
was located in the southeast corner of
the second story, and after the flames
had broken out into the machine room,
the oily floor, timbers and other highly
combustlble material, greatly assisted
in the spread of the fire. Twelve lines
OF hose, two of which were private ones
from the Murray Mfg. Co. s plant across
though the building was flooded with
water, it was several hours before the
flames We're subdued, and the second
story had been practically DESTROYED.
80 much water was thrown into the
building that veritable creeks were run
ming out into the street and planks
were floating down Third street. The
worst place in the building for the fire.
men to hight the fire was in the dry kiln
A great many sash and doors were
piled In the kiln, close together, and
though several streams of water were
turned into the kiln, the fire smouldered
for a long time West of the kiln is a
brick fire wall and this held the blaze in
check from the engine room.
Ihough the upper portion of the fac
tory is almost wholly destroyed, the
greatest loss will perhaps be to the
machinery on the second floor. 1t is
said that there were two, machines on
that floor alone valued at 81, 500 How
much damage is done to the machinery
on the first floor cannot be ascertained
until the work of cleaning up has be-
gun, which will not be done until the
less has been adjusted by the insurance
agents.
Thirteen men were employed in the
chests of tools valued at 800 each.
which was their own property. These
men were working on iinishings for
two school houses, church and nine
dwelling houses and had much of the
work under way. A quartersawed oak
stair case, valned at about $3.50 was
Just about completed and was entirely
consumed. Eleven sets of plans for
buildings We're also destroyed
How the fire originated is mystery
There is never any. fire near the
carpenter shop and the men are not al
lowed to smoke in the building. The
night Waterman had visited that portion
OF the building every hour during the
fore part of the night and saw no evil
dences of smoke, The fact that com
pany was the victim of a similar loss
and from as mysterious origin, on the
Saturday night previous has given rise
In some quarters TO story that the COM
pany has enemies bent on its ruination,
which we trust is groundless.
The loss on the factory and finished
stock, while temporarily gripping the
company, will not put it out of business.
new factory, bnilt on more modern
plans, will no doubt be ready for
occupancy within sixty days
me Ioldl loss 10 Jne company cannot
be accurately computed at present. An
insurance of about $4,000 was carried,
but it is thought that there has been
more than that amount of property de-
stroyed. At a meeting of the stock
holders held yesterday morning it was
decided to fix up the planning mill for
temporary use, and to lease the Hirsch
factory on the west side until all hurry
up orders have been filled When those
orders are completed it is quite likely
that new factory will be in readiness
for FURTHERMORE.