The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-11-06
LANGSTAFF FIRM
LOSES ITS SAW MILL
Burned Sunday Morning, Loss
$50, 900, SIS, 900 Insurance.
About 80 Men Out of Work---Plan-
ing Mill Is to BE Started at
Once.
MOST OF CO.'S PLANT SAVED

1t Is an Old tradition among fire
fighters that fires come in threes. In
fact disasters of all descriptions are
said to come in threes, and Paducah
has just rounded out another series
of thcee oonhagratons.
The Cooperage Company, Union
Central Hotel and Langstaff mill suf-
fered destructive blazes within three
days. The Langstaff company suffer
boss of perhaps 100000 by fire Sun
day morning about 1 o'clock. ITS
sawmill at Second and Adams, which
was built about forty years ago.
was totally destroyed by fire which
seemed to have started under a De-
rick used for hosting logs to the saw
carriages Watchman Jake Rouse,
while making his rounds, discovered
the blaze and after sending in an
alarm and blowing the whistle. did
what he corld to extlngulsh the
flames with the company hose, but 1t
had gained too much Roadway, and
quickly spread The saw depart
ment, with its fine machinery, and
the boller ard enginsi rooms, wee
burned, but Che wind was blowing in
such way that the planning mill
and other departments of the big
concern were saved. The rain also
helped save the plant, as it had dam
pened the lumber piles, and the big
sparks fell harmlessly on them while
the saw mill was burning.
The fire departments under Chief
James Wood and his captains.
usual did splendid work, although all
they could do was to prevent the
blaze from spreading to other parts
of tue plant. The bridge from the
saw pill to the storage departments
was burned and the big water tahk
caught fire but was only slightly
damaged.
1t is the first time the Langstaff
company in its forty years of
successful existence ever had a fire
serious enough to report to the I'm
surance companies. The building
that burned was built forty-fve Years
ago by the late George Lapgstaif, Sam
Langstaff ard John Orme, and was
equipped with the best machinery,
with a capacity of $4,000 and 1907
900 feet of sawed lumber day
About It's men were employed in
that department.
Mr.. George Langstaff stated this
morning that he did not know whe-
Their the saw mill would be rebuilt
or not but that tho probability is
that it will be put back at once. lie
said that the board of directors
would have to hold meeting and
decide this question. If this depart
ment is not rebuilt it will necessi-
tate the closing down of the planning
mill in a-short time. as all the lum-
Der used in the planning mill is hrst
sawed in the saw mill.
Today The planning mill was con-
nected with the engine room and 1t
will probably be started in the morn
ing. The engines and boilers were
not damaged A roof will have to- be
put oyer them, however. Mr.. Lang
staff said they were very fortunate
in keeping. the large smokestacx
from falling. 1t it had gone down
tina planning mill could not have been
started for sometime.
BY the burning of the sawmlll
about eighty men are thrown out OF
work and. it comes at bad time,
just before the holidays. Mr.. Lang
staff said if they rebuild that it will
be impossible to get started before
April l.. The machinery is ruined
and Will have to go to the scrap pile,
AT present the company has con-
| Siderable saWed lumber in its wards