Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-04
RAILROAD SHOPS SCORCHED
Unicn Pacific Loses Records and Valuable
Patterns in Fire
FIREHEN PREVENT SPREAD OF FLAMES
Blaze, Supposed to Have started from
Electric Wire in Roof, Con-
hned to Second Floor of
Building.

Fire broke out in the record room on the
second floor of the new pattern factory
in the Union Pacific shops about 2:So Mon
day afternoon and caused damage TO the
extent of $1,000 before 1t was extingushed
by the combined efforts Of the entire city
department and the Durant Fire company
at the shops. Records OF the auditing and
accounting departments we're totally de-
stroyed and 1t is feared that many valua-
BILE patterns were rendered useless by be-
ing soaked with water. The patterns were
on the frat floor Of the building and we're
not reached by the flames, but were
drenched with streams of water from
twenty lines of hose. The patterns repre-
sent the work OF years and the damage In
this respect cannot be estimated One hun
dred men were placed at work after the fire
was put out, carefully wiping the patterns
with towels, and it is hoped that in this
/ way the damage may be decreased.
The first alarm was sounded about $780,
but the fire had gained such headway that
a second alarm was sent In about p. M
! Four hose companies and truck re-
sponded to the first alarm and were imme-
| diately placed at work under the personal
direction Of Chief Salter. The second alarm
/ brought six more hose companies and two
! trucks to the scene, some Of which came
from the outskirts of the city. The FIRE
was gotten under control in about one hour,
but was one Of the most stubborn and diif-
cult that the firemen have been called upon
| to fight for some time.
The flames were first discovered by John
Nichols, custodian of the record room, who
smelled the odor of smoke. With the as
sistance of other employees, two lines of
hose in the building were laid and di-
rected on the blaze, but in spite OF the
i prompt measures taken the flames could
not be checked and soon enveloped the en-
tire north end of the building.
Fire starts Near Electric Wire.
The record room is situated at the north
end Of the building on the second floor,
and Mr.. Nichols said the fire was first seen
near the roof, where the electric light wires
enter the building. Superintendent of Mo-
tive Power McKeen was in the building
when the fire started and assisted
in playing the hose on the burning records.
The record room is separated from the
south half Of the building by a thin par
tition, but the flames soon burst through
the partition and enveloped the entire sec
ond floor in smoke and flames.
The records were kept in large wooden
files, with narrow corridors between the
files, which reached from the floor to the
roof, and the papers, which were the ac-
cumuation of many years. burned like
tlnder. The records were not of any par
ticular value, except for statistical pur-
poses, and the most recent papers In the
files were those of 1902 the current records
and those of recent years being kept in
fire-proof vaults in the general offices.
Greatest Damage to Patterns.
Superintendent McKeen said: while the
loss to the building will be considerable,
the greatest damage has been done to the
! patterns stored the first floor Many
of these patterns could not be replaced at
any cost and all of them are practically
worth their weight in gold. They are made
with infinite care and Of the most expensive
p materials. We hope to save most of them
- tonight, when hundred men will be
placed at wiping them of and removing
> them from the building.
II am thankful that the patterns for the
E motor cars were not In the building hut
were in use in the construction of the cars
in the shops"
The fire attracted a large crowd by reason
of the dense smoke which emanated, and
[ 1t was rumored around the city that the
= entire shops were burning. The courts
S adjourned for few moments to watch the
D / fire, which was plainly visible from the
( windows Of the court house.
e Chief Salter withdrew the city fremen
( about O'Clock, after having extinguished
e nearly every sign of blaze The railroad
n officials said they would be able to care
p for the property with the Durant depart
ment and rather preferred that their own
men take up the work Of handling the
books and records not burned.
: Spectator Hurt by Big Truck.
a While the hre at the shops was stin in
q progress, an alarm was turned in from
. the Utopia hotel, Eighteenth ana Daven
4 port streets, and the outlying companies
: which had moved in toward the center o
e the city when the second alarm was turnsC
a in by Chief Salter for the Union PacihS
fre answered the call, placing nearly
every piece of apparatus in the department
in commission. A slight blaze was founC
L to be burning between the floors and wal
n extinguished with small loss
e The only serious accident reported Incl
d dent to the hre was one in which an on
4, locker, too intent on seeing what wal
r. going on, got in the way OF a big hool
= and ladder truck. The victim was Billy
Is Hunt, aged about IS years, who was as in
n Qulsitive, despite his years. as a little DO!
regarding the workings OF truck No. ]
and when the ponderous vehicle started VI
to return to the fire house, Hunt failed L
n get out OF its path. His right foot wa
~ caught under a wheel and badly crushed
v The police were called with Surgeo
70 Pugsley, and the man taken 10 St. Joseph
'' hospital. While the foot is badly hurt,
le Ia not belieyad IL will be necessary I