The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-05-25

might, too, be saved. For a long tim
smoke seemed to be coming from tn
windows but still no sign of fire itsel
appeared, and until the flames at las
did break out, with all thu fury of tn,
lire in the south part of the building
the big crowds continued to hope
against hope that the flames could ani
would still be checked at the last fire
wall and the north building saved
With the final breaking through of the
fire the last hope for anything except
the kiln was gone. The only work, but
one which lasted until nearly morning,
was now to save the big kiln and the
other neighboring property. With dog.
ged persistence this fight was carried on
and won.
The only other fire was one which
was started quarter of mile away,
across the river, before the doom of the
big factory here was sealed in the eyes
of the onlookers-th was the fire at
the Appleton ice house a fire quite
spectacular in its own sphere. and one
which caused CONSERVATION of no small
degree in its neighborhood where it
ragged with no effective resistance to op-
pose it. For time it looked to many as
though the fire was to spread to other
parts of the city unchecked and new
terror was added to the minds of many.
The Corunna fire department did excel
lent work at the fire by saving all the
property adjacent to the ice house.
1t is still too early to get at an exact
statement Of the loss to the Estey Man
ufacturing Company, invoices which
were locked in the vault with other
papers and books, and therefore inacces-
sible, preventing the early completion
of this work. In general way how
ever it may be said that the loss repre-
sented by the destruction of the factory,
machinery. and stock will amount to
$174, 900. The total insurance available
to apply on this loss is probably 1884,
600. An interesting as we'll as unfortu.
nate feature Of the insurance question,
at least from the standpoint of the COM
pany, is the fact that one policy of $S,-
000 taken for ninety days term, ex-
pired at noon of the day before the fire.
Still another feature of much the same
type was the fact that additional in
surance for the amount of $40, 900 had
been arranged for, the forms had been
printed and all was in readiness for it
to go into effect on the second day fol-
lowing, little difference in time which
amounts to difference of $2s, 600 in in
surance money. ',
Aside from the big fire it was only by
the most persistent work that several
other losses were averted. The l.. G.
Hall elevator south of the Grand Trunk
track and just across from the Estey
factory, the City Mills on the east side
of Washington street on the corner of
Corunna avenue, the Estey Companv's
oil house directly across Washington
street from the factory. the Salisbury
Tire Company's frame factory also on
the east side of the street and further
north towards the Ann Arbor tracks,
and the Parker monument works just
across Howard street, to the north of the
Estey factory, were all in the greatest
danger for some hours and were saved
only by the hardest kind of work. AT
the City Mills it was only by the fire.
men crawling into the open ends of
boilers which were rolled up from the
Brandell boiler works that they could
protect themselves from the heat suf
GENTLY to keep their stream on the
building. The Estey Company's oil
house was saved by somewhat similar
work, line of hose being taken into it |
after it had been on fire a number of |
lines Several barrels of naptha were |
stored in the house at the time which |
would have caused serious commotion
lad it caught fire. The Salisbury stock
vas almost entirely removed from their
and both company and fire de-
oartment employees worked hard to
ave the building. Telegraph lines
we're put out of commission early in
he fire so that Treasurer Chas. E. Rig
ey was obliged to telephone to Durand
o get dispatch through to President
7. Gray Estey at Brattleboro. VT.
Telephone wires and poles went the
way of the Western Union and early in
he course of the fire it became neces-
ary for the o. q c.. Il. Company to
hut off the current from the street car
inc to avoid the danger which would
ome with the falling of the trolley
wire. Poles for all these companies
'urned and the falling wires made a
'ad tangle.
CITIZENS MEETING.
At the mass meeting at the Y. Nj. @. !!
/. rooms Monday morning a large
lumber were present representing all
'arts Of the city and citizens in all lines
f work. The crowd seemed anxious to
,et to business, and Mayor Parkill ex-
,lained that the call had been issued at
he request of citizens. He called on A.
4. Bentley to preside and II. X. White
vas chosen secretary. Mr.. Parkill then