The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-02-04
Loss of $4,000 to Railroad
Company Last Night
Fire Department Becomes Mired But
Chief Wood Succeeds i'm Get
ting Steamer There.
PLANS FOR THE NEW CHUTE

coal chute in the south yards last
night between 1880 and IL O'Clock
entailing a loss of between 100000
and $4,000 covered by the rail
roads own insurance. The fire COM
panies responded to general alarm
but could not get within quarter OF
a mile of the fire on account OF
swamps and railroad tracks. The
conhagration threw up a steady light
for hours and attracted thousands
to the scene. Wires were broken and
telegraphic communication suspend
ed south of Paducah for hours, line
men being unable to string the wires
on account of the intense heat, and
the burning down of telegraph poles.
The main line track for more than
200 feet was ruined by the intense
heat
The fire was discovered shortly af-
ter the night shift went on. Coal
shovelers had hung their coats in
the little Office in the center of the
chute. A fire was kept in the stove
and It is presumed the braze origi-
mated from this. At 1880 o'clock one
Of the negroes went back for his
pipe. He opened the door of the lit
tie room and smothered flames leap
ed out. into his face. He gave an
alarm and instantly the entire force
was summoned to fight back the
flames but too great Roadway had
been made.
Switch engine, No. 1919, Engine
man Morrison and Fireman Han
cock. responded to the alarm and
with the fire fighting apparatus pro-
vided on the engine saved big fur
niture car loaded with general mer-
chandise The car nad caught fire
and after playing a stream of water
on 1t, the engine pulled it with 9TH
ers out of danger. Heroically the en-
ginemen worked clearing the tracks
of cars, and within twenty minutes
had all rolling stock out of harms
way.
A general alarm from box 81
brought No. 1. 2 and 4, companies
to the scene. The companies No. l
and went out Tennessee street to
the old fair grounds and within a
quarter of mile of the fire, but
could get no further. Company No. 4
went through Littleviile and got mir
ed in the swamp. Harry Rudolph and
Fred Member, of No. 3, and "Rab-
bit" Hamilton, of company No. 1.
got mired in the mud while trying
to walk through the swamp, but es-
capped after a thorough soaking in
ice cold water. The NO. truck got
in to the hub.
officials ON the Scene.
Trainmaster l.. E. McCabe, Master
Mechanic r. ]. TurnbuiI, Travelling
Engineer B F. Feeney, Yardmaster
Sullivan and other officials were
soon on the scene. BY 5 o'clock the
entire bin part of the chute was a
mass of seething flames All wires
had been carried down by the crash
and incoming freight trains were
stopped south of the furnace of
burning coal and pine piling. unable
to pass for the heat and badly twist
ed track, buckled into a shapeless
mass by the heat.
A force of section men. sent on
the approach of the chute, unboltei
tracks and cut timbers in two to
save the approach from being pulled
down. when the heavy trucks of the
five coal cars caught on top of the
chute fell with debris of the franc
work.
Fire Chief Wood sent the steamer
from No. station to Tennessee
street where 1t was loaded onto
FIAT car and taken to the scene. The
intake hose was run into slough
ana water played on the burning ap-
proach and into the hot bed to save
tracks and what portion of the chute
remained intact A wind from the
north saved the approach as
the wind blew the fire away from it.
The steamer from the fire depart
ment assisting saved probably $5,-
600 worth of approach trest,e.