Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-12-13
HOT CAR STOVE
CAUSES BIG LOSS
FARWELL AVENUE STATION OF
STREET RAILWAY COMPANY
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
BEGG'S PRIVATE CAR BURNED,
Much Rolling Stock, Including Work
Cars and Snow Equipment
Injured.
DAMAGE MAY REACH see, 700.

MlLh AUNEE, w IS, Dec. {, lJUI.-
! The partial destruction of the Farwell
avenue street railway station, the loss
of several cars, including the well known
private car of John l. Beggs, and the
damage to the sub-station by fire, at
7:15 o'clock Friday night, caused heavy
loss to the street railway company Two
firemen were injured in the blaze
A large part of the barns, including
the offices and the sub-station, were
saved by the fire wall which separates
the two portions of the building Traffic
was tied up on five lines Tor nearly two
hours and hundreds of cars stood on the
tracks leading in all directions from the
barns.
Car Stove Is Blamed.
Smoke was seen coming from the
| northeast part of the big low building
at 7:15, and an alarm was at once
turned in. 1t was followed by two more
and III q short time streams of water
were playing upon the blaze, which by
this time had broken through the roof
There were a number OF cars in this
part Of the structure, and it is thought
that fire from an overheated stove in
one of them may have started the blaze
About 200 cars were stored in the
building, about forty-hve being in the
part attacked by the fire. 1t was an
easy matter to run out the cars from
the south and west ends of the barns
| but when a number of mOtormen at
tempted to move those in the rear of the
north end, they We're driven back by
the heat.
Beggs' Private Car Destroyed
Of the cars burned including in addi-
ton, to the beautiful car "NIilwau-
kee" built for John l. Beggs at
st. Louis. three salt cars, three snow
sweepers and two of the most modern
er cars were of somewhat older make
but were fit for use.
Parts of the roof began to fall soon
after the fire reached it's height and
fremen were called back by Chief
Clancy who foresaw the danger. At s
O'Clock the largest part of the roof fell
Firemen Are Hurt.
Capt. Fred c. Schroeder, engine com
pany No. %, living at 1414 Third street,
was slightly burned but returned to
work.
Frederick NIuelk, Jr, pipeman in
engine company No. 25, who lives at
1906 Ninth street, was injured about
the head and neck, and his shoulder was
bruised. He was attended at drug
store and returned to work.
John l. Beggs with number of his
superintendent, was upon the scene ear
ly and directed the work of removing
cars, restoring traffic, and what proved
more dangerous, cutting wires leading
into the barn at many points.
By $50 the fire was well under con-
troll and in half an hour there was no
signs of flames. The open front of the
building made good draft for the flames
and at one time smoke was pouring
from the front in ,tgreat volumes, the
heat becoming so intense that awnings
of buildings across the street We're
scOrched.
The building and cars were entirely
covered by insurance.
TheatergOers were greatly handi-
capped by the fire as it happened at Il
time when people We're preparing to
board cars for down town.
Beggs Estimates Loss at $69,700.
'"The total loss caused by the fire at
our FarwelI avenue barn will probably
aggregate 500, 7OO," said John /. Beggs
this morning in an interview. Nine
cars were totally destroyed, that is the
bodies were burned, and the running
gear and electrical equipment damaged
three cars We're badly damaged by the
fire, three slightly so and a large number
of others scorched and the paint burned
off. The snow equipment of the Far
sweepers, was burned and two salt cars
totally destroyed. My private car, the
Milwaukee. was entirely destroyed. caus
ing a loss of $4,000. That includes all
the appliances, except running gear and
electrical equipment which may be
made serviceable.
1.-The building loss is probably $1,000
and the loss to the substation $4,000 or
$4,000 more. The fire was caused, in all
probability, by an overheated stove on
tripper just brought in and left by
the crew in a hurry to get to supper.
That is the only reason we can assign
because there is no fire at the north end,
that part of the building being without
heat. Of course we will rebuild. The
public will not know we had a fire, as
it will not affect our traffic in the least"