The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-03-25
Stubborn Blaze Discovered in
Carriage Concern Late
On Sunday Afternoon.
LOSS STILL UNCERTAIN.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE is UN-
KNOWN FiREMEN MADE A
GOOD FIGHT OPERATION is
IOT PREVENTED.

One of the most stubborn aud dam.
aging fires that has occurred in the
city for several months was that
which broke out at the George w
Davis Carriage factory, located on
North + street, Sunday afternoon, and
continued for almost two hours. The
damage done is not yet known as it
has been impossible to even estimate
it. The fire was confined to the trim
ming room in which the most expen-
sive materials used in the manufac-
ture of buggies are stored. In speak
ing of the matter one of the stock
holders in the concern said that not
one of the owners had even ventured
to guess, but the loss would undoubt-
edly be great as the fire destroyed al
most the entire supply of fine feathers
used in making buggy and carriage
tops. The hair, cloths and oiled can
vases and carpets which are very
expensive. were also destroyed.
Clerks are now at work making an
invoice of the stock, that the loss can
be determined and no definite state
pleted 1t is thought the loss will be
between $4,000 and $4,000 and may
even run over this figure. All is COW
cred by insurance.
Origin Was Mysterious.
The fire was of decidedly myster-
ious origin and it is not known how
IL started There were no gas jets in
the trimming room. which is situated
on the third floor, to the east end of
the building. and they could not have
been the cause. As the windows were
all closed, there could have been no
possibility of sparks from passing
train igniting the combustible mater
ials- There were three electric lights
in the room and as the ceiling was
burned more than any other portion.
and had all the appearances of ignit-
ing first. it is thought by some that
a defective wire might have been re-
sponsible for the blaze.
The watchman at the factory was
in another portion of the building and
mad not noticed the smoke making its
egress into departments Immediately
surrounding. A brakeman on a Penn.
sylvania switch engine saw the blaze
and smoke in the finishing room and
turned in an alarm. All departments
in the city were called The large
fire walls. which separate the trim
ming room from other portions of the
plant. probably prevented the entire
building from being burned Had it
gained access to the paint room. sit
uated close to the trimming room
there is hardly any question but what
the plant would have been entirely
destroyed The fire laddies did good
work but were handicapped by the
dense smoke which arose from burn
ing leather and hair. The Davis Car
riage company officers were loud in
their praise of the work of the depart
ment
Ladders were used almost exclusive
1y in fighting the flames and several
firemen carrying the hose to the top.
were injured by falling glass when the |
windows were smashed so that the |
streams might be turned on the inter |
for.
AS the trimming room is directly
over the Office rooms, located on the /
first floor, much damage was done to /
Office fixtures by water and smoke +
Large Crowd Attracted.
The fire alarm attracted one of the /
largest crowds ever at fire
in Richmond. The Richmond populace |
which had turned out to enjoy the /
pleasant spring weather. soon assem- /
bled around the factory building E |
street. both east and west of the build /
ing, was black with people while t
North Eleventh street was equally. if |
not more crowded. The large num-
Der of people present handicapped the |
firemen to some extent in handling
hose and ladders.
Operations of the plant are continu
ed in a majority of the departments
as if no fire had occurred. The trim
ming department will be Immediately
refitted and IL is thought it can re-
sumo operations under full force with
in the course of the next three days.