Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-26

which could not be reached by the
switch engines, would have been
burned had not volunteers from the
crowd put their shoulders to them nd
mover them out Of the fire zone
Many of these cars were so hot that
the hand could not bear to touch them
Still many others were dragged out or
the way OF the switch engine, and
their crews.
Thirty-fiv Cars Destroyed.
Among the cars destroyed there were
two passenger coaches which were in
the paint shop and thirty-tive box
/ and coal cars and cabooses which were
| in the car shop, and on the track that
| lead to it. OF these cars three We're
| loaded, one with lumber, another with
coal and another with sand. All or
these loads were company property
| A number of other cars We're more or
| less damaged Some Of these We're
| dragged away from the flames where
they had caught and the fire was put
out when they were brought within
range of the play of water. Twenty
cars loaded with coal and flour were
removed from the up" track and out
| Oh ItlG IaJSc VI sNiASlh SA'eA
Fire of Intense Heat.
| The fire was probably the hottest
that the city has ever experienced
When at it's height the flames sent out
O zone of heat that could not be faced,
and which forced the firemen from
the burning buildings and compelled
them to fight from long range. De-
spite this disadvantage, and the large
territory that was covered by the
flames and the piles of lumber and
cars that stood in the way and Mn
dered the work, the department got at
the flames from every advantageous
point.
Direction Of Wind Fortunate.
The direction of the wind was one
of the fortunate features of the fire. 1t
was blowing gently from little north
of east and held steadily from that oil
rection during the entire progress or
/ the fire. Because of it the flames were
carried more away from than toward
| the round house, and other buildings
which stand to the north and north
west of the burned area. Had the
wind been from the south or the south
east no power could have prevented
the fire from spreading to the round
house, machine, blacksmith and boiler
shops, the ice houses, to many cars and
the property of the coal companies dt-
trectly to the north. Had it been from
the north the plant of the Marshall
Oil Company would have been
threatened. AS 1t, was most or the
sparks, and burning fragments were
carried to the southwest into an open
pasture.
Firemen Have Strenuous Fight.
The fire tested the metal Of the de-
partment to the limit and all during
the night a part of the department was
kept on the scene. 1T was not until 10
o'clock that the flames were under
control and all danger from further
spreading was passed. At one time a
dozen streams of water were fighting
the fire or drenching buildings and
cars to keep them from catching. The
conduct of the department was adj
mirable, and altho from the very first
it was realized that no power could
save the buildings which were burn
ing, much other property that other
wise would have gone up in smoke
was saved. Attention was also turned
to saving the paint house, which con-
tanned much paint and OIL This was
saved after a hard fight, altho it was
! only Il short distance from the paint
shop.
Local officials of the company praise
the work of the department. They
fully realize that nothing could have
been done to have saved the two shops
buildings.
Keep Up Fight All Night.
The fight against the fire was kept
up practically all Of the night, altho
by midnight there was little left in
either of the shops that had not been
consumed. Streams of water were
kept playing on the piles of lumber
that were burning just outside Of
where the buildings stood, all night.
This morning the smouldering ruins,
which were occasionally breaking out
into flames, We're being drenched.
Guard the Ruins.
Early this morning company en-
ployes We're made special officers and
the ruins We're roped off and they were
placed on guard. While the buildings
are total loss there is much valu-
able salvage in the ruins. No one, ex-
cept by special permission, was al
lowed inside of the guard line.
Immense Crowds View Fire.
An immense crowd from all parts of
the city was attracted by the fire, and
many of these who swarmed thru the
yards and over the tracks were in con-
slant danger of being run down by
switch engines and trains. Every van
tage point was filled with spectators,
some of whom remained far into the
night.
The flames Illuminated the sky so
that the reflection was seen as far as
fifteen miles in all directions. Tele-
phone lines running into the city We're
kept busy answering inquiries from
out of town, asking the extent of the
fire.
Future Plans Not Known.
None of the local officials of the COM
pany would say for publication what
the plans of the company might be,
altho all expressed the belief that the
burned departments would be rebuilt
General Manager T.. F. Day. of Min
neapolis, was notified last night, and
today it was expected that he would
be in the city Monday. Until he ar
rives it will not be possible to learn
the plans for rebuilding. 1t is scarcely
thought possible that the company
will do otherwise than rebuild proba-
bly, on the same site, and it is likely
the new buildings will be larger and
better than those destroyed
Many Thrown Out of Work.
AS result of the fire practicalIv all