The daily sentinel., 1908-05-11

ing on the concrete floor, they then
took a line OF hose and pushing their
way to a corner of the furnace room
played the water on the burning floor
and stairway. Flames were rapidly
eating away the double floors, the
heavy ioists or stringers and the
stairway The fire was slowly but
surely making its way all along the
floor to the front of the building The
heavy stringers were being devoured
rapidly when the firemen entered the
basement. and with every moment the
fire was gaining strength and head
way. Two great streams of water
were kept at work but the fire hung
on stubbornly. 1t was mean fire to
fight
The fact that the building was filled
with dense smoke made the disadvant-
age most pronounced. For time it
could hardly be told whether or not
the fire was to be controlled or wheth-
er the building would be destroyed
The front doors Of the building were
finally opened and the employees of
The Sentinel. assisted by other cit
liens. found their way to the desks
and cabinets and the bound files of
the paper (for the many years it has
been in eXistence). the subscription
books, the ledgers. typewriters and
other articles of especial value were
carried out of the building and into
the Chamber of Commerce offices.
The floor in the rear of the long
composing and job room and over the
deep basement began to sag and set
tied down. the ioists and stringers
having burned away. Two heavy job
presses and two of the large compos-
ing stones were sitting on this part
of the flooT. and it was evident that
these big machines and stones would
soon crash through the weakened
floor. each of the presses weighing
something like 1000 pounds. Directed
by Mr.. A. c. Newton. the veteran
newspaperman. heavy ropes We're Sc
cured and thrown over the presses
and stones and they were dragged to
the big room where the floor was
still intact These heavy pieces were
moved lust in time.
The. linotype machine. which sets
in Che extreme southwest corner OF
the work room and which is a most
delicate machine and the most expen-
sive one in the Office. was in almost
as much danger from water as It was
from fire. While the building was
still choked with smoke Mr. Newton
secured heavy wagon canvas or COW
er and with several other men assist
ing him. he rushed into the room and
covered the big machine.
The big press was not so badly dam
aged by the fire as by the water,
which necessarily had TO be thrown
on it and which as il rose on the floor
submerged the lower workings of the
fxT.l
under the portion of the ceiling that
burned the fiercest. was badly dam
aged. The two great stacks of print
paper were completely ruined. The
damage to shaftings, beltings. etc. is
very heavy and these will have to be
replaced with new ones.
There seems to be but little doubt
that the fire started from an electric
wire on the basement ceiling 1t is
certain that the fire did not start
anywhere near the floor. The fur
mace room and boilerroom We're not
damaged, showing that the fire did
not start there.
The most plausible theory is that
the fire started from a wire and che
fire must have smouldered for long
period before 1t finally broke out and
began to spread. Chief Rogers says
that the fire must have been burning
at least an hour before il was discoy-
cred. and had it been undiscovered for
another hour the damage would have
been far greater than it is.
The large expanse of the first floor
so badly burned will have to be re-
placed by new stringers and new
flooring. entailing a heavy expense
On the first floor the job presses the
linotype, the type cases, ETC., are all
more or less damaged by the heat.
smoke and water. The walls and cell
ings of the big workroom. which is