Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-07-09
Loss Estimated al From $4,000
to $4,000 and Forty Men
Out Of Work.
OWNED BY sArRE BROTHERS
origin o. the Blaze Not Positively
known-Fire Viii Prove Serious
Blew to Town-only $1,000 lnsur-
asce-PIant is Total Wreck.

PIIOEBUS, VA. July $. - Sayre
brothers Iron foundry, the larscs'
manufactm ing plant i'll the town Of
Phocbus, WAS totally destroyed by
fire late this afternoon. throw
Ing forty men out of employment and
,ntaling loss o; between S2o,nU0
aid $4,000.
Mr.. 5. FL Sayre. the president OF
the concern, stated TO the Daily
that the total loss TO his firm would
be about $4,000, as there is $1,000
insurance on the burned building
and probably $1,000 worth of the cast
ings in the structure may be saved
and u.cd for other purposes.
The main furnace building. which
is 10 feet long by 40 feet in width,
was burned to the ground. In TINS
building was the fine machinery aitd
4 number of important castings, be-
Sizes the necessary tools and para
IdIerIalia used in plant of its size.
II cannot now be stated just how
much of the castings can he saved.
and this will not be decided until the
burning debris has been cleared away.
Discovered by Waterman.
The foundry had only resumed op-
cratlons on Monday, after having
been closed for two weeks, ami the
full fierce was At work again. When
the force stopped work at O'Clock
ihiS afternoon everything SCcm-
ed to be all right around the big
riaIt. Shortly before O'Clock MIR.
hopkins, the night watchmaA. dis
covered the building on fire near me
cupolo. The blaze was then rapidly
SPREADING over the large frame build
ing and Mr. Hopkins in his excite
ment turned IN an alarm to the Hamp-
ton depart ment, without calling out
the Phochus firemen.
Alarm Given in Hampton.
When the alarm REACHED Hampton
the fircmen .hurricdly responded and
made a quick trip to Phocbus. by
this time the alarm was given IN
Phocbus and the department of thai
town had responded. Both OF the fire
fighting brigades arrived on the
scene ,hout. the same time. The
buildin: was then in mass of flames
AMI Hampton fircmeE were given a
position at tie head OF the burning
structure and told 10 devote their en-
orgies in saving the large pattern
house. in which are horsCd many o.
the most valuable patterns owned by
the foundry The Phocbus firemen
took a position at the eastern end q.
: he building. but were Handicapped b.
lack of watcr pressure and found
It an uphill battle.
Firms Papers Saved.
The large safe in the office. as
well as the new blower. recently in
at a cost Of $500. were taken
from III. building and in this way tn"
papers o. the firm wCr" saved from
destruction.
The Hampton frcmcn fought hard
AMI did fine vUEk in preventing IN"
flames from spreading 10 the pattern
housr. As wrll as several other fran"
structures near the foundry. Acting
Chief ". v. Wood was in charge Of
the local department.
Chief Lancer and his men Of Ph"'s-
bus. although greatly Handicapped
fought to prevent . sp-ca of the
fire to the residential section along
chesapeake avcnHc and in this they
succeeded.
Just lIrw tho blazc g'sEtcd Is moi
positively kucWn. hut II is Thought
that tho kca: m the hui casing
probably set fire 70 the section near
he rnpIio.
When interviewed by Tally Pre-
Representative Mr.. $. ". Sayrc said
that the building aud ms-hin"ry
cn., his Arm about 81. no. n"
ihCuEhr with other ~ sp"rty that IN"
total g-nsS los world b. ahUU'
So. oG0. Nr. Ssyrc said tho INSURANCE
on n" huildirg Is s5.eoo and he X
positive that the not los to- hts ron
ccrn viii not fall short q. $i2 GGG.
ksktd 3hcihrr ~ no. tn" fouEdTy will
b. r-buil,. Nr SayrC said h. vas IN.
sbic 10 state. ~ tho financial los
would greatly handicap his firm aud