Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-06
BIG SALT PLANT
BURNS TO GROUND.
Fire Of Unknown Origin Consumes
Mill and Warehouse Near
Saltair.
LOSS ONLY PARTLY COVERED
Damage Done Amounts to s1a5,ooo,
insurance Carried s5o,5oo, Conn
pany Losing $4,000.

The Inland Crystal Salt company SUI
| fercd severe fire loss at 6:so 'ase
evening when the big plant near
Saltair was completely destroyed pS
fire Of unknown origin. The big mn
and warehouse and carloads OF SAY
were wiped out causing loss OF Slzo' :
000 Buildings, machinery and con-
tents were licked up by demon iallies
in spite OF the heroic efforts mace "
quench the blaze. The company car
red $50, 800 insurance on the mn anu
the small amount is explained by Of
ticers of the company who oelisVeo, pe
cause the building was saturated VIII
salt 1t was practically immune 70 hle' !.
In addition to the destruction OF
buildings and machinery, IL carloads
of salt ready for shipment went up
III smoke and the company suffers
great loss in being unable To MI con-
tracts until the plant Is rebuilt.
Just half an hour after the 30 en-
ployes had quit work for the DAY, the
Waterman discovered flames bursting
from the boiler room. He quickly
gave tho alarm and all the employees
rushed to the burning building. Supt;;
Miller organized his small force ana
they began a brave struggle against
the devour!ng flames. Buckets were
brought into use and the wives ana
daughters of the Workn1en worked Win
the men in the vain attempt to save
the plant. There was one line OF moss
but 1t proved ineffectual to cope with
the flames. Salt was thrown into the.
fire but every second 1t gained head
way and forced the brave little army
back. When walls began to crumble
and fall efforts were made to save the
main building, but this part of the
plant was also destroyed. The fire
fighters then turned their attention to
the office and clearinghouse and by
dint of hard and fearless work these
buildings were saved.
While one party passed buckets OF
water the other carried salt with which
to cover the roofs. III spite of the
dense smoke and intense heat men and
women fought side by side to save the
plant and what had been their home
The workmen were at the supper ta-
BILE when Waterman A. G. Ure discov-
cred the fire and gave the alarm The
men rushed to the burning building and
a t first 1t seemed that their efforts
would meet with successful the flames
continued to- spread and resist all eff
forts to extinguish them and 1t was
soon apparent that the plant was
doomed.
Waterman e. j. Bench Of the Salt
air pavilion saw the fire and telephoned
to Joseph Nelson, an official and stock
holderyo the company. Thelatter noti-
fed other officials and "a special train
was quickly made up aid /. A. Clayton;
Mrs. Clayton. j. z. Langford. A. f.
Clayton and Joseph Nelson FASTENED to
the scene. They could see the fire from
a distance but when they reached the
place the fire had done its work
Sccy. Clayton made the following
statement:
Our loss will reach s125.000 in prop
erty. The mill was insured for $4,000.
There We're from 20 to 45 cars of salt
ready for shipment. In the mill was
between 500 and 900 tons OF salt. It is
all a total loss. The amount l have
stated will not cover all our loss by any
means, as we are bound to lose much
on contracts we will not be able to take
care Of The mill will be rebuilt at
once. No time will be lost in getting
the plant into operation again."
]. r. Langford said:
THE fire, / understand, started in
the boiler room and was discovered by
the night Waterman. Just how the
blaze originated We are unable to say.
1t might have caught in the roof where
the stack passes through. but we are
not sure where 1t had its origin. There
was very little anybody could do to