The Washington times., 1908-10-21
Terra Gotta Factory De
stroyed by Fire, Entailing
a Loss of $4,000.
WATCHMAN FIRST
TO SEE THE BLAZE
Runs to Turn IN Alarm, Only 70
Find Telephone Wires Melted.
40 Fire Plugs in Reach

Unable 80 lay a single pipe Hns BE-
cause the nearest hydraut was more
than half a mile away, the membsrs
OF No II engine company could 10
practically nothing 20 check the fancy
that destroyed the large plant OF ths
National FireproOfug Company. Terra
Gotta. D. c.. early this morning. The
loss IS estimated at 10000. which Il
covered by $4,000 Insurance.
The hreprOOfinE company occupied
the plant Of the old Potomac Terra
Gotta Company, building covering an
area equal TO half city block The
walls were terra Gotta. and the building
was supposed 20 be fireprOOf- no pre-
cautions had been taken against the pos
sibiiity OF a hre in the plant
The nre was discovered shortly before
Z clock BY Waterman. who ran 10
the Office IN the front Of the building
70 send IN an alarm by telephone. BY
the time he reached the Office the
flames had gained such heacway that
me telephone wires had melted John
Daniels, the superintendent, arrived
while the Watchman was endeavoring
10 use the telephone Mr.. Daniels hUr-
rled 10 nearby grocery store and tels-
phoned 20 No Il engine company
Whole Building A5laze-
Wien the iremen arrived. the entire
At-@--N4---e Neas GA4aLE- caring LLLe names
would spread 10 several near by BiIns.
the men confined their efforts 10 propinE
the walls in such a manner that they
would fan in instead OF out The floors
and roof OF the building 7-ere OF wood.
and large quantity Of wooden benches
and shelves were On every floor
The building was used principally for
the manufacture and drying Of ire
proOdng materials. The Office and draft
lnS rooms were on the first floor. There
was a large quantity OF maChiner- in
tAe DClidiEg which was ruined. sew
erai thousand feet OF steam pipe used
IA LLle drying room also were destroyed
Largest Plant Of Kind
The National Flre Proofng COMPANY
had The largest plant or its kind IA the
vicinity OF Washington. The firm has
its main Offices in the Colorado build
ing. and did large business in fire.
proohng materials ali over the country.
The plant was located on the west
side OF the Baltimore and Ohio tracks.
less than 100 yards from the scene OF
the Terra Gotta wreck. a year ago last
December. The building was remodeIed
and enlarged at the time il was pur-
chased from the Potomac Terra Gotta
Company, and many pieces OF expensive
machinery, manufactured especially for
the company, had been installed re-
Gently
All the machinery was ruined A
larg- stock Of nreprO0hng material, in
Guiding bricks, sewer pipe. and other
articles made from terra Gotta were
stored In the drying rooms Thousands
of dollars had been expended in Install
ing the latest types OF steam coils for
drying purposes
The weight Of the heavy machines
caused the IOOrs 70 fan after the nre
had been burning about half an hour
The yoof fell with q terrific crash
At the Offices OF the company in the
Colorado Building IL was said that the
full extent OF the loss had not been
determined. but the damage. il is eSu-
mated, VIII be fully 100000
Starts IN Boiler Room.
II is believed the Ere stared in one OF
the boiler rooms, OF which there were
two. The flames were discovered In
this part OF the building. There were
fires in the furnaces III 10th boiler
rooms, but the officials OF the company
said they could not understand how the
blaze could have originated in this
mauer-
The fremen showed the walls down II,
sUcn q manner that all but one fell in
side OF the burning building This prob
ablp prevented the flames rom spread
iEE 10 the kilns-
In the stOrerOoms was considerable
material that was being finished for
shipment within the next few days The
plant had been running 70 its fun ca
paCiJy for several weeks and prac-
ucally every available inch Of space
in the large building was used for stor-
ing hreprOOf brick, tile, pipe, and other
articles used in the construction OF fire.
proof buildings
One Machine Saved.
The only piece Of machinery that was
not completely destroyed was one or
the big boilers Every mixing machin.
and finishing machine was mangIed be-
yOud repair.
The watchman who discovered the IRE Fl
said that he had TO idea as 10 how II
started. He had Just made his round.
when he detected smoke coming from
the boiler room, which he had left
about half an hour before Before he
reached the room, the flames had burned
through the partition In less than I'VE
minutes II seemed as II the whole build
ing was on FIRE
Firemen think the blaze NAV have
started from an Overheated flue-
SHELDON STILL SHY