The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-29
BIG LUMBER PLANT BURNS Lovelace Brothers Brew ton Property. LOSS WILL REACH s7sOOO Local Fire Fighters Saved Much
 Properly.
  Enterprisins Men win BesiH at once to Rebuild the Big Piant---Watch- man Discovered the

Brewton, Dec. 2s.--(SpeciaL )--Firs that threatened the destruction Of all the property of the Lovelace Lumber Company completely burned the, saw mill plant of that corporation tonight. The loss entailed amounts to about s75,000 and to this should be adoed a few thousand more in the shape or remote damages
 The saw mill plant was one of the largest in the south and was equipped with some of the most modern ma chinery known to the lumber and tim Der manufacturing science. The en- tire plant, consisting of saw mill. planer, dry ktlns. basket factory and a large stock of manufactured lumber was seriously threatened, but by the heroic efforts of the volunteer fre- men, the flames were confined to the saw mill alone.
 Manager W. Y. Lovelace stated to- night that the actual loss would easily reach S45,0OO, with about slS,O00 in- surance, but that to this should be added about 430.0oe for loss of time. Also the blocking of the ponds with logs which is now full, may increase the loss.
 The fire originated in the boiler room of the saw mill plant and was first discovered at 9:15 o'clock by the night watchman who immediately turned in the alarm. When the ire men responded the main plant was apparently a solid mass of flames It was a formidable foe for the volunteers who had hurriedly shaken their holi- day clothes and slipped into hre- light ing regalia. But the boys lost not second in getting into the fight.
 Water for fire purposes is turned into the city's reservoirs from the LoveIace Lumber Company's ponds and much difficulty was experienced in rais- ing the flood gates, as the flames roared tempestuously over them. Power house pumps were insuficient to meet the great emergency and these were shut down, although they almost ad- joined the company's plants. The Ce- dar Creek Mill Company's pond pumps were cut into the town mains. Twelve streams of water were kept playing upon the ire just before 1t was got under control. Had 1t got beyond con- trol, the loss would have amounted to the quarter million mark.
 The whole city offered it's aid to- wards saving the propeTy. It was not until near the midnight hour that the ire was put under con- troll The fight was one of the severest tests, the volunteers have undergone in many a year. No adjoining dwellings on Mill Street. where the mill IFonIss were destroyed, though 1t looked for a time as if these would. ignite and communicate the flames to the heart of the city
 The Lovelace Lumber Company had gone now for about seven years with it's present mill without any big fire. and this destruction comes as a heavy loss. It falls heavily on the Love- lace brothers, W. Y. Lovelace and F. N. Lovelace. These capitalists ... ooponara4fvaIv 1youun ynAn fhn,,s,t, they are well-known to the lumber manufacturing world. They will un- doubtedly rebuild their immense plant and possibly on a larger scale. having unbounded confidence in the future of the lumber and timber market.