The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-02-11

Thousands upon Thousands Of do
Iar5 worth of prOI ct was desuoyc :,
the wheels OF an IMMENSE inI.strJ
made m~Otionless ana over a hundred
bread-Winncr5 were cut short n their
Iabors by fire in the northern pat o.
the city yesterday morning. Tie m
mense plant Of the Cape Fear LumLeT
Company, with its giant mode n ma
chinery and fine appointments. was
the victim and about one hundred n
fifty men were made, idle by the con-
f~agration, and made idle, too, just at
a time when the sky was clear in the
business world in which lumber mills
move, because the Cape Fear had been
running only ten days following a SUI
sI,ensiOn of business due to the pecu-
liar situation in the industrial field.
The fire proved the most disastrous
that has ]ccurred III Wilmington in
years, and this can be we'll cOmpre-
hended if a person will but think of
the charred lot Of ruins a hundred
thousand dollar fire would leave in
the business portion Of the city. To
all this actual loss m the loss of
time by this great industry and the
throwing orh of employment of the one
hundred and fifty men.
The fire was discovered Yesterday
morning shortly past II o'clock. 1t
was detected by the sawyer in the
the hand mill. Smelling smoke he
shutdown his lever and investigated.
His keen eye 500 perceived smoke
and he Immediately gave alarm. AS
sistance rapidly came, but the flames
broke forth. They, Of course. found
easy prey in the cOmDustible material
OF The saw mill and tongues of fire
were OOn darting here and there.
The fire department. of the mill re-
spOnded promptly, but in the mean
time the bucket brigade, operating
from large barrels placed in the mill
for such an emergency, got t. work.
and the automatic sprinkIers We're
placed at work. All did good service
and strove to checE the flames while
and alarm was sounded fo~ the city
department. The flames, however,
were Of too strong a nature to be sub
dued at that time gained rapil
Roadway.
The department was soon on the
scene and went to work with a will.
Then came steaming up the river the
steamers Madeleine and the Atlantic
and the fire-bOat Atlantic. More water
struck the walls of fire, which shut
from sight the big plant. It was a
grand combined assault on the con-
~f1agration and probably no better fight
was ever put up by a fire department
than made by the Wilmington laddies.
They stuck to their task. while the mill
men, led by Superintendent J.. A. Kari
and Chief Engineer ]. G.. Hobbs, re-
manned at their pOs1s of duty and
fought he flames like veterans. The
fire. rolling dense smoke heaverward.
that from afar doomed before the eve
like some black. OmfnOus cloud. at
fist shook off the water and roAred on,
and wind threatened to carry the
fire to the giant storage kiln contain
MS tNtl u illll1lOu lt6I Ol IOuSn ana
dressed lumber. Sparks were thrown
in every direction, and a bucket bri-
9ade was organized to watch for the
alighting Of the embeTs and eXtinguish
hem. This was successfully accom-
plished. In the meantime the flames
Crep tOWardS the SOrage kiln, but the
fire fighters ~stubbornIy fought on and
at last their efforts We're crowned with
success. Their magnificent fight con
QueTed and they cut off the flames and
then beat them doEn. but great dam
age had been done. The entire saw
mill part was gone buildings had
been RACED and costly machinery twist
ed and torn apart Thousands upon
thousands of dollars worth of damage
had beer done. 1t is estimated by ex-
perts that the damage will amount to
about n hundred thousand dollars.
This is fully covered by insurance, as
the Cape Fear Lumber Company car
ried insurance to the amount of about
$500, 900 with companies represented
by Messrs. Clayton Giles & Son, Mr..
J. A. Arringdale, general manager of
the company, is in New York city but
was old promptly over the long dis
lance phone Of the loss. A meeting o.
the company will nov have to be held
to determine upon a further move
This will be as to rebuilding, and if
SO at what time. The very nearlfuture
it is hoped.
uMn 11por g EacEirr -oo lin