The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-09-16
An Exciting Blaze, But Loss Com
paratively Small.

1
nouncement of fire at the gas plant
OF the Oskaloosa Light & Fuel Co.
about 10 o'clock Saturday night and
the crowd which followed the hose
trucks on their rapid run hesitated at
the Iowa Central tracks ana many re-
turned hurriedly to the City, fearing
an explosion of the gas reservoirs. The
flames were leaping fiercely from the
roof of the coke storage rooms, at the
southeast corner of the plant and roll
ing uncomfortable near the big gas
and oil tanks, which were plainly dis
cernable from distance in the light
of the fire. The fire department re-
sponded very promptly and made
record run down First avenue west
and around to the gas house and in
few minutes had two streams of wat
err playing on the flames. They man
aged to keep the fire out of the engine
and meter rooms and thereby saved
disastrous damage to the machinery
which would have followed In case the
roof and walls had collapsed in those
parts. The roof had fallen In over
| the coke storage before the depart
ment arrived, but they did such excoll-
ent work that 1t was but forty-hve
minutes after the turning in of the
alarm before the flames were subdued.
How the fire originated cannot be
definitely determined. There was no
one working at the plant and the only
fire left in the building was banked
under the boilers and could not have
caused the confiagration. 1t is. stated
by those who arrived on the scene
earliest that the fire started In the
j tar roof and possibly resulted from
sparks from an Iowa Central engine.
The composition on the roof burned
fercely and caused the large names
and dense smoke which was visible
for SO great a distance. ..,
Marion Cook superintendent of the
gas works, who resides near the plant
was on his way home from up town
when he noticed the fire. He entered
the building and went to the tele'
phone, which is located near the en-
CINE, and was giving the alarm to cent
raj when the roof over the coke stor
age fell in with a loud crash and fill
ed the building with smoke. Mr.. Cook
was forced to leave the telephone and
go to window for air and consequent
ly delay was caused in reporting the
alarm. Another alarm was turned In
b. about the same time from the Iowa
Central depot by a man who saw the
fire from the depot platform. Mr.. Cook
turned off the valves connecting the
gas generators with the supply tanks
! and thereby prevented any danger o
an explosion. When the fire was ex
tinguished the amount of damage done
was not easily determined and it was
: thought best to start the machincrl
to see what repairs were necessary t.
put the plant in shape for operation
Sunday morning. A supply of beltin,
was obtained in the city and the dam
aged belts in the engine room wer'
replaced and the machinery started
/ Everything was found to be in work
ing order and the men returned home
At o'clock in the morning a seconC
alarm was turned in and little fir'
in some of the debris surrounding the
building was extinguished. Sunda!
: morning the plant was put in opera
| ton under practically normal condl
!, tons.
/ The damage done Is not as grea
as was first expected. The coke stor
: age room was destroyed and the wood
en- partition between it and the engine
, room burned out and the later room
. somewhat damaged. The supply o
coke is found to be only slightly dam
: aged and the machinery PRACTICAL,
unframed The loss is entirely GOV
, cred by insurance and before thu
/ building Is reconstructed as 1t was
Mr.. Fair states that new plans will b.
considered. which will include an i'm
provement in the buildings at tn
plant.
During the fire several box car
standing in the Iowa Central yard
near the building caught fire and the.
Y were removed by the switching crey
and the flames extinguished by them