Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-03-04
DANGEROUS blaze
At BIC MILL

and for half an hour or so the fate OF
the extensive and well-equipped plant
hung In the balance. That it was saw
ed was due to the prompt arrival, hard
work and cooperation of the fremen,
The fire broke out soon after seven
O'Clock in a building at the rear, be-
tween the mill and the canal, so near
the former that there is barely room
for cart to pass between. The build
ing contained the clay mixer, quaint
ity of clay, tools aud other supplies
belonging to the bricklayers. In the
building was an engine also, used to
! operate the ore crusher, the latter be-
ing Installed in the mill proper, a long
belt connecting the two. In order to
/ keep the clay in good condition for
/ the usual Sunday repairs it is said
that stove in the building that burn
ed was kept fired up Saturday evening
In the mill Saturday evening were
two firemsn and couple of water
men. When the fire in the clay house
was discovered it had already spread
considerably and was eating into the
roof. The men worked heroically en-
deavoring to extinguish the fire with
water carried in buckets.
Meanwhile the fire eating its way
through the roof was seen by Clarence
/ Haupt, Orville Switzer and others
! living on West Mahoning street, who,
with breathless haste, ran by way of
Mill street down to the mill, OH the
way sending in an alarm to the
Friendship engine house About the
same time persons at the corner of
Mill and Northumberland streets be-
gan to detect thin cloud Of smoke
accompanied with the odor of bnrniug
wood floating up from the mill over
town. To investigate the cause sever.
al men went down to the mill aud ar
rived on the ground early enough to
be of special service in lighting the
fire.
Unfortunately the fire occurred on
the last Saturday night of the month
and about the hour when the fremeu
hold their regular meeting. The most
of those who heard the bell. therefore,
thought it was the usual call for q
meeting and were not in the least dis
turbed. The usual Saturday night
crowd was out on Mill street and the
first intimation the people had that
there was fire was when the Friend
ship hose wagon drawn by horse
went dashing down the street The
hose wagon was observed to turn down
Northumberland street and a few min
ferred from Mill street to the Reading
Iron works. When the fire was at its
height there were probably two thou
sand people on the ground.
All four fire companies of the bor-
ough, as well as the Rescue Fire COM
pany Of Slider hill, were present at
the fire. Despite the best efforts of
the watchmen and the wstermen the
building when the firemen arrived was
a seething mass of flames, which had
communicated to the pump house
standing only few feet east of the
building in which the fire originated
The Continental boys rushed into
the mill and attached their hose to
one of the plugs on the inside. The
Friendship and Goodwill companies
connected with plug just opposite
the mill on the north side of North
cumberland street. The Washington
fire company, which reached the mill
after long and wesrisome pull
through the muddy streets, connected
with plug at the Mahoning creek
bridge and had unreeled its hose when
it learned that its aid would not be
needed.
The tiremen at once addressed them
selves to the doubtful task of saving
the pump house, which was already
burning rapidly, as, il this building
were destroyed, it would neoessitate a
general shut down of the plant While
the firemen were working on the pump
iiOHoS WIZ Oeho' III Nultu ell6
fire started was burning rapidly; ev-
cry inch of the roof was on fire, the
flames leaping skyward to the height
of twenty feet or more. A brisk south
west wind had arisen, which carried
the flames over the mill, huge fire
brands raining down upon the roof.
AS soon as the fire was subdued in
the pump house the firemen concen.
trated their efforts on the clay house
aud succeeded in extinguishing the
fire, but not until the building was
practically destroyed.
No estimate of the damage has al
yet been made. The company carries
an insurance. 1t is not probable thai
the damage done will result in much
Ii any delay, at the mill An attacht
of the company Saturday night said il
was not known how the fire origin
ate.
Painting Store Front.