Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-07-02
KIECKHEFER FACTORY DESTROYED
IN FIERCE BLAZE STARTING
IN THE BASEMENT.
EMPLOYEES IN WILD SCRAM BLE.
Constantinos Ganos Loses Life After
Working but Two Days-Body Is
Charred Beyond Recognition.
FAMILY STILL LIVE IN GREECE,

10 SUM- 5ul III p0YLoM QUA sI9VJIg3S
the Kieckhefer plant all night were re-
warded early this morning with the dis
coycry Of body, charred almost be-
yond recognition but believed to be that
Of Constantinos GanOs, the only employe
Of the company who has not yet been ac-
counted for.
According to John Zonkos who with
some fellow Greeks called at the mOrgue
this morning to view the body, GanOa
had worked in the Kieckhefer plant only
two days, having been employed there
as sawyer last Tuesday. He is sur
yived by q wife, two children and
grandmother, all Of whom are still in
Greece and as yet unaware that the
husband and father, whom they were
planning to join soon in the new country,
lies dead IN that same new country,
mangled and burned beyond recognition.
Ganos lived at 54J East Water street,
III company with several fellow country
mon.
Fire Is Disastrous
The Kieckhefer Box company's plant,
South Canal and Sixteenth street, lies
today q mass Of charred ruins Fire that
originated in the basement wiped out the
three great buildings early Wednesday
night
The blaze called out the entire fire
fighting force Of Milwaukee. Practically
FASTENED into the MenOmOdee valley
when the third alarm was sounded.
Prior to the sounding of that alarm the
kieckhefer plant had witnessed one of
the widest fire panics of recent years.
When smoke began to spread through
the kieckhefer buildings shortly after
9:l0 O'Clock every empIOye was at work.
About 100 of the persons employed in
the building are boys under 20 years Of
age. Upon them rolled the smoke
waves. Above the clatter of machinery
they heard the crackle of flame and the
roar of heat in the buildings shafts. The
fire apparently gained great Roadway
in the basement. 1t was thds undiscov-
cred until it broke suddenly through tie
floors
A call Of "frer halted work in the en-
tire plant For n moment POO men seemed
paralyzed. Then they broke, in mad
panic, for the exits.
Escape Down Chutes.
Some made for the doors; the first of
them escaped then the flying mass
Of men damned in the exits and battled
there More fled toward the windows.
Some leaped upon the crowds below
But the windows, too, became blocked
with men and egreSs there was impossible
Then the steel chutes, down which boxes
had been dropped for shipping were
made use Of. They proved excellent fire
made
their way from the furnace of flame in
this way.
The jamming of the panic stricken
men within the buildings was of but mo-
mentary duration. Hardly had the jams
formed about door and window than
toremen sprang into the mobs They
beat back their men; they forced them
aSunder until egress was possible They
forced those at upper windows down
stalfWays. In this way the buildings
were cleared with the loss of but a
single life
the results of mad leaps from the win
dows. Those thus hurt were:
Byron Fullerton, aged 40 years. $3.50
IWenty-Seventh street, icapCd from the
second story; compound fracture of the
Arthur Fulhrigo aged Il years. ri Pearl
street; leaped from first story window
through flames; burned about head. neck
Charles Winkel As years old, 1850 Holton
street. foreman at the plant Leaped from
second story, left leg broken; taken to
Bernard Lycst, "A years old. Iaborer, 80
Maple street; overcome by smoke.
Many employees were bruised in the
crush and others We're less seriously
burned. Injured fremen include:
Arnold Struvig, aged 20 years. 1907 Cen
ter street, pipeman No 20; overcome by
smoke
Alfred Gerhardtf aged 81 years. 3G7
Orchard street; pipeman, No. 20; overcome
by smoke.
Edward Bergen, aged 80 years 632 Mad.
ison street; pipeman No. 20; bruised.
Edward Laughlin, aged % years, 3St
Scott street; engine company No. 20; over
come by heat.
The injured were treated Mt the Elmer
gency hospital and all will recover.
Loss on the plant will amount to
about S250,000. fully covered by insur-
ance. The estimate is that of President
Robert ]. Kieckhefer. The buildings,
constructed in three sections, were 600
feet in length and 100 feet in width.
Adjoining plants, particularly the offices
of the Nc!lbrecht x Olson company and
the shops of the Schwab < Kruger and
Schwab & Anderson companies. were
also damaged slightly. Loss on the for
mer plant is estimated at $1,000; on the
latter two at $500 and $3.50 respectively.
Flying sparks, showering down upon
their roofs set these adjoining plants
abaze. Box ears, too, laden with lum-
Der. were destroyed. Others, on sidiugs
near the Kieckhefer plant, were drawn
to places Of safety by engines driven
into the smoke and flame.
Crowds View Battle.
While the fire ragged and men battled
for their lives thousands crowded the
Sixteenth street yiaduct, from which
vantage point the scene was spread out
IN all us ueltll pelpN- Inc DtluSe Is not
one of strength. A second disaster was
feared and detail of policemen was
hurried upon it to keep these crowds
moving.
Due to the blocking of the Menomonee
river by the steamers AbysSinia and
Joseph G. Monroe, tireboats experienced
great difficulty III approaching the scene
of the blaze. 1t required desperate eff
forts to bring the pumps in line arI
dock in position that insured effective
service.
The blaze was under control shortly
afte. o'clock last night. Its emberS.
however, were smoldering this morning
and streams were played on them ali
through the night
Hitting the Black Hand