Arizona republican., 1909-05-07
PUMPING
 COMPANY Sustained a Great Loss By Fire PLANT PARTLY DESTROYED The Damage Roughly Esti- mated at Between $6,O00 and $12,OOO But fully Gov cred by Insurance---Origin of a Mystery.
PLANT PARTLY DESTROYED

The plant of the Tempe Pumping company was seriously damaged by fire late Wednesday afternoon and put entirely out of commission for the time being. No effort has yet been made to estimate even approXi- mateiy the damage sustained, but roughly it is somewhere between six and twelve thousand dollars. It will be difficult to ascertain just how much If the machinery has been ruined until a close examination can be made and this will probably not take place until after the arrival of an insurance adiuster.
 The fire started about four o'clock, no one being at the plant at the time. Engineer Sedig has just fin ished working at the plant and had prepared everything for starting the next morning at nine o'clock Kind ling had been placed in the fire box and all was in readiness to begin a long run. He locked up and started to town, but when about a half a mile away, noticed smoke in the vii cinity of the building and hurried back He found the flames making good headway on the south end of the building Reuben Wood, who was working in a hayfield nearby, noticed the fire about the same time MT. Sedig phoned to town for help at once and then devoted his attention to saving as much of value as pos sible. The fire fighting apparatus was exceedingly limited and with so little help, it was difficult to do any thing The south end of the building was frame and this burned fiercely, as did the roof. Between the engine room and the boiler room was a heavy brick wall and by tearing out the north wall of the building and throwing in a north draft, MT. Sedig managed to save everything in the boiler room, the draft forcing the flames away from that end of the structure. He and MT. Wood, by hard work also kept the flames away from the oil tank. This was a fort unate thing, for the tank has a ca pacity of two carloads of oil and had just been filled. The fire burned rapidly and before any assistance ar rived, the frame wall had been en- tirely consumed and the roof had fallen.
 It is thought that a great deal of the heavy machinery is not much harmed, though there is much that is a total loss, but as above stated, little can be told about it until a complete examination of every detail is made. Engineer Smith, who installed the machinery is expected here in a short time.
 
 The plant in its entirety, including wells and pumps, cost about $55, ,000. An insurance of S15,0O0 was carried, 5000 on the building and s10,OO0 on the machinery. The Royal company carried the policy and their adjuster was advised by wire the same even ing. He will probably arrive here to- day or tomorrow. It is thought that the insurance will fully cover the actual loss to the building and ma chinery.
 How the fire started is much of a mystery. MT. Sedig is positive that it started from the outside of the building in a quantity of fox tail that had grown about and died. This seems reasonable, but the real facts will probably never be known. It seems, at any rate, that no blame can be attached to any one connected with the plant for the disaster