The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-02-18
Loss ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $4,000, WITH
INSURANCE AMOUNTING TO $4,000

is presumed, therefore, that the
blaze started from one of these stoves
becoming overheated and
setting fire to some of the woodwork
in the structure.
That the fire started very quickly
is evidenced blythe fact that at $3.50
o'clock Night Watchman John Il.
Stone let Engineer John erosion out
of the south door of che plant, I'm
mediately at tie point where the
blaze started. After letting the en-
gineer out, the night watchman lock-
ed the door and went back to the
engine room. There has been no
night force employed at the plant
for some time and the engineer was
the last person to leave the building.
outside of the night watchman. AS a
matter of fact no one was In the
building and it possibly could not
have been set on fire, although a
number of persons advanced that
theory Monday night.
After the engineer had gone home.
Night Watchman Stone went to che
engine room for a few moments ana
then had occasion to go to the south
part of the shop. AS he left the en-
gine room he discovered immense
flames rolling up from the south ex'
tremity of the building near the
door where the engineer had gone
out only fifteen or twenty minutes
before. Running to the engine room.
Stone commenced to blow the whistle
on the plant, but in the meantime
Miss Frehse had discovered the
blaze and had sent in the alarm to
the department.
The department made rapid run.
but before their arrival the building
was in a mass OF flames, the lire
lighting up that section of the city
like day.
Flames Spread Rapidly
A strong wind was blowing from
the southwest at the time and was
in the right direction to carry the
flames entirely through the plant to
the Sugar street entrance. The var
ious buildings burned like paper box
es and in remarkably short space
of time the buildings were in ashes
To Save Machinery
BY the time the department arriv-
ed and three lines of hose had been
stretched all hopes of saving any
portion of the buildings had been
abandoned and Mr.. Israel directed
the fremen not 70 throw any water
on the buildings in which was locat-
ed the machinery. 1t was the belief
that if no water was thrown on the
that a larger portion OF
1t could again be utilized, Otherwise
If water had been thrown that 1t
would cause the machines to crack
Owing to the heat about the build
ing 1t cannot be determined at the
present time whether the machinery
can be used again.
All that the firemen could do was
to keep number of streams playing
on adjacent buildings to keep them
from catching on fire. At several
times the Office building, which is
located just across the street from
the plant, was in great danger ana
two lines of hose were used in throw
ing water on the roof and siues OF
this building.
At the time when 1t looked as III
The office building might soon be
blaze, employees and willing hands
went to work in carrying out val
liable blue prints, records, drafting
and other articles FROM
he cG'ce, but danger was soon pest
md everything was restored to its
proper place in the building
An Exciting Scene
At the time the fire was at It's
height the three large iron smoke
stacks over the engine room on the
EAST side of the building, near the
B. & o. tracks, fell with crash and
following this terrible sound was
made by the escaping steam In the
boilers mingled with the roar of the
sas when the pipe was disconnected
rom under the boilers. There was
m immense crowd of people in the
vicinity OF the engine room and many
hought that the boilers were about
o explode and the crowds, started to
'un. There was great amount of
excitement for short space of time.
The gas in the engine room only
added to the fury of the flames when
he pipe under the boilers became
disconnected There was no way to
ihut, the gas off as the cut-off WAS
N near the blaze that no one could