Evening journal., 1911-08-14
FRESH FIRE in
HOSIERY RUINS
Firemen Called This Morning
to Again Fight Slight
Blaze
INDUSTRIES DESTROYED
CAUSING $SO,OOO LOSS

After smouldering since Saturday
afternoon, when the big plants were
destroyed by fire, fresh fire broke out
in the ruins Of the Charles Taylor
Hosiery Company and Golden Rule
silk Mill this morning A stih
alarm was sent to the Phoenix Com
pany, but before the company arrived
somebody sounded an alarm from box
No. ll3, callingout the district engines.
The blaze was extinguished in a short
time. The fire Of Saturday afternoon
gutted the properties, causing a loss
of $S0,00O. Insurance will cover the
loss.
Fire was discovered in the hosiery
plant shortly after 3 o'clock on Sat
urday afternoon, by Charles Bowers,
superintendent OF the Diamond Ice
Company's plant, and he sent in an
alarm. The district companies, three
Of which. the Reliance, Independence
and Friendship, were at the foot Of
West street undergoing test, ordered
by the fire committee of Council, and
these Immediately responded. The
Union company also was at the foot
Of West street, and later went into
service at the fire when a general
alarm was sounded. The first named
companies lost considerable time In
gathering up hose and getting to the
scene Of the fire, and It was some timo
before any water was thrown on the
fire.
The fire, fed by much infiammable
material and grease, spread rapidly,
and when the firemen did get into
working order the structure was
practically doomed Attention was
turned to saving surrounding property
and the spread of the fire was check
ed, the firemen extinguishing the blaze
about o'clock The hosiery was
completely ruined, including much
valuable machinery, and the silk mill
machinery and stock badly damaged.
Public School No. 29, adjoining the
burned building, but separated by an
alley, was in grave danger for a time
but the flames were prevented from
communicating with it. A row Of frame
houses occupies the opposite side OF
Poplar street and one of the fire COM
panies played a stream on the fire
from the roofs Of these.
The building in which the fire oc-
CuIItQ WAS DNlulAtu Hc
cotton mill, owned and operated by the
late Lea Pusey. It extends from Pop
lar to Lombard street along Thirteenth
street. About two-thirds of the build
ms. separated from the part burned is
used by the Delaware Morocco Com
pany. and that portion was saved. The
other section has been used for year
as a hosiery factory, a part having re-
Gently been changed into silk mill.
Charles Taylor is president of both
the hosiery and silk companies and as
sociated with him are David Snellen-
burg and others.
Some criticism was heard on Satur-
day afternoon because four of the
companies of the Fire Department had
been ordered to the foot of West street
at the same time and were being In
spected when the alarm was sounded.
The companies were the Reliance,
Friendship, Independence and Union.
IL was thought that not so many COM
panies should have been called out for
testing purposes at the same time.
Fortunately, however, the test was be-
ing held at the foot of West street
along the Brandywine which was near
the scene Of the fire. but it required
some time to gather up the hose.
The actual testing of the fire COM
panies rather than by inspecting them
in their houses, it is claimed, Will
reap better results. By calling out
the companies without previous notice
it is thought that the efficiency Of the
fire apparatus can better be judged.
Some difficulty was experienced in
getting a sufficient water supply at
the fire and many wondered why it
was that the companies were so slow
in getting into service. AT Thirteenth
and Poplar streets the Phoenix COM
pany attached to an old style water
plug with a two-inch outlet, which IS
not of the uniform 1ke, compelled
the company TO use a reducer, which
caused some delay.
The fire plugs. it was pointed out,
should be of uniform size.