Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-16
FIRE BURNS ROUND
HOUSE: LOSS $4,000
SIXTEEN LOCOMOTIVES DAMAGED
IN SERIOUS IOWA CENTRAL
DISASTER.
BUILDING TOTAL WRECK;
ENGINES PARTLY BURNED
Total Damage Done to Locomotives
Placed BY Company At IS, too-Most
Of the Engines Will Be Speedily Re-
paired il Weather Does Not Inter.
fere-To Rebuild at Once.

paired il Weather Does Not Inter.
! fere-To Rebuild at Once.
| Fire. which twice before in less than
eight years has inflicted serious losses
on the Iowa Central. broke out Sunday
evening in the conlpary's round house.
totally destroying the building, damas-
ing motive power, and causing a a.
-ancial loss estimated by company Of
Gcals TO be about $4,000. The cause
: q the fire is no, known. 1t started In
the northwest end Of the building.
called the annex" The company is
fully protected by insurance.
! Chief l. T. Kirby believes the fire
was of inceadiary origin. bastng his
opinion upon conditions found in the
burned structure. Officials Of the COM
4 any said this morning they had moth
ing on which to base such an opinion.
We have no reason to think So" said
General Manager W. G. Bierd, when
asked.
Fire Spread Rapidly.
Mr.. Bierd and Master Mechanic Will
liam Gill. when questioned regarding
reports OF explosions said to have been
heard during the first few minutes OF
the fire. said they had heard the same
stories but knew nothing of their ruth
and put little faith in them. The an
rex" IS portion of the round house.
separated by q partition from the rest
Of the structure. The annex is used
for making light" repairs on loco
motives, and in it tanks are painted.
No supplies OF any kind were kept in
il. Mr.. GIL says. II was in this portion
of the structure that the FIRE was frs.
discovered. The alarm was turned in
a once and both companies arrived in
2 few minutes. but in the interval the
FIRE swept thru the she,I-like structure,
burning like finder the ttmbe.s, which
were soaked with OIL fumes and dust.
Sixteen Locomotives Damaged.
1t was shortly after O'Clock, and
just while the day force was quitting
aid the night force was going to work.
when the FIRE was discovered. Less
than ten men were in or near the
building. but by working until the
flames ard heat drove them back, they
MANAGED TO save the valuable steam
vrecking derrick, and get out some Of
the locomotives that had steam
CROUCH TO move under their own
power.
There were sixteen locomotives in the
round house. in addition to four engine
tanks. Of these eleven We're IN service
ard five were out OF service, I'M
dergoing repairs in the round house.
Of the eleven locomotives capable Of
cling moved four were got out, leaving
seven serviceatle and five unservice-
able engines in the building.
All Were Darn sed.
II spite OF me fac, that some CT the
engines We're ba cked out o: the build
/ ;rg tae- could not be moved far enough
in ttrr9e OF account OF the turn table
hack OF them bat that they We're Some
What aanaeed The twelve left IN the
~ound house were the wors. damaged.
From an inspection Of the engines
- ade LIST night and this morning. NJ.
] Gill 1,aces rt= detailed damages OF
/ each at from, So 70 1925. TIE total ac-
ro-ding TO MS figures. is $500, while
- r'-cas a roueh estimate OF 800 600
/ eo- the huiidf.= ard equipment, tools
t or. tina. Il contained.
| The engines ca mayed are the Nos g
- ~ - 80 3o9. e64 go e32. 900, 423
I s29. n 81 -. ard 225. Only one Is a
/ RAISER ge~ engine. TIE 4oa and 42s are
: ,la~' locomotives laiive-ed by the man
se'tra-s hi few weeks ago.
Image Not Serious.
5ar = Gore 70 thu Locomotives
: ccrs.-t~ - TIE obstruction OF all OF
nos. % = s;- wooden PARTS. s-ch as the
oehS. -un-ing boards etc. and other
/ PARTS easily IT e7.ed or broken s,,ch as
lass valves coc's= qua ges head lights
= Il 1,.r -
damage done he motive power was rot
more serious was because the fire wa.
rot hctte- than IL was. The building
ras little rore than she'll. part OF
wood I'd ne-t OF brick and stone
I Genera Mana ger Rie-d was Informed
J of he Ere wi7 'e Il was still IN progress
a15 o-dared she Af;nnes polls & St
/ Louis TO loan the Central all Tire loco
motives that couid be spared Some OF
.'ese we're delivered to-day. and others
Will arrive from dav - Gay.
Begin Repairs 1T Once.
! NJ. Gill estimates that IN FIVE weeks.
a. the mos all Of the damaged engines
will he hack in service. provided the
weather does not get too severe The
company will be handica nned in renair-
ing because the work will have to be
dore Oh. Of doors for time at least,
! ltnO some o. the engines Will be taken
into the machine shops and repaired
there He thought two OF three Of the en-
/ gires could be made ready for service
each weak Assembled cabs ready to
re put on the engines. we're ordered
from, the MINNEAPOLIS 2 ST Louis shops
Sunday night. Efforts were being
made this morning to secure an i'm
mediate adjustment Of the insurance
TIE company officials werc Of tina be-
,isf that TO serious interruption Of
traffic would resul. because OF the fire
owing to the new locomotives just re-
cei-ed. those borrowed. and the haste
with which repairs will be made.
VIII Rebuild At Once.
The round house will be rebuilt a.
once. a force Of men was pu. to work
this morning 70 clear the ruins. This
| forenoon Mr.. Rier6 was taking step:
70 get In touch with local contractor.
TO have the structure rebuilt with.
out delay. He said the old round house
was large enough and that probably
q. structure similar to the old one
would be built. The great fire hazard
and the constant damage to the build
ing. caused by the careless handling Of
locomo olives he said, made It hardly