The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1913-03-04
Distillery Burned With Heavy
Loss.


The plant and machinery of the
Paris Distilling Co., owned and oper-
ated by the Julius Kessler Gu. of
Chicago, was destroyed by fire at an
early hour Sunday morning entailing a
loss that will in all probability reach
$780, 600. and endangered other prop
erty of the company.
| The fire was discovered about two
O'Clock Sunday morning by Mr.. James
Mcnamara, night Waterman at the
plant. but it had gained such Roadway
that it was impossible to control it
with the fire fighting apparatus main
tanned at the plant and an alarm was
sent in for the Paris fire department.
The plant and warehouses are Iocat-
ed on the North Middletown pike and
on the Maysville branch of the Louis
Vile & Nashville railroad. just out of
the city limits. For the local depart
ment 10 respond to the call the permits
sion of Mayor Hinton had to be secur-
ed and he ordered the engine and sew
eral lines of hose taken to the scene to
protect the property adjoining.
When the fire department arrived on
the scene the building was enveloped
in flames and brisk wind was tanning
them fercely. For a time the ware
houses and cattle barns adjoining were
imperled, as the wind blowing from
the West carried the sparks and flames
in their direction.
A sudden decline in the temperature
made the work of fighting the fire
difficult and those who were handling
the lines of hose sun cred intensely
from the cold. Good work, however,
resulted from their efforts as the fire
was confined to the building in which
it originated and no damage was suf-
fered to any of the adjoining build
ings.
While the origin of the fire is un-
known it is the opinion that it started
from spontaneous combustion in the
dust room or from some kind of an eX-
plosIon in the boiler room. When the
flames were discovered they were blaz-
ing fercely in that part of the build
ing.
A sudden change in the coGrse of the
wind probably saved the cattle barns
in which were housed S75 head of cat
tie, each chained TO the trough racks.
They were the property of Jonas We'll,
of Fayette county, and were being fed
at the distillery. Had the wind con-
tinued in that direction all of the stock
would have persisted. as the barns are
frame structures and the flames could
have been easily communicated to
them.
In the grain rooms were about 5000
bushels of grain, which together with
a car of shelled corn on the siding,
which was waiting to be unloaded,
tanning about 80, 900 barrels of whisky
were not damaged and none of the
whisky was destroyed, although work
men were prepared to remove as much
whisky from the buildings as possible
in event the fire was communicated to
them.
The distiIery which had capacity
of about 60 barrels per day had Deen IN
operation since January !, and since
that time had been running at full
capacity. Since the operations began
about 1000 barrels of whisky had been
run. AS a consequence of the fire the
entire force of men employed at the
plant. to the number of seventy five.
were thrown out of employment. The
loss on the proI erty is fully covered by
insurance. The only part of the build
ing which was not destroyed was the
beer room in which were more than
100, 900 gallons of beer. This portion
was saved from destruction by a brick
wall falling upon the part adjoining
the building. proper, demolishing a
large section and smothering :out the
| flames which had begun to eat their
way into the frame structure.
The cattle which were being fed at
| the distillery were shipped away as
rapidly as possible Sunday, as there
was not sufficient slop to- supply them
over one day. More than ninety cars
were employed IN moving the cattle.
| The fire furnished very spectacular
scene which was witnessed by large
number of residents of this city who
would not venture out in the cold. The
burning copper served to produce
flames on many hues and when the
| giant smoke stack, loosed from its
moorings by the flames, fell to the
ground, caused myriads of sparks tt
mount high into the air.
Since the construction of the distil
lery at the close of the Civil War il
has been operated by many firms
The original owners were George Nj
Bedford and W. 7. Ruckner, who op
Grated the plant until 1880 when it " a.
bought by Samuel Clay, Jr.. & CO.,
and later sold to the Welsh Disabling
Co., of Covington. Later it was alb
sorbed By the Kentucky Dlstillers &
Warehouse Co., which is known as the
whisky trust. Attic plant was made
the famous Sam Clay whisky which
name was derived from the product O.
one of its former owners.
/ Nothing definite is known as to wha
plans for the future are being con
sidered but it is probable the distillni
plant will be reconstructed and com
pleted by the coming fall when it will
be placed in operation. This distiller.
is the only one which has operated il
Bourbon county for number of years
as all of those controlled by the trus
have been dismantled, and the ma
chinery and equipment taken away.
Yesterday afternoon the beer room
which escaped the flames Sunday morn
ing caught fire, and was consUm ed
Every precaution had been taken an
| it WaS-tbOught there was little DANCE