The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-27
FIERCE FIGHT WITH FIRE
Ocala Lumber and supply
(omDany

Fire broke out very unexpectedly
last night at the plant OF the Ocala
Lumber and Supply Company in the
northeast Of town.
The company had large quantity
OF valuable lumber stored in ware.
houses along its switch track in the
center of the yard, in the Y formed
by the two railroads. In one OF
| these the fire originated, ami must
have been smouldering for some
time, for it suddenly broke out with
a blaze that sent a column OF fame
heavenward.
The fire was Immediately seen
from all around that part OF town,
and an alarm sent in from Carmi-
chaels. The fire department an
swered the alarm promptly, and the
chief with his men and apparatus
was on the ground in a few minutes.
When they arrived, however, the
warehouse in which the fire started
was all ablaze. and they found that
their water pressure was very feeble.
! This soon improved, however, and
! they went into a tremendously hard
| fight with the flames, in which they
were aided by many volunteers from
! the hundreds of people who gathered
/ from all parts of town.
The efforts of the freman could
not save the warehouse where the
| blaze started, nor the one next TO II
| nor two cars on the track along side.
| That they did succeed in combining
! the fire to these and a few piles OF
/ lumber adjoining is due not only to
their own hard work, but to the alb
sence of wind, and the rain of the
past few days that had thoroughly
/ soaked all the uncovered lumber
piled around the starting point of
the conflagration.
The progress of the fire was TO the
eastward, and after sweeping the
warehouses AMI freight cars. it be-
gan eating into the piles of lumber
and shingles stacked up toward the
Seaboard Here the firemen made a
heroic fight. in which they were aid
ed by company employees and many
| volunteers, who carried the lumber
and shingles away from the exposed
point, while the department men
Dourei a steady food into the ad-
vancing blaze. This was q terribly
hot place, and the men could not
have lived so close 10 it If they had
Iaot shielded themselves behind
loors and planks while they held the
hose. Even with this help, theil
work was fierce, as IS proven by
their blisterel hanis AMI faces this
morning.
Another she'd with a large guam
rity OF dry lumber was in the path
Of the fire, and had the flames reach
Ell it they would have swept clear K
the Seaboard, ami perhaps held the
night trains up.
Very slowly the flames yielded t
the torrents of water poured upon
!. them, and about II O'Clock the fire
: men considered they had the blaze
under control.
Chief Chambers common Is hi
men for their brave work, AM ask
The Star to mention Messrs. Lelant
. Smoak, George Mershon, John Rob
inson, Norton Davis. Francis Web
Der, Cecil Ditto. Louis Toffaletti ant
lack Peacock for their assistanc,
right up against the blaze. Thes
are by no means all who gave gal
liant assistance, but all the chic
could call to mind in the few min
utes he had to talk this morning.
While the fire was in full blast
Sunnyj:m came in on its run from
Lakeland. In order to keep from
running over the hose lines stretch
i Ell across the track. the train stop
! led for an hour while Conducto
| Goodyear and his men went TO he'll
fight the fire.
The origin Of the fire IS a mystery
/ A few minutes before the hlaz
! broke out, the company's waCchmal
I ! raised the warehouse where it start
( Ed and did not notice anything IN
| usual He was in another rart 0
! the yard when the first tongues O
/ fame shot thru the roof of the ware
house ami Illuminated all that par
| o. town.
I Mr.. VI. J. Roess was among tn
/ first on the ground after the alarm
} ard worked as hard as anyone srriI
ing to save the property. To a re
! porter, he said he estimated his los
l at fifteen to twenty thousand dollars
/ AMI he believed that it was mostl
l covered by insurance, but he couldn
| give the exact figures at that time
l, The firemen were at work nearl
| all night, steadily pouring water O