The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-06-13
Fire Destroyed Cement
Works; Damage $4,000
From Tuesdays Daily.

from IueSudyS Odity.
Fire last night destroyed the|
Mankato cement works, entailing s|
loss of $4,000, ON which about $27..
600 insurance was carried. The de
struction ofsthis industry is regarded
as one of thea most deplorabIe
events in the history Of this
city and it was made more distress.
ingly deplorabief because the build.
ings were so far from any source
of water supply that almost nothing
could be done to stop the greedy
progress OF the flames. The damage
is roughly estimated at over $4,000,
and most of this was done in about
two hours. The insurance viii not cover
the loss, and the business will be
retarded for months while the build
ings and machinery are being recon
structed, and between fifty and sixty
employees win be thrown but of EN-
ployment officials and employees
turned out to a man to- do what
they could to- quench the flames, and
stop them from spreading, but the
most they could do was to stand by,
wringing their hands, some cursing.
some praying, watching the names
advance gradually and maliciousfy
across the roofs from building to
building, then as fast as the fire
progressed, the roofs and framework
fell in, leaving a smoldering mass
of ruin. and desolation. There was
nothing that could be done.
.e Nearest Hydrant Far Away.
The nearest hydrant was. near the
West Mankato school building, over
half mile away. An attempt was
made to make the available hose
reach across this distance. but this
was impossible, and even if it could
have been laid the water could not
have been supplied in time to stop
the Roadway of the fire. All of the
hose from the central station, West
Mankato and Ogle's addition, was
used, 5000 feet in ALL The blaze
was discovered shortly after ten
O'Clock and in half or three quarters
of an hour it was beyond control
The fire department arrived at break
neck speed, crashing recklessly over
the ruts and around the devious
curves of the road to the plant, but
when the wagons arrived they could
not be used. The firemen rushed
madly about looking for something
to do to put out the fire, but with
out the streams of water on which
50 much depends, they were power
less. Ben Bangerter, Jr., of Hose
Company No. 2, made his way to
the second floor of the crusher house
where the fire started, and seized a
line of one inch hose attached to
the wall, to be used in case of emer-
gency for small fires. He played
the tiny stream upon the ravenous
flames, but they advanced as if there
was nothing there to hinder them.
He held the nozzle, however, back:
ing up SLOWLY and steadily and the
fire crept upon him, until the hose
was burned off in another part OF
the building. &
Fight Was Fruitiess. o
II was valiant fight for the hose
man, but absolutely fruitless This
puny assault upon the fire was
practically the only fight against it
that was made or could be made All
hope was gone when he came out
of the building, and from this on it
was glorious sight to- see the
flames as they steadily gained head.
way. rising higher and higher over
the roofs, and scattering burning
brands for considerable distances In
the stiff breeze which was blowing
from the south. First the cupola on
the crusher house went down; in q
few moments, the big pulley over
which the cable runs which pulls
the loaded cars of burned stone
from the kilns to the topmost crush
er, fell in, clear to the floor. AT
this time the boilers in the engine
room became overheated, and it was
thought that they would explode The
hiss of the safety valves rose to a
shrill scream. as if threatening dire
destruction at any moment. Soon the
safety plugs gave way, allowing
more steam to escape, and the boil
ers remained intact until all their
pent up energy was exhausted The
escaping steam created a much bet
ter draft for the fire, and helped
it to eat its way more rapidly through
the walls and framework. First the
entire crusher house went down to
ashes, all but the stone walls; then
the fire spread to the warehouses
just north of the crusher house, and
they were completely wiped out with
all the tons of freshly manufactured
cement, and the thousands of new
muslin sacks. 49,
Box Car Caught Fire.
A string of box cars were standing
on the track which runs along the
east end of the crusher house, and
along the side of she long ware,
houses, and the railroad offices were
called by telephone and a switch en-.
CINE ordered out. 1t did not arrive
in time to get the cars away until
the warehouses were afire, and the
enginemen could not stand the heat
to run the locomotive along side of
them. 1t was necessary then to get