Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-09
Loss.
Insurance.

Special to
Grinnell, Feb. 9.-The church bells
were lust ready to call the people to-
eether for worship yesterday morn
ing when the fire siren shrieked a
warning. The blaze was located in
the Laros buggy factory 1T the corner
Of Spring street and Fourth avenue
and it kept at the work OF destruction
until most of the large three-story
factory and it's contents we're rendered
useless. For i've long hours he fire.
men fought without intermission and.
at times in the midst of great danger
to themselves. Two were injured. viii
LENS fell while In the thick smoke In
side the building and broke a leg.
George Clifton, Jr., had a fail and Sc
yerely strained his back. 1t is a mat
ter of surprise that others were not
injured thru the crumbling of walls
and the falling Of inside timbers.
Torch Starts Fire.
The Laros factory covered q quarter
Of a block with 9, ninety foot frontage
on Spring street and 1856 feet on Fourth
avenue. Two large buildings had beer
added to the plant within the past year.
The fire started on the frs: floor IN the
three-story, veneered brick on the
southwest corner Of the block. That
floor was the cutting and trimming
room and was packed with inflamma-
bic material. Above 1t were two floors
well packed with finished material.
The fire is said to have originated
from a torch in the hands of one OF
the who vas thawfng out a
frozen steam pipe. The fame came IN
contact with some excelsior and, from
that moment, there was something do
ing, At noon it looked as tho every
wall would go to the ground but heroic
work finally saved the office and at
least part of the repository adjoining
on the rear. Willing hands carried
out a large amount Of finished stock
not assembled and, later. when the
spread Of the flames was certainly
checked. helped to put It again into
the building.
Factory Almost = Wreck.
The buildings fronting for fifty fee:
on Fourth avenue, ninety feet on
Spring street and 156 feet east to the
alley were completely destroyed and
most Of the walls leveled TO the ground.
There was a strong wind from the
west, which drove the flames f1ercely
against the partitions and the east
walls and they licked up the combus-
tible material. There was a small
amount of paints on the ground floor.
in a small room separated from the
main stock. but which fed the flames
after they had already got beyond con-
troll on that side Of the building.
The Laros Company has been in ex-
istence here for fifteen or more years,
being at first D. A. Laros & Son. They
began in a small way but increased
their business very rapidly. There were
several children in the family and
each one had some hand in the manu-
+ featuring process. At Ave different
times have additions been made to the
factory buildings. Since the latest ad-
dition to the buildings the company
has incorporated with a capital Of $780,
900.
There is said to have been $4,000
Of insurance. but it is thought that
will not nearly cover the loss. as a
large quantity of new stuff a been
unloaded from the cars into the fac
tory during the past week.
To Continue Business.
John Laros, who was found assisting
in clearing up the wreckage, stated
with characteristic pluck and energy
that as soon as they could get a roof
on the north building which remained
undestroyed, they would have three
floors 4Ox60 feet Inc three floors 40x7O
feet, and would get busy at once in
trying to fill their orders. For a week.
he said they had been busy getting in
new stock including 500 new bodies and
III sets of wheels-in addition to 600
sets adreadx held in stock.