The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-01-12
Plant Of S. C. Watkins and Co..
Including Grain Elevator,
Reduced to Ashes.
FLAMEs BANNED BIZ WIND
Loss is S125, 600 Which is
Offset by Insurance
of $4,000.

-
duce house and adjoining grain ele-
vator on Baltimore street as the re-
sult of a fire of unknown origin there
Monday morning. A fierce wind
blowing from the north quickly ran
ned the fire into huge flames and the
entire place was reduced to ashes in
about two hours. This together with
a great loss OF water pressure caused
by the distance of the nearest fire
hydrants and the highly 1nflammahle
nature of the stock where the IRE
originated caused such serious nand1-
caps that the fire virtually ate it's way
through the big mass of buildings
without hindrance.- The loss is APP
proximately $125,O00, which is offset
by insurance of about $4,000.
No Complaint.
There has been a great deal OF
criticism of the fire department in
connection with the fire." said s.
Austin Smith, president CT the com
pany Monday afternoon to Tele-
gram representative, "but the fire.
men probably did all they could do
in the circumstances and we nave no
criticism to make of them. The fire
spread so quickly and the smoke
caused by the smouldering hay was
so dense that no one coi1ld DO any
thing to check the blaze. Then, the
water pressure was low, but the dis
lance of the lIydrants was responsible
for that, although of course we be-
lieve we should have had Migrant
nearer our plant
The fire started in the hay depart
ment in the rear of the second floor
OF the produce building, three story
brick structure about 8 o'clock, and
when discovered by employees 1t had !
eaten through the flooring and cover
ed a large bulk of the baled hay.
Some of the employees fought the
flames with small hose and such
othed apparatus they had on hand
while others ran and summoned the
fire department.
One OF the hose wagons was first /
taken from the fire department mead
quarters to the scene of the fire and,5
contrary to some of the reports that
have been circulated, reached It
promptly. Then, owing to the rapid
spread of the flames, the second hose
wagon and the steam engine were
taken over. These arrived Oh the
scene promptly and were not delayed
in any. manner as some gossips said.
Connections were made at once
with the hydrants on Clark street
and Fourth street, and IN few lnin-
utes firemen had five streams playing
on the flames, but, owing to the fric-
tional loss of pressure duS to the
great length of hose through Which
the water had to pass, and also on
account of the strong wind, which
turned the water, the firemen had
great difficulty in getting water into
the building. Hose was taken
through the front of the structure,
but when water was thrown upon the
blazing hay and straw it caused such
dense smoke that 1T was impossible
to reach the seat of the flames
through the front way and the fire
men had to confine their efforts to-
the rear of the building.
Horses and Wagons S.Ivct9.
While the brick structure in which
the fire originated was three stories
high, twas regarded by. the employees
as being two stories in height, the
basement floor having been used Tor
burned through the first floor into
the basement before ii was discover
ed All the horses and teams we're
taken out and the ployes anG 9th
ers got the books, insurance policies
and other important papers from the
office. but none OF the office furmi-
ture and other stock therein could
be saved owing to the smoke and
flames. The loss, therefore, is pTac-
tically total.
Between 8 and 10 O'Clock the big
fire assumed spectacular proportions
with vast pillar of flame whipped
into a roaring, struggling, seething
ing obiiquely into the heavens while
away up en- one side the burning
framework of the elevator outlined
fantastical designs as it tottered and
collapsed portion by portion like some
enormous set piece of pyrotechnicsc.
Before the flames appeared OUTSIDE
an immense volume of dense smoke
drffted away to the southeast from the
burning pile and hung straight out
over the high bank of Elk creek max
inE a wierd picture as 1t was blown
into cIrls by the wind.
The assertion is made by the clty
V,ater works and sewerage board that
during the progress of the fire wat
ar nressure of 112 pounds per square
inch yvas maintained, but that owing
IN fIie long distance between the hy-
drants in use and the burning build
ings there was a FRACTIONAL loss IN
71ressnre of something Slike sixty
mar cent. The nearest hydrant IS
situated in front of Sow 2. Us
born's residence-on Clark street, pc
tween 500 and 500 feet away from
the scene OF the fire. This hVurant
taps four inch water main. Anotn amour
er hydrant, connected with 81 Inc ci
main, is situated on NorIn Fourth
street In front of w. 3. Osborn ma
chine shops, some 1900 feet distant
and the other hydrant, which AZ con
nectad with four inch main, IS SIT
liated at the corner of North t9 81
and Baltimore streets ia front 81 the
Central Storage Company oUtlulnes
about 200 feet from the fire