The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-05-01

In Less Than Fifty Hours After the
Fire, the Ocala Gas Company
Turned on the Juice Again

Fire, the Ocala Gas Company
Turned on the Juice Again
Anybody looking at the tangled
mass OF smoking wreckage at the gas
company's plant Wednesday morning
| would have concluded that the city
would have to do without gas for at
least six months.
In less than forty-four hours, the
machinery was working again, and in
little less than fifty the useful fluid
was pouring into the pipes, carrying
help and comfort into the many in
dustries and homes that have for
years depended so constantly on the
shabby-looking but useful bunch of
structures in the railroad v ia the
north of town.
There has been some heroic work
done in the last two days and nights
and the gas company has reason to
feel proud of what has been done.
Foreman Wilkes was at work clear
ing away before the firemen We're
thru pouring water on the ruins. To
his aid at once came C. w. Eppinger,
the company's filter, and George
| Mershon, loaned by the water de-
partment of the city. Emmett Rob-
| inson returning from Tampa was on
the ground early in the afternoon,
and Mr.. Hunter, arriving from At
lanta at 2 O'Clock the next morning
jumped off the train at the crossing
and went straight to the plant. Whit
Palmer kept the wires hot ordering
the necessary parts, and Ted Drake
and the Ocala Iron Works men were
most valuable helpers. A big force
of men was put on, and all worked
we'll. They worked all day in the
fblazing sun; the torrential rain of
"Wednesday afternoon drove them to
cover but for a few minutes and as
soon as the cloudburst subsidized into
an ordinary deluge they were at
work again in their dripping clothes.
When evening approached, Superin-
tendent Caldwell of the city electric
plant, rugged up. battery of lamps,
and under their steady CLEAN the
work went on all night long. Thurs
day morning, all hands were peg
ging away. The '.hired men" work
ed in shifts, but those who bore the
white mans burden never stopped
a pile of coal or some other soft
place. They had no meals but hand
outs. and toward the last they moved
like men walking in their sleep, but
they did the work. They started up
yesterday evening, in mixed hope
and fear, for not till they began try
ing to make gas could they tell how
bad the damage to the machinery
was. As soon as they began, the
gratebars in one of the furnaces
crumpled, and halt had to be made.
The Iron Works were called on and
| supplied new bars, which were fitted
and the furnace was fired up again.
AT midnight last night the ma
chinery was running again, and soon
after the big holder, which has been
| down almost to the bottom of its pit
| since the fire, began to rise again.
This. morning it was almost half full,
and still rising: Pressure was let on
slowly, as it was not known how
many people were ready for it, but
it was in time for late breakfasts,
and is now as good as ever.
This is the first time in many years
| that the gas company has failed even
for few minutes to supply juice
and it is likely that it will be more
than as many more before it fails
again. The work of repairing the
disaster has been a most superb eff
fort, and the town as well as the gas
men should be proud of it.
Big Brick Building
At present, the gas works are
standing right out in the open, with
out any roof but the sky. A tenn
porary housing will be rugged over
the engine and some other parts, but
| the Star understands that there will
be no attempt to replace the wood
and iron frame. Instead, we are in
formed, plans are being made for a
brick structure in keeping with the
importance of the plant and the pro-
gress of the city.