Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-03

! Fire of a mysterious origin, that
broke out in the plastering trowel de-
partment of the Marshalltown Trowel
Company's plant, Eighth avenue and
Wood street, at IL, o'clock Monday
night did damage estimated at $4,000,
and threatened the entire group of
buildings of the plant and the nearby
/ factories of the Lennox Furnace Com
/ pany, and Quick Action Range Com
pany. BY quick action and most effec-
/ tive work the department confined the
/ fire to the one building, and principally
to the north end of it.
The flames ere kept from spreading
to buildings that adjoined or were close
by, altho some of the latter, including
a part of one of the frame structures
of the range company, was somewhat
scorched. Albert Higgins, secretary of
the MarShalltown Trowel Company,
estimated the loss at $4,000 Four
thousand of insurance was carried on
the damaged building
Interior of Building Burned.
Mr. Higgin could do no more than
guess at the probable origin of the fire.
He thought it might have been the re-
suit of spontaneous combustion. The
small amount of insurance carried on
this particular building was explained
by the fact that no fire was used in
the building, which was even heated by
steam. Consequently the fire risk was
considered small.
AS late as . o'clock there was no in
dcation of fire in the building But
when the alarm was turned in the
blaze could be seen for several blocks.
When the department arrived flames
had burst thru the north end of the
roof.
confine Fire to One End.
The building is a large one-story
structure. of solid brick walls. wooden
roof, ceiling, doors and windows. The
ceiling and roof burned rapidly, with a
fierce heat, SO that fireman had diff
Guilty stringiag lines Of hose past the
north end, where the fire was hottest.
For about an hour the department
had five streams of water on the build
ing. The quick work Of the depart
ment and the quantity Of water poured
on the flames, kept the fire from
spreading farther than half way south
along the roof and inside the build
ing.
Interior Badly Burned.
The absence Of any wind gave sub
stantial aid to the department but be-
fore the flames could be controlled a
little less than the north half Of the
interior of the building and roof Were
completely destroyed and the flames
had been carried under the roof prac-
tically the whole length of the struc-
ture, charring and more or less damag-
| ing them.
! A great many machines used in
shaping and finishing trowel blades
| blades and parts, which We're in the
north half Of the building. and prac-
tically all Of the immense quantity of
stock and material in various stages Of
manufacturing process, were damaged,
some of it SO badly as to leave little
salvage.
| Most of the machinery and stock in
the south half of the building was only
slightly or partially damaged, but all
was flooded with water.
Keep Fire From Spreading.
Adjoining the building on the east
is the shop in which mason's trowels
are made. A brick fire wall and the
| fremen kept the fire entirely out of this
| building. The office Of the company
just few yards east Of the plastering
| trowel department, was repeatedly
| drenched with water to keep it from
| bursting out in flames. A stream was
turned on the frame building of the
| Quick Action Range Company, short
| distance to the north, and althO its