The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-10
Workmen Slide Down Ropes to
Escape Spreading Flames.
LOSS REACHES INTO MILLIONS
Machinery and Valuable War
Material Total Ruin.
Fire Departments From Four
Towns Fought in Vain.

South Bethlehem, Pa, Nov. 10
Fire early today almost completely de-
stroyed the number four machine shop
of the Bethlehem Steel company, only
the skeleton of the big building is
standing. Machinery and war mater
ial in the building was said to be
worth millions of dollars. How the
fire started is not known. 1t was dis
covered in what is known as the Bo.
ing mill section of the plant. 1t
spread rapidly and soon the entire
building was wrapped in flames. The
fire department of the steel plant was
called into action as well as the de-
partments from four neighboring
towns, but their efforts were mainly
devoted to saving adjoining property.
Tho value of the guns alone in the
shop is said to be several million dol
lars. There were about one thousand
machines of different kinds in the
building running from lathes, shapers.
drills on down to boring machines.
These machines were worth from $4OO
to several thousand dollars each, and
it is estimated the value of the ma
chinery was several million dollars.
WOrl<men Narrowly Escaped.
The burned shop was $50 feet wide,
loo rect long ana TOUR stories nigh.
On. these four floors 1850 men were
employed in day and night shifts In
the neighborhod of 500 men were at
work when the fire started and so
rapidly did it spread that some en-
plOyeeS had to make their escape by
means of ropes from the different
floors. From workmen it was learned
that the fire started in oil near the
entrance to the plant.
Oil Conduit Blown Up.
This oil flows in conduits and is
used to gather up flying chips which
escape in the operation of gun boring.
There was only a spark of fire at first
when some workmen started to put
it out by throwing on water. Then
followed a mighty flash and up leaped
flame as high as the structure
which seemed at once to envelop the
whole of the big building. General
alarms were sounded not only in the
steel works but throughout the bor-
oughs of South Bethlehem, Bethle-
hem, Fountain Hill and Northampton
Heights. In a short time East Third
street was thronged with fire engines
which pumped water onto the burning
building.
The fire started on the south side
of the building and soon ate its way
through the structure to the north
side.
Floor after floor loaded down with
machinery collapsed and fell to the
first floor where it lay in a jumbled
mass.
Building Cost Three Million.
Recently the burned building was
rebuilt and expanded and equipped at
a cost said to be 100000. 1t was
given over to the manufacture of guns
of various caliber for the United
States, England and her allies.
500 Guns Ruined; Still Burns.
Some 500 of these guns were in pro-
cess of manufacture when the fire
broke out. The fire is said to have
resulted from a spark from an electric
light lamp, which exploded, falling
into a pool of oil AS far as known
there was no loss OF life. The fire
probably will burn all day.
Some heavy losers are many of the
who lost all their tools. sew
eral having as much as 500 worth in
the building