Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-02-23
REGISTER AND
LEADER PLANT
BURNED OUT
Loss Estimated at More Than $780,
600 is Largely Covered by
Insurance.
NEW HOME IS TO BE BUILT
Temporarily the Plant Of the Daily
Capital Is Being Used
Others are Generous.
NEW HOME IS TO BE BUILT


terday morning wrecked the plan
of The Register and Leader and TIL
Evening Tribune, causing loss es
timated at more than 100000.
Eighty per cent of the value o
the property was covered by insur
ance. The policies in the aggra
gate amount to 100000, $13S,00'
being on machinery and content
and $4,000 on the building.
By courtesy of the Des Nome:
Daily Capital, The Register ant
Leader and Tribune are temperate.
housed at the home of the Capital
Definite arrangements for quarter:
during the rebuilding of the plan
have not yet been made.
While the fire was still in prog
ress generous offers of assistance
came from practically all the pub
fishing houses in Des Moines, in
Guiding the Daily News, James NJ
Pierce's Homestead and E. r. Mere
dith's Successful Farming.
In addition to enjoying the hos
pitality of the Capital, the burn
ed out newspapers will avail them
selves of several of these kindly of.
fers, arrangements already having
been made for the use of typesetting
machines at the Homestead, the
Successful Linotype plant, the Daily
News, John J. Jacobsens linotype
shop and George H. Kerr's shop in
University Place if occasion re.
quires.
The fire started in the mailing
room in the basement at an hour
when on Sunday morning the build.
ing was all but deserted. Its origin
is not definitely known, but as al
ways there are various reports, in
Guiding one to the effect that one of
two or three newsboys, who were in
the mailing room at the time, care
lessly threw a lighted cigarette 10
the floor. This could not be veri-
fed.
There was some delay in getting
the alarm to the fire department
and the blaze had gained consider
able Roadway before Chief Burnett's
men got into action.
The last detail involved in get
ting out The Sunday Register and
Leader had been completed a con-
siderable period before the fire broke
out and the struggling newsboys
and the one or two janitors were
the only persons about the building
The fire was one Of the most stub
born with which the department has
had to contend in years. Despite
the pouring in of four or five
streams continuously at high pres
sure the flames slowly but surely
crept upward and by $50 o'clock
were internationally breaking out
through the roof and the windows
Of the composing room on the top
floor. A small shaft in the rear of
the mailing room and running to
the fourth floor afforded an easy
passage way. On the way the flames
invaded the job printing department
On the second floor and the engrav-
ing department on the third.
Though both Of these rooms were
filed with heavy machinery only a
small section of the floor of the job
plant gave way, carrying
% the bottom several huge rolls of
PAPER. The presses and other ma
though practically ruined,
emained in place.
The same is true of the fourth
loor, which is wrecked from end to
nd. The weakened floor support
ng part of the heavy stereotyping
machinery gave way landing the big
team chest in the basement.
The dozen or more typesetting
machines on the north and west
ides of the room remain standing.
The workrooms of the editorial
orce were not touched by fire,
hough typewriters and a large :
mount of newspaper material were
lined by smoke and water.
All records in tie advertising and
REGULATION departments are believ- -.
! to be safe.