El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-06
Held BROS.
/. LASTS 6 HOURS
Fuel and Feed Yards Par
TALLY Destroyed Saturday
Night; $4,000 Damages.

Pulling down stacks Of wood. mem
bers OF three fire departments fought
six hours against a fire which threat
ened the plant OF Held Bros. Feed and
Fuel company az POO Texas street. Sat
urday night The damage amounted TO
approximately $4,000. Although the orr
gin Of the fire cannot be discovered. IL
is believed that ii was set on fire. The
fire started in the northeast corner Of
the plant and, continuing west. the en-
tire yard was mass Of flames and the
offices Of the company threatened.
Fire Discovered.
The alarm was sent in at 1915 b.
clyde WOollen and Ted Brann, who
were returning from down the valley.
IL was answered by the Central ard
East FL Paso departments and later yhe
sunset department Twenty animals.
corrailed I'm the yard, We're released, and
they scattered over the city, all hein-
recovered Sunday morning. A numoor
OF Dig trucks We're also hauled out OF
the plant and the fire pounded out with
heavy sticks
Poor Water Pressure.
Due to poor pressure, IL was 10 min
utes before over one line Of hose could
be put into operation by the firemen.
The entire plant. with toe exception of
the office buildings was then burning
and il was some time before IL could he
controlled. the dry wood stacked in the
yard and the immense amount of coal in
the bins catching readily. Three box
cas- standing on a siding were burned
70 the frames, while the firemen expert
enced great difficulty in preventing the
piles OF wood from reigniting after il
had been drenched several times.
Three Lines Of Hose.
Within an hour after the discovery Of
the fire three lines of hose were playing
on II, while another was added in IS
minutes more.
Despite the fierce heat the firemen
gradually got the blaze under control, T.
continual stream being played on one
spot in the large wood piles until il was
soaked, before they went on to another.
The small building where an electric
saving machine was located was one OF
the first TO be burned and the depart
ment was unable to save any Of the
basement Or the brick office building
was fired BY sparks and the hose was
turned on this
$1,000 Damage.
According to ]. c. Held the damage
done 20 the plant, not including the /
three box cars standing on the switch. I
was approximately $4,000. None OF the /
coal in the bins was damaged 10 any &
great extent, according to Mr. Held. I
while the majority of the wood stacked I
in the center OF the yard was saved. In 4
an about eight cars Of wood we're /
burned, this being valued at about $50 |
car. The northeastern end OF the .
yard. where a quantity of lumber was .
stacked. was burned completely to the I
ground. the fire originating in this par +
ticular corner.
Watch Sparks.
Care was exercised by the depart
ment in preventing sparks from flying /
20 the Henning and III paso lumber
Yards. which are only a short distance .
from the Held company. A Texas x Pa
cific freight train. which was stopped
~ the crossing. due to the network OF
hose, dismissed its crew and withdrew
TO the Yards Owing to the great dis
lance from the nearest plug 20 the
burning plant LCse had TO be laid for a
distance of about 500 and coo feet, and
this 4ad 20 be carefully guarded from
No. cars and wagons. After the last
fiame had been extinguished the wood B..
and remaining buildings were thor
oughly soaked by the firemen Tn order
that il would not catch again from
smoulderinE wood.
A number OF theaterRoers drove out
10 see the fire.
Invalid Rescued.
Rats and matches are supposed 10
nave been responsible for fire at the
rome OF J. B. Sutton, at 400 Arizona
street, Saturday night az 11:15 o'clock
Yrs. William Miller, the invalid mother
Il Mrs. sutton. was carried out Of the
house
An Arizona street car cut the hose
which lay across the track, and the fire
gained considerable Roadway until an
other line could be laid again.
raise alarm Of fire from 315 West
overland street brought the firemen OF
the Central department out Of their .
beds sunday afternoon at 3:l5 o'clock.