Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-10-02
ALPHA PROCESS
PLANT DESTROYED
Fire Wiped Out Fertilizer
Factory in South Will
mington Yesterday
LOSS $4,000; CAUSE
OF BLAZE UNKNOWN


destruction Of tho Alpha Process
Company plant along the Causeway
in South Wilmington. with a loss Of
( $4,000 ON the property. machinery
and products. The loss Is partly COW
cred by insurance. The origin Of the
blaze is unknown. The fire was one of
the most spectacular the local hremen
have had to contend with for months
and thousands Of persons who were
enjoying their sunday afternoon walk.
ilocked to the scene. as the iirst alarm
was followed by The second and then
the general alarm the streets near
the plant were damned and hOusetops
In the vicinity were covered with per-
sons watching the fire.
The blaze was discovered at 240
o'clock by William Tomlinson Of No
/ 1884 Thatcher street who was pass
ing the plant Tomlinson called to
boys playing baseball nearby TO send
in an alarm and he started 10 hunt for
the Waterman. James Miller. AS he
entered the yard Of the plant, he met
Miller and Edward Chippey, another
employe. who had discovered the blaze
and were about TO summon the fire
department.
The FIRE appeared 20 be in The GU
pola of the building but when the
Fame firemen arrived the entire
building was a seethng furnace and
the flames Wee leapng towards the
oil house nearby. I'm which were stored
10000 gallons Of gasoline. The fire
men entered this building and rolled
barrel after barrel Of the oil to safety.
While this oil house was saved the
building was scorched by the flames.
Police under the direction OF Ser
geant Lyons. were sent to the fire
lines and the Causeway was roped off
10 keep the crowds back The wind. |
which was blowing briskly carried
sparks eastward. but the FIRE fighters
managed to keep the blaze from other
nearby buildings.
While the fire was at its height !
much comment was heard about the
evident lack OF cooperation among
the fire lighters. Citizens who were at /
the fire claimed that there appeared tol
be a lack of careful direction and to |
make matters worse, members OF the !
Washington. Reliance and the Fame
companies INDUCED in a duel with
their lines OF hose. II was said that
the iremen. despite the leaping flames
turned their lines OF hose on one an
other. Many spectators werc drench-
ed Former City Councilman Jacob
Zimmerman. who was az the fire.
scored the firemen. saying the incident
was disgraccful
Miller The WRichman at the plant
claimed that he had just gone through
the building and had seen mo- signs of itl
fire. There was no fire in the hoilcrs.
Thousands of bags of leather strip I
pings piled Ia the front and rear yards. /
were destroyed by FIRE and water. Four
empty freight cars belonging to the r.,
s Il. H. t., which were sidetrackcd In
the yard of the Alpha Company. were
burned When the fire threatened 10 en-
vclopc the Office building the front doorl
of the building was broken open andt
the books and papers carried 10 safety.
Members of the Phoenix and Reliance
Fire Companies pumped water from the
Christiaua river during the fire. while
other nremcn claimed they were ham
pcrcd by water facilities.
While tho fro was at its height Soc
ond Assistant Fine Chief Darlington ar
rived ON the scene with his arm in q
sling. Chief Darlington remained az the
fire and did excellent work directing
tho iremcu.
Only one fireman was slightly injured
when he tiipped and fell, striking his
head against a rafter.
The Fame dromcu were in service -
hours. II being 2. u o'clock this morning
when they left the scene Of the fire.
Edwin Z. Young is president and
Edwin +. Young, .Ir., treasurer of the
company whose plant was destroyed.
The company manufacture fertilizers.
he company also has a plant at Nor
folk. Va. which viii new be- run at or
nacity 10 take care Of the business of
both plants.