Arizona republican., 1917-11-06
COTTON FIRE S3O,OOO LOSS
 VISITS TEMPE

One of the four bin houses of the, Tempe Cotton Gin and it's contents of loose cotton was totally destroyed by fire yesterday morning. The loss is estimated at $3O,OOO.
 The Tempe volunteer fire department did heroic work in an effort to confine the fire to a small area. but it got be- yond control and it was foreseen that the whole ginning plant was doomed unless greater fire-fighting facilities could be immediately applied. At the most critical moment the local fire men learned that they had consumed practically all the water in the Tempe reservoir and the pumps that raised water to the reservoir were broken and therefore useless in the emergency.
 An appeal for help was sent to the Phoenix fire department and an American-LaFrance pump under com maud of W. D. Simmons responded. Two lines of hose were laid from hte canal and their full volume of water was played upon the fire. The fire had gained such headway when the Phoenix firemen arrived that it was impossible to save the bin house. In consequence all the force of the equip
 
 property remained intact The fire was eating it's way rapidly into the gin itself when the Phoenix firemen reached Tempe
 ky pumping water from the canal the fire men were able to literally flood the rir house, but it was over an hour before they succeeded in getting the fire under control.
 The fire was discovered about 2 clock. The Tempe volunteers in full force responded to the call going to the tlre with their hand cart equipment. They connected their hose to a fire iias, relying upon the reservoir for their water supply.
 For a time the Tempe firemen worked in the belief that they would 1e able to cope with the fire Then as l great volume of smoke hurled forth from a part of the gin house in which there had been no fire discovered pre- v.OuSly. the Tempe firemen realized that their equipment was inadequate. Close upon this realization came the report that the reservoir would soon Doe empty Then came the most dis coGlaging announcements Of all, the pumps that usually raised water into the reservoir from the canal were broken and could not be used for the fire.
 There were two appeals sent to the huenix fire department. The first one. however. was not official and lacked detail. The second appeal told of the broken pumps and almost empty reser- soir and Fire Chief A. r. Wright i'm mcdiately dispatched the big American !-aFiance pump. The run to Tempe was made at the rate of 40 miles an hour. with Frosty Wilson as driver. The distance from the fire station here SO the fire in Tempe is about 10 miles. The run was made in 15 minutes, ac- c"rdins to the fire record.
 Tine Phoenix firemen laid 75O feet of hose in the two lines from the canal. ll:sO. N'''' 'N 'u' ct
 lne Tempe Cotton Gin will not be materially handicapped by the fire, as it has three other bin houses from which 10 draw its loose cotton for gin uin@ into bales. No baled. cotton was damaged by the fire. It is possible. ac- cording to Assistant Chief Simmons, that some of the cotton in the bin house which burned can be salvaged. Bnt this cotton is only remnants, badly ScoTched and water aked, and there fore the salvage at best would be small
 The Phoenix firemen praised the Tempe volunteers for the work they did. saying that under the circum- stances, with apparently everything against them. their services could not be improved upon. Chief Wright said that he could not understand why the pumps were not in working condition. but that even so, pumps are apt to go out of commission al the most criticai moment and therefore he .could ven ture nc opinion.