Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-29
GLASS PLANT IS
RAzEO BY FIRE
Big Industrial Works Are
Burned to Ground; Loss
Is S120,000.
ORIGIN IS SUSPICIOUS
Started in Packing Room
Where Only Girls
Usually Work.
INSURANCE PARTLY COVERS
May Not Rebuild at Once on
Account of Big Increase in
Local Gas Rates.
INSURANCE PARTLY COVERS

The huge plant of the Tulsa Glass
company. at the Katy tracks and
Trenton, was wiped out by fire which
started last night at o'clock. 1t
broke out in the packing room. where
only girls work. and spread so rapidly
that employees had to flee for their
lives. Inability to make rapid pro-
gress on account of traffic congestion
delayed the arrival of the fire depart
ment All they could do was to save
adjacent residences.
The loss will total $4,000, accord
Ing TO the owners. Insurance. ac-
cording To a rough estimate last night,
amounts to about $4,000.
The blaze and smoke we're visible
from all parts Of the city The plant
is located on the east side in a spot
that is difficult to reach by auto.
Thorofares in every direction were
soon iammed with automobiles and
pedestrians.
Possibly the largest crowd that ever
assembled in Tulsa watched the
flames from every available vantage
point
-. biggest in History.
at is the biggest fire in the history
of Tulsa. from a standpoint of loss
incurred" said Fire Chief Alder. ut
was fortunate there was not high
wind tonight. All of our apparatus
was called out by second alarm,
leaving the rest of the city without
protection. We attached up lines TO
six plugs. on only one of these would
the connection enable us to hook up
an engine, and that was the only one
where we got any pressure. The
other streams would not reach to the
roof of the taller buildings. There
is only a siX-inch main out there Ihe
equipment was retarded in making
the run bv hundred of AUTOMOBILES
loaded with people, who got IN our
way at every turn. o;d
''The plant and equipment salu
George ID. Caraney, secretary-treas-
urer of the company. could not De
reniaced for S120.O00. Much of the
material We had on hand, such as
cartons and fiber board, was pur-
cased Is months ago. II would cosI
today nearly twice as much as we
maid then. our warehouses We're
filled to the roofs Two carloads OF
lamp chimneys and lantern ElooeSS
were on the tracks and are "A @ tota'
,oss Thev represented $500 each.
W. nrobablv had S50000 worth or
material and goods in the two ware
houses"
800 People Lose Jobs.
The company employed from z2o
TO 800 people. working DAY anu hIsn.
shifts. and the weekly pay roll was
$1,000 :,
.I am mighty sorry for all OF these
eunloyes who will I've thrown out or
work " said J. S. Parks, president or
the company and equal owner win
Mr Carney. zone of the girls In the
office saved the pay roll before any
thing else" .,,.
"Had the fire department been able
10 arrive sooner and had the water
nrossure been better | am sure the
Warehouses could have been saNeu'
he said. ,, a.
Parks the government has been using
Tho lantern globe output of eastern
factories for equipping ships ana
armies As result the local concern
has been flooded with orders.
one of the burned warehouses was
11Ox125 feet in size and the other
was sOx1OO feet. They were ~ feet
bigh and constructed OF sheet IRON
on wooden frames. The lint on the
rafters burned IKE po"ue' wiz" Wv
flames hit II.
threw wet blankets and rugs on the
roofs of houses across the street 10
the west and thus saved them' altho
some were slightly damaged.
Future Plans Doubtful.
.Were il not for the recent increase
In pas rates" said Parks, we would
be teleeraphing tonight for material
with which to rebuild the pant As
CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE