Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-26
PART OF PLANT OF
MIDVALE STEEL co,
Continued from page I

Walter Ferrier. manager OF the plantr
was on the scene early and communicated
with the main offices, ordered the wreck
age cleared away as soon AS possible.
When asked if the mill would be rebuilt
Mr. Ferrier said that he did not know and
he also stated that repairs were being made
to the DESTROYED building during the lay
of of the men. The manager could not
state what the exact loss would be, but
estimated il at about SO 600 II is not
known whether any tornado insurance
waa carried on the building or not Accord
ing to MIR Ferricr, no person was working
in the building. rs the men had been laid
off sometime ago. but they were expected
to be put to work again in q few DAYS.
The building was SO located that the high
winds have full blast At IL over the Chris
tiana river.
BLOWN DOWN SECOND TIME.
This is the second time that the same
building has been leveled by the wind
In 1856 Wilmington was visited by a tor
nado and the No 3 spike mill Of the old
Diamond State Steel Company, located
on the site Of the building that was des-
troyed this morning was blown down.
In this accident two men were killed and
several injured
After the accident this morning Il was
feared for time that some persons might
have been caught under the ruins. but hy
10 o'clock the debris had been cleared
away to such an extent that 1t could he
seen that no ono WAS pinned under the
falling building
According to persons living IN the
neighborhood. this III itself Is n miracle.
inasmuch rs generally there are many men
walking along the side of the building on
Head street on their way TO work
WIRE LINES wREoKED
The poles Of the Wilmington and Phil
adclphia Traction Company and the Dia-
mond State Telephone Company to-
gcther with the wires were torn To the
ground and a number Of electricians, to-
gether with the entire force of guards Of
the company, under Captain James Nc
Gowan, worked to get the street opened
4 large part Of the roof near Christiana
avenue did not fall all the way to the
ground. but hung on n corner Of the build
ing, which was not blown over. The men
of the Diamond State Telephone Company
at the request of the officials OF the steel
mills, pulled this part Of the roof to the
ground, with the aid Of one OF the tele-
phone company's large automobiles.
1t was thought that the debris had
caught fire shortly after I O clock, when
the Reliance Fire Company came to
the yard and got into action. But this
was due to fire in the tool room. which
is another part OF the plant The FIRE
was caused by some canvas falling on \
hot stove and Was easily exnnguiShed,
with a loss of about $50
The high wind did damage IN all parts
of the city and the fronts of two new
houses being erected by Samuel IL Bay
nard, at 1wenty-eighth and Washington
streets, were blown out with loss Of
several hundred dollars.
The fence OF the Herbert House. at
Cbristiana avenue and Heald street, was
also blown down.
A heavy puff OF wind about Q o'clock
this morning lifted bucket of water
from the second story window of SOS
Market street, where one of the recruiting
! officers was engaged in washing windows,
and sprlnkled a number of people who
werepasslng.
TRUCK oVFRTURNED BY GALE.
During the gale, about S O'Clock, a
truck owned by Isaac Waincr Il Son, of
Delaware City, while proceeding to Vii
mington. with q load of beef Was over
turned by the wind and the two occu-
| pants, Isaac Wainer, Jr, who was driving,
and William Simmons, eolored, both of
Delaware City. were slightly injured
Wainer be ing bruised and Simmons cut
The accident happened on the State
road between State Road and Tybout s
Corner, opposite Francis \. Buck S
place. The truck vas lifted from the
middle Of the 60-foot road and thrown on
its side in the ditch 1t was thrown out
of commission The cargo was brought
to Wilmington in another car.