The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-09

mated in the alcohol room of the plant
on the first floor. 1t was sucked up
through the elevator shaft to the sec
ond and third floors so rapidly that
within a few minutes the structure,
inslqe Its sheetiron walls. resembled a
seething furnace.
/ Two firemen had a narrow escape
trom death when portion Of the roof
! tell ln r. J, Bardeau, of engine COM
pany No, 10, and Frank Smith we've
plying hose line from inside on the
third floor, when a corner Of the roof
+ gave away, Bardeau was dashed
against Smith, throwing Smith to the
floor. The falling roof then pinned Bar
deau atop Smith. Bardeau was able to
wrench himself free of the wreckage
and succeeded in hauling his companion
from the blazing timhers. Examination
by Police Surgeon J. r. Drake later
disclosed, that Bardeau had wrenched
4 mis- back. He was sent home Smith
was unlnjured,
1t was a two-alarm fire. Ten COM
& paIlies responded-siX engine companies
three trucks and water tower. Eleven
E streams of water were playing on the
blaze when the giant water tower goi
into action. Gallant firemen. on the
nozzle end of the hose streams. faced
a raging inferno from ladder tops, as
they poured thousands of gallons OF
NwAter on the blazing, roaring interior
Time and again the end man on the
hose was forced TO duck his head be-
Sow the window sash, on the outside
While, supported by companions rune
kower on the ladder, he gulped fresh all
10 free his lungs from the stranglinl
kmoke
Firemen Fight Desperately.
Again, as the fire fend would sweeT
ITItward from the center of the blazing
lrueture, the< ceiling over the first
Gemans head would hiss the retard.
ms water into steam, and again set tn,
Window top TO burning. Then the hos,
rs played straight up, blindly, unit
- warning smoke told Of blaze conquered
va that section ae E
With hose, nozzles thrust through sec
sNd floor windows, ON the front, anS
Mes Of the building, the, water towel
fAs put into action. Its heavy stream
.tst struck firemen on ladder, 81
Vet away These fighters clung des
rerateiy TO their precariou9 perch, unit
be manipulators of the tower got th'
tream turned onto the blaze at thu
fhird (and top) story. E
The flremen leaped inside at the firs
StEn Of cessation of the blaze AmiC
flie smoke -obscured atmosphere thei
forns could be glimpsed vaguel!
hrough the windows, as they plieC
their streams into the heart of tn,
a
ned fireman reached a window, gulpet
9ir, and went back to the fight,
Employees Lost Clothes.
Employes in the roasting department
m the plant went to work at clock
he office force came on at O'Clock
W, Brunner. president of tn
Pnlpany,- made his mC%ning round o
pc plant, giving orders for the day
he had returned to the office only
!, wew minutes. when he was startled b.
wild crv ri Fire "
Employees fled at the first alarm o
Fire. Many of them abandoned thet
personal effects to get to the outside
iand safety. Flames ate in on the rea
bf the first floor, but the sweep up tht
Elevator shaft to the two top floor'
soon made them the spectacular spot
bf the blaze.
Julius tenturini, first assistant fir
,lchief, was in charge OF the fire fightin
AWork, Mike F'itZmorris, fire chief, bein
1in New York, at fire chiefs conven
Ition. Chief Venturini was assisted b
AlBurney o'Neal and John Moore, ais
assistant chiefs
sl G. f. Coe. president of the company
twho was a spectator at the fire, state
that the building was the property q
the company. Another company Off
fial divided the building and content
Building, 5000 to 100000; stock
$4,000; machinery, $4,000.
The stock consisted largely Of gree
coffee, cans, labels, shipping case;
cider and various extracts which tn
cpmpany manufactures. Only sma
lqnantity OF sugar was on hand, &C
kording to MIR. Coe. A small amount c
hlcohol, used in flavoring extract man
hfacture, also composed part of tn
I stock.
The Coe plant faced distance G
boa feet on Front street, by l44 feet |
hepth. 1t Is flanked on the north by
Ionerstory structure belonging to tn
IBohlen- Huse Ice & Coal company, an
kcross an alleyway on the south
hocated w B. Mallory & Sons com
Rpafay, wholesale grocers. Neither (
THESE buildings was damaged ap
Ipreciably by the Coe fire.