The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-04-10
BIG YORK PLANT
DESTROYED BY FIRE
WILL Be REBUILT
Night Blaze Causes Total
Property Loss of $500, 900
But Officials Make Plans
for Rebuilding at Once.

Plans were being made Saturday by
OFFICIALS of the York Lumber and Man
ufacturing company. S23 South Bellevue,
destroyed by fire Friday night with a
loss OF 5000 600 to the plant and $3.50, 900
damages to residences! boxcars and tel
ephone equipment, to rebuild the struc-
ture at once. according to announce
ment of Robert York. vice. president.
The modern machinery destroyed in the
blaze will be replaced Immediately, all
the loss having been covered by insur-
ance.
Until the huge plant and yards of the
firm are again in full operation, many
OF the 300 employees temporarily thrown
out of work. will be put to work clear
ing away the debris and assisting in the
rebuilding.
Five fire engine bumpers Saturday
were still pouring water on the smol-
dering ruins of what was one of the
largest and best equipped establish
ments Of its kind in this section. Only
the charred remains of the many acres
of buildings and piles of lumber re-
mained Saturday following the most
disastrous fire in 4hemphis in many
years.
The fire originated in the planning
room Of the mill from unknown causes,
and because of the high combustibiity
spread with amazing rapidly. During
the 10 minutes spent by the night =
watchman in the boiler room at 1915
pm, the blaze broke out and the mill
vas a seething inferno when it was
simultaneously by the watchman, the
A. D. T. system and an unidentified
pedestrian, who fired half a dozen
shots, to arouse the neighborhood.
Eight fire engine bumpers responded
to the two alarms in charge of AS
Bernard NJ. O'Neil. The. run was a
long one for most of the bumpers,
and when they arrived practically the
entire plant was afire, the blaze being
swept by a north wind There was lit
tie hope of saving; any of the buildings
set to work preventing the fire spread
ing. Only by the hardest efofrts was
several thousand feet of lumber in
stacks. saved. About $150,000 worth OF
stacked and finished lumber was de-
stroyed.
-Four boXcars, close to the mill, on
the Southern railway tracks, were de-
Stroyed, and eros sites damaged to the
extent Of necessitating much repair
work. Swept by the wind, the flames
1175 Agnes place, and w. G. Shaffer,
l179 Agnes place, practically destroy
ing them.
On another side Of the York plant
the flames did considerable damage to
the residence of Herman Moskovitz, in
Tidwell, 1869 Agnes place. Fire loss
to the residences has been estimated
at $4,000. Burning embers caught by
the wind, sailed for thousands of feet
through the air in a southerly drec-
tion. Some were found Saturday at
McLemore avenue and College street, a
mile away, while others fell on the
Parkway. an even greater distance.
When the flames threatened to spread
to the residences on agnes place, near
ly all houses in the block were va
Gated by the inhabitants, who threw
furniture and personal property into the
street. About 5000 persons from all
over the city gathered to watch the
flames. Automobiles were parked for
many blocks.
Telephone equipment in the neigh
borhood was damaged to the extent OF
100000 A dozen or more telephones
put out of commission, had been re-
paired Saturday at noon. Several thou
said feet of overhead cables and wires
were burned, as well as half a dozen
telephone poles. Scores of homes in
the vicinity of the fire We're without
electric lights, following the fire.
No one was hurt in the blaze, as far
as could be determined Saturday.