Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-30
LEATHER COMPANY
MAY REBUILD PLANT
This is the Hope, But Definite
Plans Have Not Been
Made.

A preliminary meeting of the various
heads and officials of the Wilmington
Leather Co. with representatives of the
fire insurance companies will be held this
afternoon in the leather company's >
temporary offices in the du Pont Building
To determine the loss from the fire Tues
day night, which wiped out ten buildings
of the plant at Second and Greenhill
avenue. The fire, which was the most
disastrous in the history of the city,
left only two small buildings on Grcenhill
avenue between Third and Fifth streets,
intact.
James l. Ford, secretary and treasurer
of the company, when asked today as TO
the probability of rebuilding the plant,
said: at is quite likely that we shall
rebuild However, ~ TO when or Just what
kind of plant we will build depends en-
tirely upon the decision of the officials OF
the company" There are SO many items
involved in the terrible affair, he stated,
that il is almost impossible rs yet to
give any definite figures as TO the exact
amount of our loss.
The huge iron fireproof safe of the com
pany was recovered in the ruins Mt Second
and Greenhill avenue yesterday afternoon
and carried to the warehouse. This safe,
weighing several Thousand pounds, was in
the main office on the second floor OF
the old building. All records pertaining TO
the company 3 business, insurance records
and otner valuable data are kept in the
safe. When the fire destroyed the main
Offices the safe dropped from the second
floor to the basement.
TO OPEN SAFE THIS AFTERNOON.
Before the safe can be opened il is first
necessary to have IL thoroughly cooled
and extra precaution will be taken by the
company TO guard the papers when taken
from their IRON bound boxes. The safe will
be opened some time this afternoon by
w H Hartlove, Third and French streets,
expert looksmith. Mr. Ford IN Of the opinion
that everything will be found intact when
tho safe is opened. Until that time how
ever, no definite announcemen can be made
as TO the oompany's plans.
The company, suffered the loss of all
valuable data kept in fling cabinets
These cabinets, supposedly FIRE proof
and built of heavy iron, were recovered
in the mass Of debEr and carried TO the
warehouse at Fifth and Greenhill avenue.
The interior of the cabinets revealed only
mass of ohsrred paper and which, when
handled. crumpled to ashes.
In conjunction with the meeting this
afternoon il is expected that some date
will be set by the company TO hold meet
ing after the first of the year, and at which
time definite action for the rebuilding
of the plant will be taken.
The heaviest loss 80 the company was
the total destruction of approximately
81 SOC. 900 worth Of finished leather
stored IN tho main building and awaiting
The destruction Of The main
building, built in 1917, entailed a loss of
$500, 900 The remaining buildings and
machinery destroyed were worth, II is
said, about 100000.
LOSS TO TRACTION co
Through the destruction of one of its
and other electrical and over
head equipment, the Wilmington and
Philadelphia Traction Co. suffered loss
OF s., 900. The Traction Company this
morning was busy clearing the tracks on
Greenhill avenue and repairing overhead
wires
The damage 70 the private dwellings
destroyed by flames when sparks were
famed TO the roofs will entail loss Of
approximately $4,000.
There Is some insurance.
The Wilmington Gas Co. was called 70
the scene Of the fire this morning 10 re-
pair several leaks In the gas main which
ran through the plant. Other workmen
were engaged clearing away the debris
from the tracks on Webb street and clear
ing the sewer on the east side OF the ruined
plant.
In many sections of the ruins this morn
ing the heat was so great that II was neces-
sary for workmen to play extra streams
of water on the FIRE At o'clock yester-
dav afternoon twenty-four hours after
the FIRST alarm was sounded Chief En-
gineer William J Lutz and the last of
his men left the scene of the fire. The
Weccacoe and Water Witch companies
had been at the scene apd In operation
during the entire period.
s y. Van Trump, chief engineer of
the Water Department, pointed out that
more than 5000. 900 gallons of water
was poured into the building and that
the reserve supply at Eighth and Rodney
streets was untapped.
AS vet no satisfactory explanation has
been forthcoming as 10 the origin Of the
fire. The only possible explanation that
has been offered is that defective electric
wires NAV have been responsible This
theory has been tentatively accepted by the
police. and while fremen have q number
of reasons and opinions, the consensus
of them all is that defective wiring Is the
most probable cause.
Throughout the entire plant every
precaution was taken 20 guard against
FIRE and in each building separate water
pals, extinguishers and other apparatus
were placed at advantageous points.
However, the fire from the start was too
great for even the fremen to combat.