The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-05
&CO. lose
PLANT AND STOCK
Second Fire in Same Building
Causes Loss Amounting
to $3.50, 600.

No definite plans for the reconstruct
ton of the swift & Co. refinery, Caro-
lima Avenue and Tennessee street.
which WAS totally destroyed Sunday
afternoon BY 4 fire originating IN the
boiler room about 3 O'Clock had been
arranged Monday, although S. j.. Eo-
paid, resident manager, had hello eN.
tensiye conversation over long dis
tance telephone with the home offices
in Chicago.
Mr. kopald DECLARED it was his idea
that reconstruction Of a plant would
be1 started immediately. but that he
was In no position to give any defi-
mite Information on that subject
Whether or not the new plant will be
erected on the site of the one burned,
lie could not say. The Consumers
Cotton Oil company at present is en-
gagged in erecting a plant on the Pidg-
con Roost road Mr.. Kopald declared
that it was possible Swift & Co. might
chose a site near hat mill which is a
subsidiary unit of the Swift corpora
tion. He stated, however, that the old
plant was sufficiently large to ccom
modate demands for vegetable oils
which the refinery compounded.
II is the opinion of Mr.. kopald that
immediate construction plans viii be
laid.
The exact loss suffered in the fire
he was not in a position TO state, the
records and books being considerably
damaged. This viii run fully $3.50. 900
he said. Insurance is handled through
the Chicago office and Mr.. Kopald said
his presumption is that the loss Is full
ly covered.
During the past year Improvements
on the old refinery to the extent of
$50. 600 were made. A fun stock OF
products and materials were on hand
at the time of the fire. The refinery
has occupied the Carolina avenue
structure for q years. .
The blaze was the stubbornest
Memphis has had in many months.
Firemen spent over six hours combat
ting the flames Sunday afternoon and
night. Several streams of water We're
being thrown on glowing embers as
late as Monday noon, although full
control was gained at 8 o'clock Sun
day night.
FLAMES originating in tke boiler room
in the basement at s O'Clock Sunday
morning brought several companies TO
the refinery. The fire was eXtinguished
in a few moments, but sparks are
thought to nave reached a quantity of
highly inflammable powder in a ad-
joining room and caused a general con-
flagration which burst over the entire
| basement ct 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Directly over the boiler room on the
first floor Of the refinery were stored
| several hundred thousand pounds of
vegetable oil, which quickly became a
seething mass of flames. Three com
panies answered the first alarm, but a
second call was put in by Fire Chief
Fitzmorris as soon as he reached the
scene. Five other companies responded.
Handicapped by the cold, which frGze
| water in the streets over lines Of hose
| and covered the firemen with .%ictcles,
| and facing danger from explosion of
ammonia tanks and oil. members of the
| department battled until 8 O'Clock be-
fore the fire was sufficiently checked
to permit withdrawal. Two companies
| remained at the plant all night, play
| ing streams of water on the SF1olderlng
interior. -.
| was an old structure, but the equipment
was practically new, Machinery used
in the ~compounding of vegetable oils
was destroyed beyond further use, while
the building itself was wrecked beyond
repair.
Tanks which contained more than a
| million pounds of oil, located within zoe
| feet of the main building, We're saved
by a constant play of water from sew
| eral lines of hose on them. Although
damaged extensively, the office and
company records were not totally de-
| stroyed. Chief FitZmOTris early de-
tailed a number of hose teams to combat
the onrush of the flames in the direc-
ton of the office, which Is located in
the main building.
1t took only a few moments after the
| fire reached the oil on the first floor
for the flames to reach huge quantities
OF %cottonseed, soybean and peanut
| products and a quantity of Fuller's
| earth, which blazed Ut like powder
Officials Of the company declared that
| stock only recently had been added to
| and that a full supply was on hand.
| The Fuller's earth, a product used in
| bleaching. is imported from England,
| end a full supply only a few days ago
reached Memphis.
Firemen directed their efforts at the
| mass of flames OH the first floor for
the better part of an hour. A portion Of
| the flooring then gave way and dumped
| several hundred, thousands pounds Of
c~ottonseed powder into the basement.
All hose lines then were played on this
part of the building. save several held
on ~property and tanks Immediately adj
Joining. BY 9 O'Clock the fire was sub
dued.
one small tank of ammonia exploded
hut resulted in no injury to fire fight
ers. Department members suffered
| from the cold and thick smoke created
by the burning oil, but otherwise re-
ceived no injuries.
During the hours between 8 and 9
o'clock traffic on the Frisco railroad was
blocked.
~vxx~~ UvN NUN A uKEN