The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-08-19


among the straw stacks Of the Valley City Fibre Company
north of town and general alarm fire turned in.
The department went out to the of the conhagrato
land had hard fight right from the start because ade
quate water protection was available line of hose
laid by the remen to the fire but the water pressure
not strong enough and the fire boys handicapped
from doing any real good work. 1t was then suggested
that the remen connect up with the Northern Pacific
pumping station and this done and much help de-
rived from this The fire had too much headway
by this time to stop it and the entire yard of flax straw
stacks and of hemp stacks consumed by the fire and
nothing left of this material but the chared ashes
Constant and vgant work the part of those fighting
lthe fire saved the main buildings and plants, and
pleased indeed that after hours of real hard fire fight
ling the main plant of this institution with it's machinery
Twas saved.
The stacks were very dry and the sparks and big
chunks OF burning straw were carried long distance
and it kept the brigade Of fire fighters with hand
tinguishers the alert all the time to the material
|ped around the main buildings we'll the buildings
THE origin of the fire is not known but there million
different opinions to- how it started but the gen.
era sentiment to be that it the work of
person who set about it deliberately to burn up this pro-
Ierty 1t is hard to say Patroman Fred King the
Job and he and his two bull dogs had been through the line
stacks at this particular place where the fire started
at the east end Of the yardonly few minutes before.
The dogs would have noticed very quickly had anybody
been in the vicinity at that time they we'll trained
and intelligent animals and to know just exactly
Wha is wanted Of them and many times have discovered
loafers laying around the stacks and Mr. Kin has fired
them out of the yard It done quickly and fault
be attached to Mr. King His duties take him
large area of ground and while he was going through
ane of stacks would be very easy for somebody at the
to slip in and touch match to stack and beat it in the
darkness which prevailed at the time the fire discov
Tered.
In talking with Manager John D. Gray this morning
TmesRecord editor informed that there were a-
proximately thousand tons of Flax straw and some
stacks of hemp burned in the fire last night entaing loss
of about $5OO On account of the hazardous risk no
could be obtained this straw so that outside of
the insurance carried the machinery shed which
|aso burned down the loss is total.
The people of this city and county indeed glad that
Through the splendid work Of all those who engaged
in fighting the fire. the main plant still stands intact to-
gether with about so tons of material stored the build
ngs SO that work still continue for time uninter-
rupted The Fibre company has been dealt severe blow
in this fire but it is Differed by Of grit and courage
and the TimesRecord hopes that they will rise bigger and
greater from this setback and that the people will
get behind this movement and push it along.
It is of the big growing industries of this particular
secton and the by which the farmers finding
ready and substantial market for their flax straw and
the hemp they raise which has hitherto been loss so far
burned up whereas they haul in and get good
price for it. The hemp industry is thing for this
section but last year convinced many farmers that
profitable crop and understand that several thousand
acres have been put in crop again this year. ..o
Particular credit is due bunch Of young boys for the
splendid work they did at the pile of baled straw at the
main building These little chaps climbed all that big
pile lot of ants and put out the sparks as fast as thew
the other buildings saved because if this large body
straw had got going nothing could have saved these
buildings The company deeply grateful for this help
not only to these boys they grateful but to ALL the
fire boys and others who put many hours Of hard work
in trying to save their property.
The Valley City Fibre Mill Company is badly scorched
by last nights fire but the promoters far from being
kind Of men who would lay down under blow like this
they are going ahead with renewed hope and vigor
Success to the bunch of business who behind this
splendid concern.
The department was called out Saturday evening over
little fire in the building occupied by the Dakota
Drug Co. It turned out to be smoke coming out chimney
but nobody thought there chimney in that part
the building 50 turned in the alarm The damage amount
ed to nothing