The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-09-09
Factory Of Hart Cotton msehIns
Company burned to Ground In
plase Last Nlunht; Complete
Loss to Property.
DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED
AT MORE THAN 100000
Storage Of Transfer Firm Saved:
Residence Burns 10 Ground;
Origin Of nIare 10 Mystery
Officers Declare.

than 100000. fire OF unknown origin
last night totally destroyed the Hart
Cotton Machine company's plant
corner Second street and Michigan
avenue.
The plant was a mass Of flames
before residents OF the vicinity
turned In the alarm to the flre de.
parimcnt at 1855 o'clock. FIghtlng
OF the blaze continued through tho
night and this morning all indIca.
tions OF fire among the ashes were
being cxtInguIshed.
For a time II appeared tina, tho
flames might spread to adjoining
proporty-thc o. X. Transfer and
Storage company's warehouse and
the chickasha Cotton OIL eompany's
building across the Rock Island right
Of way. A dwelling house Just a
few yards north OF the plant was
burned to the ground. The owner OF
the house is ". Boysen. proprietor
Of the o. X. Transfer. who with +.
A. Stover. one OF his employees. oc.
cupled the residence. Loss to the
house and contents is estimated at
approximately $500. The building
and contents of barn located near
the house was totally destroyed. the
loss being estimated at approx.
mately $4,000. Firemen managed to
save the transfer confpany's ware
house. located Just a few yards
north OF the destroyed barn.
Records Believed Saved
Records maintained by the Hart
Cotton machine company were lock.
ed In the company's safes and are
believed to have been saved. Because
of the heated condition of the safes.
they will not be opened until some
time Monday. officers of the com.
pany SAID this morning.
Exact figures Of the loss will not
he available until thorough exami-
itlon Of the records, according to ].
l.. Hart, president Of the company.
who lives at 923 Iowa avenue. All
machinery and material In the
building are destroyed.
The building was one.story
sheet.ilon structure, 1i2 feet by 1870
feet, and contained very little wood
with the exception OF the flooring.
Flames radiated entense heat and
could be seen from distance OF
several miles. Hundreds of people
viewed the destructive blaze.
Insurance Figures Lacking
That an examination OF the COM
pany's records will be necessary to
determine the exact amount of in
surance carried on the plant and
contents, was the statement made
this morning by l.. G. Wright. sec
retary of the company. President
Hart stated that the insurance pro-
badly will aggregate $4,000. A por-
tion of the Boysen loss is covered
by insurance, 1t was learned this
morning.
The origin Of the fire Is mys.
terry. A blaze was kindled in the
small blacksmith furnace yesterday
morning but had apparently died out
when employees quit work at $3.50
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Tom
Andreen, forman Of the shop, who
lives at 3O2 Illinois avenue, said
this morning that he left the build
ing some time between $3.50 and
O'Clock yesterday evening and that
there were no indications Of fire at
that time. Officers of the company
state that they have no idea of the
origin Of the fire. sla
No Reconstruction Plans.
No plans for the rebuilding of the
plant will be made until insurance
adjustments are completed, Mr..
Hart said this morning. Only Mr..
Hart b. P. Smith and r. X. Woot.
ten are stockholders in the CONF
pany. which once operated q plant
in Texas.
In addition to the cotton machine
and betting mandatory, the com.
Ipany maintained one Of the largest
sheet metal shops in the state. it
was declared this morning. Ten men
were employed in the mechaical de.
bpartmeut. - :