Imperial Valley press., 1922-10-27
HUGHEtOSSES
IN MEX|CAL|
PLANT
Colorado River Land Com
pany Loss Great as Newly
Built Gins Burn
WORLDS GREA T E S T
Plant Hardly Complete
When Fire Believed In
cendiary Destroys It
BY WILLIAM Won MUELLER
By Special Staff Correspondent


CALEXICO, Oct. 27.-The newly
built, modern II. H. Clark gins of the
Colorado River Land Company in Mex
icali, Lower California, were eompiete-
ly destroyed by fire of unknown origin
last night, causing a loss of more than
100000, with insurance covering the
plant in the amount of $4,000.
AT 1915 last night, the Mexicali
fire bell suddenly pealed forth its dread
alarm of fire, and a few seconds later
the Calexico fire bell joined in giving
the alarm, and, within a few moments,
the fire department was on its way
to fight what proved to be one OF :he
most disastrous fires which has ever
visited this section.
Work of erection of this gin was
started in April of this year, and push
ed forward with all possible speed, in
| the hope of having it completed and i'll
operation in time to handle the ginning
| of at least 10000 bales of cotton this
season for tenants on the lands of
the Colorado River Land Company, and
at the time of the fire was not entire
ly completed, although in operation.
Workmen We're still engaged in putting
the finishing touches to the mill, and
it was expected that in the course of
10 days, erection work would have been
pronounced as fully completed.
Started October 8
The gin was put in operation on Oct
ober 3, when the first test run was
made, and since that time something
like 5000 bales of cotton have been
run through the plant, the first of the
season deliveries of cotton coming in
spasmodically, and the plant not having
been required to run at capacity.
The Colorado River Land Company
lands were expected to produce some
thing like $4,000 bales of cotton this
season, and the new gin was expected
to have handled at least half of this
crop.
The Clark gin was the most modern
plant of its kind in the United States,
all machinery being of modern pattern,
and approved by experts as making
this plant the most completely equipped
known 1t employed to 20 men.
How the fire started is not known.
While no official statement is made,
the suggestion has been advanced that
the fire was incendiary, inasmuch as it
started where fire has never before
been known to start in ginning plant.
Included in the loss were four box
ears, two of which were filled with
loose cotton received ut the plant for
ginning. Five ears on the sidetraok
at the south mill, and of these, three
Immediately caught fire, while the
fourth began to shoulder. A switch
engine of the Southern Pacific railroad
rushed to the scene of the fire, and in
trying to remove the undamaged ears,
shunted one ear at the west end of
the string toward large stack of bur-
lap bagging which was entirely out
of the fire zone, and in no particular
danger. The fiercely burning ear stop
ped in front of this stack of bagglng,
and immediately became a mass of
flame. In the meantime, the engine
pulled the remaining ears toward the
main line east, taking the burning ears
with it, which, i'll passing a stack OF
hundreds of bales of bagging piled
outside of the fire zone at the east
of the mill, also burst into flames,
causing loss of $4,000 to the Clark
gins. All of the bagging being unin-
surcd.
Fire Departments Helpless
The Mexioali and Calexieo fire de-
partments were helpless to do anything
in subduing the flames, inasmuch as
their hose lines would not reach the
point where water attack would have
to be centered to be effective in saw
ing portion of the mills, and the fire
men were compelled to stand idly by
and see the plant entirely destroyed.
About 200 sacks of cotton seed, piled
in the gin yards, We're DESTROYED in the
flames.
Asked AS to whether or not the plant
would be rebuilt, Mr.. Clark stated it
was rather early to answer that ques-
tion but he believed it undoubtedly
would, and that he had already for
warded kilograms seeking information
as to how quickly machinery could be
shipped in and erected, and new plant
put into operation. But it is believed
that it would be impossible to rebuild
the plant and complete it in time to
m ka any furfhar ruu this 4aasnu