The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-08
TWO BLAzES
AT BREWERY
ARE PROBED
AL Feeney Orders State
Marshal to DeIve Into
Mystery
DAMAGE KEPT SECRET
Second Fire Breaks Out
With Guards on Duty
at Plant.

Two fires Friday night and early
today in the plant of the Indian
apolis Brewing Company, 1330-1340
Madison avenue, are being inves-
tigated today by officials Of city and
state.
AL Feeney, state safety director,
announced that he has assigned
Glen Smith, state fire marshal, to
the case, while another probe has
been started by the city fire preven-
ton bureau.
While five guards were posted in
the brewery early today following
tWo-alarm fire which swept through
the four-story structure at 6:45 p. m.
Friday, another fire started at 3
a. M today in the malt bins.
Smith will take personal charge
of the investigation" said Feeney,
and 1 have instructed him to start
a probe Immediately. Ordinarily, the
state does not step in to investigate
fires in the city unless requested to
by the city fire department.
Requires Immediate Attention
But due to circumstances sur
rounding the two blazes at the brew
cry, feel that it requires our imme-
date attention.
Brewery employees fought the fire
which started in the old wing OF
the building today until the arrival
&c thu fira onno Tho nMf0 orc
would not state what the damage of
the early morning fire was, but
feared that Some of the hoppers
valued at more than $4,000 each
were damaged beyond repair.
Loss in the Friday night fire was
estimated by the fire department
to be about $4,000.
COmmends Fire Fighters
John o. Spahr, attorney and
spokesman for the International
Brewing Company, operator of the
plant. commended the work of the
salvage corps, stating that It's work
had saved thousands Of dollars
worth of new equipment which just
had been moved in, pending stat
of manufacture.
He pointed out that Paul Fry,
state excise director, had not yet
granted the brewery permit to OPP
crate. Spahr said that despite the
fire the brewery would start opera
ton in about two weeks, employing
about 300 persons and would manu-
facture good beer"
Less than an hour before the
blaze swept through the older por-
ton of the building Friday where
malt bins and elevator equipment
were stored, 100 men employed in
renovation work had quit for the
day.
Flames Shoot Into Air
Flames which shot more than 100
feet in the air enveloped the old
wing of the structure. Thirteen
pieces of fire apparatus responded
to the alarm. Firemen. fighting
their way through the dense smoke,
soon had the flames subdued.
But brands carried by wind
started a half dozen small fires on
the roof of the Geisen Products
Company. a bottling concern, oc-
cupying the northern portion OF the
brewery plant. Firebrands also fell
on a dozen roofs of homes north
east of the plant
Considerable mystery thus far has
surrounded the opening of the brew
cry. Gold Medal beer, the name of
the brand originally manufactured
by the City Brewery Company, the
original owners, was pre-empted
when the Home Brewing Company
began to rehabilitate the plant early
in July.
Refused Permit by Fry
Frank Mayr Jr., secretary of state,
held up papers of incorporation and
Fry refused a permit. At the
brewery today, officials said that the
International company would oper-
ate the plant solely. henceforth. It's
officials asserted they had bought
the building from John Boyer of
Southport.
Spahr said he believed the build
ing was covered fully by insurance
against fire loss.
Several weeks ago, an investiga-
ton was made by The Times of
charges that 75-cents-a- day wages
we're being paid in rehabilitation of
the brewery.
Officers in the proposed corpora
ton admitted that men were being
paid as low as 81 day for cleanup
work