Chicago Building Saved After Five Hours’ Work

Chicago Building Saved After Five Hours’ Work

It required about five hours’ labor to avert the complete destruction of the two and three-story brick building occupied by the Armstrong Paint and Varnish Works on the west side of the city of Chicago, Ill., recently. The building was provided with sprinklers and chemical extinguishers but, although the fire started at 9:27 a.m., they proved inadequate to conquer it, and it soon extended from the basement, where it started from a defective boiler breeching, through the other portion of the structure, and when the department arrived, under command of Thomas O’Conner, chief of brigade, they found the entire building involved. The 200 men engaged employed 15 steamers and 13 pumping units in addition to two fire-boats, as the factory was near the river. The water main at this place was a dead end and the engines were compelled to draw from the river, and 25 engine streams were thrown at one time. A turret pipe in one fire-boat was extremely useful also. There were 20,000 feet of cotton rubber-lined hose laid, which were evidently in good condition, as the report of Battalion Chief John P. Stahl states that none burst during the fire. The men succeeded in getting the fire under control in about five hours from the time they attacked it and the $100,000 property escaped with a loss of $30,000, while the contents, valued at $250,000, were damaged to the amount of $50,000.

It required about five hours’ labor to avert the complete destruction of the two and three-story brick building occupied by the Armstrong Paint and Varnish Works on the west side of the city of Chicago, Ill., recently. The building was provided with sprinklers and chemical extinguishers but, although the fire started at 9:27 a.m., they proved inadequate to conquer it, and it soon extended from the basement, where it started from a defective boiler breeching, through the other portion of the structure, and when the department arrived, under command of Thomas O’Conner, chief of brigade, they found the entire building involved. The 200 men engaged employed 15 steamers and 13 pumping units in addition to two fire-boats, as the factory was near the river. The water main at this place was a dead end and the engines were compelled to draw from the river, and 25 engine streams were thrown at one time. A turret pipe in one fire-boat was extremely useful also. There were 20,000 feet of cotton rubber-lined hose laid, which were evidently in good condition, as the report of Battalion Chief John P. Stahl states that none burst during the fire. The men succeeded in getting the fire under control in about five hours from the time they attacked it and the $100,000 property escaped with a loss of $30,000, while the contents, valued at $250,000, were damaged to the amount of $50,000.