孟菲斯的棉花

孟菲斯的棉花

Between five and six thousand bales of cotton valued at nearly $300,000 were destroyed by a fire which recently broke out in the sheds of E, W. Trout in Memphis, Tenn. The flames were discovered in one corner of the shed about nine o’clock in the forenoon, and the employees at once began to remove the bales nearest the doors. In the meantime an alarm had summoned the fire department. Chief McFadden at once sent in a second alarm which called into service six steamers, one motor pumping engine and four ladder trucks. The smoke was already so dense that the men had difficulty in entering the building and the entire northern end of the sheds was a mass of roaring flames. The fire was fought from the front and both ends of the shed, the men having to break holes in the east and south walls through which to play the streams of water. The dense smoke hampered the firemen in their work, and one fireman was overcome. The fire was under control at noon but streams were kept on the burning cotton for many hours. Chief McFadden said that it was one of the hardest fires to fight that he has had for a year, the smoke from the burning cotton being almost unbearable, while the falling roof covered up thousands of bales and had to be removed before the water could reach the burning cotton beneath. Two other fires broke out while the cotton fire was in progress, and during the afternoon six other alarms were sent in while most of the department was still working on the first blaze. One of these was a burning bale of cotton on a farm wagon, which was extinguished by the automobile apparatus. Many of the firemen were forced to quit work on the first day of the fire on account of the dense and blinding smoke which the burning bales made. Several had their eyes so badly injured that they were forced to report to the hospital for treatment and some are still confined to their beds. While the exact cause of the fire is not known, it is believed to have originated from a bale which was brought to the warehouse with a spark in it. It is not an unusual thing for a spark of fire to be baled in cotton and smoulder there for days and even weeks, finally breaking out in a flame when it burns out to the air. The cotton shed was 168 by 200 feet in dimensions, one story high and was constructed of brick about sixty years ago. Tbe fire-extinguishing equipment consisted of fifteen barrels of water and a few pails on the premises. The building is located a mile from the river and half a mile from the nearest fire station. It was valued at $10,000 and the cotton $312,000, The building was a total loss, and while much of the cotton can be saved, it is estimated that the loss on this stock will reach $200,000. At one time Chief McFadden had eleven streams on the fire, using more than 7,000 feet of hose. In the vicinity were seven fire plugs, some of them 800 feet apart, and with a pressure of only 45 pounds, it was impossible to produce powerful streams at any time, which proved a great handicap to the department. Nevertheless, the work of the department was highly commended, in that it kept the flames from spreading and extinguished them so as to allow a good salvage.

Between five and six thousand bales of cotton valued at nearly $300,000 were destroyed by a fire which recently broke out in the sheds of E, W. Trout in Memphis, Tenn. The flames were discovered in one corner of the shed about nine o’clock in the forenoon, and the employees at once began to remove the bales nearest the doors. In the meantime an alarm had summoned the fire department. Chief McFadden at once sent in a second alarm which called into service six steamers, one motor pumping engine and four ladder trucks. The smoke was already so dense that the men had difficulty in entering the building and the entire northern end of the sheds was a mass of roaring flames. The fire was fought from the front and both ends of the shed, the men having to break holes in the east and south walls through which to play the streams of water. The dense smoke hampered the firemen in their work, and one fireman was overcome. The fire was under control at noon but streams were kept on the burning cotton for many hours. Chief McFadden said that it was one of the hardest fires to fight that he has had for a year, the smoke from the burning cotton being almost unbearable, while the falling roof covered up thousands of bales and had to be removed before the water could reach the burning cotton beneath. Two other fires broke out while the cotton fire was in progress, and during the afternoon six other alarms were sent in while most of the department was still working on the first blaze. One of these was a burning bale of cotton on a farm wagon, which was extinguished by the automobile apparatus. Many of the firemen were forced to quit work on the first day of the fire on account of the dense and blinding smoke which the burning bales made. Several had their eyes so badly injured that they were forced to report to the hospital for treatment and some are still confined to their beds. While the exact cause of the fire is not known, it is believed to have originated from a bale which was brought to the warehouse with a spark in it. It is not an unusual thing for a spark of fire to be baled in cotton and smoulder there for days and even weeks, finally breaking out in a flame when it burns out to the air. The cotton shed was 168 by 200 feet in dimensions, one story high and was constructed of brick about sixty years ago. Tbe fire-extinguishing equipment consisted of fifteen barrels of water and a few pails on the premises. The building is located a mile from the river and half a mile from the nearest fire station. It was valued at $10,000 and the cotton $312,000, The building was a total loss, and while much of the cotton can be saved, it is estimated that the loss on this stock will reach $200,000. At one time Chief McFadden had eleven streams on the fire, using more than 7,000 feet of hose. In the vicinity were seven fire plugs, some of them 800 feet apart, and with a pressure of only 45 pounds, it was impossible to produce powerful streams at any time, which proved a great handicap to the department. Nevertheless, the work of the department was highly commended, in that it kept the flames from spreading and extinguished them so as to allow a good salvage.