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Fanned by a fierce wind, a fire burned out of control for more than three hours yesterday in a west-end feed mill, resulting in $100,000 damage and spreading thick smoke over a wide section of the city.
A mid-afternoon coffee break probably saved the 55 employees of the Longworth Feed Mills from death or injury. They were in the cafeteria on the ground floor when the fire broke out and had no difficulty in escaping. If they had been on the floor above where they normally work, firemen believe most of them would have had trouble escaping from the blazing plant.
Within three minutes from the time the fire started on the second storey, the whole floor was aflame. Workmen attempted to fight the blaze with extinguishers but were driven back.
So quickly did the flames spread, fanned by the wind, that the fire was out of control by the time firemen arrived three minutes after the blaze was first noticed shortly after 3 p.m. It was the second time in these years the plant has had a serious fire.
Firemen feared the front wall of the building might collapse and cleared the street of spectators. However, the wall held though five floors crashed amid cheers from the spectators. Many of these were school children who yelled and clapped.
He said the plant would have to be almost completely rebuilt. Firemen managed to save a shed at the rear in which cattle-feed was stored, but company officials fear the feed was ruined by water.
Jack Baker, a plant employee, noticed the flames as he returned to work and gave the alarm. The office staff grabbed records and cash and saved them when they saw smoke billowing out the window.
Harry Johnston, plant foreman, made several trips into the plant to save tools and other equipment, and Harry Langford, superintendent of the loading rack, drove a truck with its tarp ablaze to safety.
Firemen, who fought the blaze under District Chief Robert Gaston, Platoon Chief Perry Taylor, and Chief Joseph Waterman, were still pouring water on smouldering grain at 9:30 o’clock today.
