Hemingray Glass Company - 1892 Fire

FIRE AGAIN VISITS MUNCIE.

One of the Larger Industries Destroyed   —   Numerous

Improvements in the Glass Factories.

MUNCIE, IND., Aug. 29.   —   The fire fiend again visited our beautiful city on last Friday evening, and as a result the Muncie nail works, another of our large industries, is in ruins and ashes. The fire started in the nail cutting department, and as there is no fire alarm in the vicinity they could do nothing but blow their whistle, which soon attracted the attention of the department, but upon their arrival they saw the building was doomed and directed their efforts to keeping the fire confined to the one building in which they were successful. The nail cutting department is a total loss; fully covered by insurance. The puddling mill is all right and work will be resumed in that department in a few days.

This is the third destructive fire that has visited Muncie within a year; the first to suffer were the Ball Bros., their large tin and stamping works being totally destroyed less than a year ago. On the 18th of last June the large glass works of Over's was consumed; and the Hemingray glass works subsequently went up in smoke. Our city fathers are stirring themselves toward furnishing better fire protection for these outlying factories, and in a short time they will be as fully protected as any part of the city.

There is no better argument that the people here have confidence in the supply of gas lasting for many years to come than in the fact that all these works are being rebuilt and enlarged. The glass works are displaying great activity, and by the time the next issue of THE COMMONER AND GLASSWORKER reaches us the start will have been made. The Nelson Glass Co. will start full handed, with larger pots on September 1, and everything points to a prosperous year for this company; though young in the business they are great hustlers.

Ball Bros. will start on the first. The large tank is not yet completed but work is being pushed rapidly, and it will probably be the first of October before any blowing will be done.

The Port glass works will start September 6. They have enlarged their output and will now have an 8 pot furnace and 50-inch pots.

The Muncie Flint Glass Co. will start their three furnaces September 1. They have turned their green furnace into a flint furnace and will confine themselves exclusively to flint bottles and prescription ware in the future.

Over's window glass works, which have been entirely rebuilt since the fire, will be ready early in September.

Maring Hart & Co.'s window glass will use one 10-pot furnace until their large tank is ready, which will then be put out if the tank proves a success.

The Hemingray glass works commenced work August 16; these works have been rebuilt since July 1.

Labor Day will be observed here generally by all the different trades. There will be a parade in the morning; in the afternoon sports of all kinds will be participated in by the workers, such as baseball, bicycle riding, etc., and in the evening a grand display of fire works will take place.   —   MUNCIE.