The Locke plant at Lima, NY was destroyed by fire

Plant of Locke Insulator Mfg. Co., Burned Last Evening.

The plant of the Locke Insulator Manufacturing Co. at Lima, located near the Lehigh Valley station was destroyed by fire, which was discovered, about 7 o’clock in the dry room in the south-east corner of the building. Fanned by a strong gale blowing at the time from the south-west, which was fortunate for the neighboring property, the flames swept through the plant in a seething mass, and in an hour's time the property was in ashes.

Only three of the workmen were in the plant at the time and they attempted to bold the fire in check with the chemical apparatus in the plant, until driven out by the smoke and heat, one of the men, Charles Green being overcome in doing so.

The Lima firemen made a quick response, but as the plant is outside the village limits no hydrants were near and they did all that was possible with the apparatus available.

The office equipment; safe and a large quantity of manufactured goods were saved, but there is nothing left but the concrete walls.

The works is one of the largest industries of Lima, and was owned, and operated by the Symington Company of Rochester and Chicago, on war work and has employed a force as high as 150 men, which has been reduced of late to about one-third. The property was valued at $125,000. It was originally built in 1904 by Fred M. Locke, and two years later was destroyed by fire, after which it was sold to the Victor company.