Imperial Porcelain Works

PORCELAIN PLANT

TO BE REBUILT;

LOSS OF $50,000

Last Night's Fire in East Trenton

Not So Expensive as Was Reported This Morning

EMPLOYMENT FOR

MANY MECHANICS

According to an estimate made today by Frederick A. Duggan, one of the owners of the Imperial Porcelain Works at Mulberry Street and New . . . [illegible text] . . . Avenue, which was partially destroyed by fire last night, the damage will amount to about between $40,000 and $50,000, much less than was at . . . [illegible text] . . . supposed.

It is expected that the plant will be working again in about six weeks time. Mr. Duggan said that work would begin as soon as the insurance is . . . [illegible text] . . . to rebuild the destroyed section with as many mechanics as can be secured will be put to work erecting a new brick building to be 150 by 40 feet.

The loss is fully covered by insurance of the principal damage sustained . . . [illegible text] . . . be the delay in filling a few of the orders and the annoyance which will . . . [illegible text] . . . the rebuilding. When the new . . . [illegible text] . . . is completed it will be larger than ever before in its history and the employes [sic] employees will be at work within a few weeks. Mr. Duggan and Benjamin F. Dinsmore, the other partner, were at the office this morning arranging the details.

WATCHMAN'S GALLANT FIGHT. The fire was discovered by the watchman John Lahey, under a stairway between the kilns. Four buildings were destroyed. The only explanation of its origin is that an employe [sic] employee had been going about the plant with a lighted torch and had thrown the torch under the stairs before the wick was . . . [illegible text] . . . put out. It is against the rules . . . [illegible text] . . . company to use a torch, as the . . . [illegible text] . . . was fully equipped with electric lights. The watchman tried to cope with the flames with a fire extinguisher, but owing to the splendid food . . . [illegible text] . . . the dry substance made for the fires he was unable to make any headway. Word was then phoned to fire headquarters and the two alarms called in. Chief Allen, Assistant Chief . . . [illegible text] . . ., engines 2, 4, 5, 6, truck 1 and . . . [illegible text] . . . responded.

When the firemen reached the building it was a roaring furnace and . . . [illegible text] . . . was paid to the surrounding buildings. In this way the office and . . . [illegible text] . . . power and mixing house were saved from any damage. Heroic work was done by Chief Allen and his men. . . . [illegible text] . . . while in the discharge of their duties a number were injured.

FIREMEN INJURED

. . . [illegible text] . . . men were working under a . . . [illegible text] . . . across the kiln shed when the . . . [illegible text] . . . burned away from one end of the . . . [illegible text] . . . bridge, causing it to crash to the ground. The men under the bridge were saved from being crushed to death by the bridge landing on a number of barrels. A number of firemen . . . [illegible text] . . . also on the roof of the building . . . [illegible text] . . . without any warning, it collapsed.

Fireman A. Armstrong was the most seriously injured. He was badly lacerated over the eye and it was necessary to have the wound sewed. His . . . [illegible text] . . . also horribly scraped, caused . . . [illegible text] . . . extricating himself from his dangerous position after the collapse of . . . [illegible text] . . . Armstrong has been injured a number of times and at a fire several years ago at the spring mattress plant had a number of ribs broken. Captain Schuhart sprained an angle and George Woolverton was also . . . [illegible text] . . . The latter was taken to . . . [illegible text] . . . Hospital but his injuries are not serious. Peter Concannon and . . . [illegible text] . . . Knoblauch were slightly hurt when they did not leave the scene of the fire. Mr. Duggan ordered today that everything possible be done for the injured men.

This is the second time in two years that the plant of the Imperial Porcelain Works has been destroyed by fire although the blaze of last night was not as disastrous as the previous . . . [illegible text] . . . Mr. Duggan is the owner of the . . . [illegible text] . . . which has also been badly damaged by fire twice in the last few years.