Western Glass Manufacturing Company, Denver, Colorado

TWO BIG BUILDINGS GO UP IN FLAMES

Denver Storage Warehouse and the Western Glass Works

LOSS HUNDREDS

OF THOUSANDS

Western Glass Works

in Valverde Goes

Up in Smoke.

The plant of the Western Glass Manufacturing company at West Bayaud and South Eighth streets, Valverde, burned yesterday afternoon, entailing a loss of between $150,000 and $200,000.

Two hundred men are thrown out of work, and several of them narrowly escaped with their lives. Twenty-five were blistered about the face and hands, and one, Henry Y. Johnson, was carried unconscious from the building by firemen.

The fire started from an explosion of gas in the sand room and was spread over all the building by the explosion of a tank of oil which the flames soon engulfed.

A great heap of fantastically twisted glass and smoldering ruins is all that remains of the large plant.

By the heroism of Assistant Fire Chief Moses and the captain of engine company No. 11, who dashed into the burning building heedless of their own welfare, a human life was saved from a fiery death.

At 3:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon a telephone message was received by Fire Operator McGowan informing him that the plant was on fire. He dispatched two engines and a hook and ladder company to the scene together with Assistant Chief Moses.

Three minutes later the firemen had arrived, and the frantic screams of half a hundred workmen informed them that one man remained inside. By this time the entire building covering a block of ground, was a mass of flames, but the assistant chief and his captain dashed into where they were told this man was, and discovered him lying unconscious, his dinner pail and coat tightly clutched in his hands. They dragged him to safety.

The man is a glassblower named Henry T. Johnson. He thought he had time to get his coat and pail, but in the attempt he was overcome by gas fumes and fell. His hair was burned from his head, and his face a solid blister.

A second alarm quickly followed the arrival of the firemen, and Chief Owens and Assistant Chief Dulmage, with half a dozen additional companies responded.

At first it seemed that the enormous plant of the Western Chemical works just across Bayard street, would burn, but the stiff wind that was blowing shifted and blew the embers and heat the other way.

The fire caught from an explosion in the gas producer plant in the sand room, and the 200 men employed in the plant fled for their lives. Twenty-five of these were burned more or less about the face and hands in making their escape.

The Company is Made Up

Exclusively of Denver Men.

The company is composed of Merritt W. Gano, president and general manager; Gerald Hughes, F. R. Ashely, George W. Wood and Harry C. James. Mr. Gano was on the scene early, and rushing up to Assistant Chief Moses, he urged that every effort be made to save a frame shed to the right of the burning plant, in which $8,000 worth of finished glassware was stored.

Chief Moses led engine company No. 2 into the alleyway and, lying on their stomachs, the firemen took turn about holding the hose, while another stream was kept playing on them to keep their clothes from taking fire. The steel railroad tracks near them were twisted all out of shape by the heat. One-half of the shed was saved, together with the contents.

While the fire was at its height, a tank car filled with oil caught fire and exploded with a loud report, throwing blazing oil in every direction. This caused intense excitement among the throng of spectators that gathered to see the fire, and several children narrowly escaped.

The firemen worked until midnight last night, and long before they started back to their respective quarters Mr. Gano was busy working over plans for a new structure. Mr. Gano said:

"Our loss will amount to $150,000, and 200 men will be thrown out of employment. You can say that we will rebuild immediately, and as soon as the ruins cool off enough to permit, we will start men to clearing away for a new building.

"The company is strictly a Denver concern, and our loss is about two-thirds covered by insurance.

"We consider the work of the firemen excellent in saving part of the shed."

Frederick W. Standart, president of the Brannen-Standart Insurance company, was also on the scene, and he was looking out for his interests there. He carries a major part of the policies.