HAMMER BLOW CAUSES FIRE.
Damage to Asphalt Roofing Com-
pany's Plant is $400.
Fire in the American Asphalt Roofing Company's factory at Twelfth and Crystal yesterday caused a loss of $400. One of the four mammoth tanks above a lake of flaming coals had warped with the intense heat. Workmen were denting it back with hammers. One blow chipped a scale from the side of the big kettle and a stream of boiling, oily, crude asphalt poured into the furnace bed. Almost at once the whole building was burning. Two hose companies made the long run. There was no water plug for almost five blocks. No. 21 company carrying 1,000 feet of hose laid it all and waited until No. 12 company came and added 300 feet more. The stream, aimed to extinguish the furnace fire first fell partly in the tanks, running the asphalt over.
When the fire in the big rates was out the the roof of the building and the floor of the second story were gone, and all the windows were minus sashes. All the other buildings of the plant were safe.
There were only ten firemen in the two companies. To these the treasurer of the roofing company, G. W. Randall, handed a check for $20 to the firemen's relief fund.
