Wendling B.K. Mill Fire of 1922 --
The Morning Register 7-7-1922
HUGE SAWMILL OF THE BOOTH KELLY CO. GOES UP IN SMOKE AND FLAMES
Other Units Of Plant And All Town Buildings Saved
The big sawmill of the Booth Kelly Lumber Co. at Wendling was totally destroyed
by fire yesterday afternoon and it was with difficulty that the planer and other units of the plant as well as the whole town were saved. Had the wind been blowing toward the planer and the town instead of the other way the loss would have been several times as great, say officials of the company. The estimated loss is between $175,000 and $200,000 and the company carried insurance equal to 90 per cent of the value of the plant.
A. C. Dixon, manager of the company said last night that plans are being made to
rebuild the mill as soon as the ground is cleared. He said that arrangements will soon be made to put on a third shift at the Springfield mill so that none of the 60 men employed at the Wendling plant will be idle long. None of the logging crews will be laid off, he said. Mr Dixon said that it will probably take 6 months to rebuild and it is expected to have the new plant in operation soon after the first of the year 1923.
The fire started between 8:30 and 9 o'clock under the main saw point. It was discovered two or three minutes after James Guard, the millwright, had been at that point on his regular rounds of inspection, and the flames spread so rapidly that almost the entire mill was enveloped before water could be obtained although the plant was excellently equipped with fire fighting apparatus and there was plenty of water. Clark Fisher, engineer first discovered the fire and it was so far advanced at that time that it was impossible to smother it.
The origin of the fire is unknown but it is presumed, say employee of the plant, that it started from a spark from a loose pulley, a hot box or something of that kind. It started in such a manner and such a place as that which destroyed the company's mill at Springfield about 12 years ago.
An indication of the rapid spread of the fire is the fact that the men had no time to remove on of the electrically driven timber cranes and it too was destroyed together with half a million or more feet of lumber on the sorting tables, and a big horizontal resaw that had not yet been erected and which stood outside the mill.
The six dry kilns were damaged to the extent of from one third to one half of their value. A section of dock about 100 feet square was burned.
The Southern Pacific Co. ran a special train from Springfield soon after the fire started, bearing the full crew of the lumber company's mill at that place together with hose and chemical carts to help combat the flames. The Eugene Fire Dept's pumping engine was sent up and assisted materially in saving the town. The Eugene firemen, as well as manager Dixon and other officials and employes of the company here made a record run to Wendling and numerous other Eugenians, hearing of the blaze, drove hurriedly to the scene to render what assistance they could. The Eugene firemen, with the big pumper, got into action immediatly after arriving at Wendling, pumping huge volumes of water from the mill pond for the protection of the planer and other units of the lumber plant and the nearby buildings of the town. A large number of lines of hose were previously laid by the mill crew and everything possible was done to stay the flames in the mill but, like the fire in the Springfield mill, it seemed to spread as if gunpowder had been sprinkled throughout the plant. The crew were all in their places when the blaze was discovered, the men having returned to work the first time since last Saturday when a few days layoff was taken for the fourth of July festivities as is the custom of the Booth
Kelly Company.
The planer, the machine shop, and the lumber on the docks were all saved, but had the wind been blowing the other way there would have been no hope of saving these,.said manager Dixon.
The Wendling mill was erected in 1900 by the Booth Kelly Co. At that time it was an entirely modern lumber plant and it has remained so to a certain extent by the addition of the latest pieces of machinery from time to time.
Some of the machinery was electrically driven and the company was gradually electrifying the whole plant. The mill had a close call in 1910, when the entire town burned, having caught from a nearby forest fire that swept over the mountain and down upon the cluster of buildings. In 1917 the planing mill adjoining the sawmill burned down and it was replaced by a larger and better plant, which is now standing.
A number of watchmen were placed on duty at the ruins last night and with lines of hose already streched, they will be able to cope with any blaze that might be caused should the wind come up and scatter embers about. Most of the women and children in the town, realizing the danger of the situation, packed up their household effects in automobiles and moved out of danger while other women remained behind and served coffee and cool drinks to the employee of the company and the outside firemen who were so valiantly fighting to save the town.
The Eugene firemen say that it was one of the hottest fires they ever fought even though they reached there after the mill was gone.
Wendling B.K. Mill Fire of 1922 --
The Morning Register 7-7-1922
HUGE SAWMILL OF THE BOOTH KELLY CO. GOES UP IN SMOKE AND FLAMES
Other Units Of Plant And All Town Buildings Saved
The big sawmill of the Booth Kelly Lumber Co. at Wendling was totally destroyed
by fire yesterday afternoon and it was with difficulty that the planer and other units of the plant as well as the whole town were saved. Had the wind been blowing toward the planer and the town instead of the other way the loss would have been several times as great, say officials of the company. The estimated loss is between $175,000 and $200,000 and the company carried insurance equal to 90 per cent of the value of the plant.
A. C. Dixon, manager of the company said last night that plans are being made to
rebuild the mill as soon as the ground is cleared. He said that arrangements will soon be made to put on a third shift at the Springfield mill so that none of the 60 men employed at the Wendling plant will be idle long. None of the logging crews will be laid off, he said. Mr Dixon said that it will probably take 6 months to rebuild and it is expected to have the new plant in operation soon after the first of the year 1923.
The fire started between 8:30 and 9 o'clock under the main saw point. It was discovered two or three minutes after James Guard, the millwright, had been at that point on his regular rounds of inspection, and the flames spread so rapidly that almost the entire mill was enveloped before water could be obtained although the plant was excellently equipped with fire fighting apparatus and there was plenty of water. Clark Fisher, engineer first discovered the fire and it was so far advanced at that time that it was impossible to smother it.
The origin of the fire is unknown but it is presumed, say employee of the plant, that it started from a spark from a loose pulley, a hot box or something of that kind. It started in such a manner and such a place as that which destroyed the company's mill at Springfield about 12 years ago.
An indication of the rapid spread of the fire is the fact that the men had no time to remove on of the electrically driven timber cranes and it too was destroyed together with half a million or more feet of lumber on the sorting tables, and a big horizontal resaw that had not yet been erected and which stood outside the mill.
The six dry kilns were damaged to the extent of from one third to one half of their value. A section of dock about 100 feet square was burned.
The Southern Pacific Co. ran a special train from Springfield soon after the fire started, bearing the full crew of the lumber company's mill at that place together with hose and chemical carts to help combat the flames. The Eugene Fire Dept's pumping engine was sent up and assisted materially in saving the town. The Eugene firemen, as well as manager Dixon and other officials and employes of the company here made a record run to Wendling and numerous other Eugenians, hearing of the blaze, drove hurriedly to the scene to render what assistance they could. The Eugene firemen, with the big pumper, got into action immediatly after arriving at Wendling, pumping huge volumes of water from the mill pond for the protection of the planer and other units of the lumber plant and the nearby buildings of the town. A large number of lines of hose were previously laid by the mill crew and everything possible was done to stay the flames in the mill but, like the fire in the Springfield mill, it seemed to spread as if gunpowder had been sprinkled throughout the plant. The crew were all in their places when the blaze was discovered, the men having returned to work the first time since last Saturday when a few days layoff was taken for the fourth of July festivities as is the custom of the Booth
Kelly Company.
The planer, the machine shop, and the lumber on the docks were all saved, but had the wind been blowing the other way there would have been no hope of saving these,.said manager Dixon.
The Wendling mill was erected in 1900 by the Booth Kelly Co. At that time it was an entirely modern lumber plant and it has remained so to a certain extent by the addition of the latest pieces of machinery from time to time.
Some of the machinery was electrically driven and the company was gradually electrifying the whole plant. The mill had a close call in 1910, when the entire town burned, having caught from a nearby forest fire that swept over the mountain and down upon the cluster of buildings. In 1917 the planing mill adjoining the sawmill burned down and it was replaced by a larger and better plant, which is now standing.
A number of watchmen were placed on duty at the ruins last night and with lines of hose already streched, they will be able to cope with any blaze that might be caused should the wind come up and scatter embers about. Most of the women and children in the town, realizing the danger of the situation, packed up their household effects in automobiles and moved out of danger while other women remained behind and served coffee and cool drinks to the employee of the company and the outside firemen who were so valiantly fighting to save the town.
The Eugene firemen say that it was one of the hottest fires they ever fought even though they reached there after the mill was gone.