Part of Flaming Tank Hurled Two and one-Half Blocks Start Blaze
in Roof of Arnold Home
Firemen from Warsaw, Winona Lake, Atwood and Leesburg Battle Fires
for Several Hours and Save Parts of Two Buildings
Fire of unknown origin caused damage of many thousand dollars
to the Rochelle Furniture manufacturing plant., North Detroit
street, late Monday afternoon. One large building, consisting
of an assembly room, finishing room and mill room, was completely
gutted as firemen from Warsaw, Winona Lake, Leesburg and Atwood
battled the furious blaze for several hours. The apartment house
of Mr. and Mrs. Wade C. Arnold, located on East Arthur street,
two and one half blocks southeast of the factory, was also gutted
on the top floor when half of a flaming paint thinner tank was
blown onto the roof of the residence from the furniture plant
blaze.
John W. Beckwith, president of the furniture plant, said today
that it was imposible to determine the extent of the loss. He
was in Chicago when the fire broke out Monday, and did not reach
his Warsaw home until early Tuesday morning. He said insurance
covered the plant and its contents.
The fire broke out at approximately 3:30 o'clock in the one-story,
metal building, destroying machinery and gutting the cabinet and
finishing room. A fisherman on Center lake first noticed the blaze,
which appeared to be a grass fire behind the furniture plant.
He reported the blaze as being a grass fire, and no alarm was
sounded. However, when fire truck driver Loren Melick reached
the plant, he saw immediately that the large building was ablaze.
He sounded a general alarm and soon all volunteer firemen in Warsaw
were battling the fire. Atwood and Leesburg also responded, as
did Winona Lake's two pumpers. Both of Warsaw's pumpers were used,
making a total of six fire trucks at the scene.
Upstairs Badly Gutted
When the Arnold home started blazing on the roof, Mr. Arnold was
down stairs listening to the finish of the 500-mile race taking
place at Indianapolis. Mrs. Arnold was at the scene of the other
blaze.Mr. Arnold did not notice that the second story was ablaze
until neighbors saw smoke pouring from the roof.
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Miller, Jr. who lived in in the second-story
rooms of the apartment house, were not at home when the fire started.
Much of the furniture and clothing was saved from the house as
people watching the fire quickly volunteered for duty. The Atwood
truck with its new "fog" hose, went from the furniture
plant to the Arnold home. Unable to get the necessary pressure
to stop the fire, the Atwood department was soon joined by Winona
Lake's number two pumper. However the upstairs of the house was
badly gutted, and the lower story was damaged badly by fire and
water.
Protect Gas Storage
Three gasoline storage tanks at the Band City oil station, located
just south of the flaming furniture company were prevented from
exploding as firemen played a steady stream of water on the tanks
throughout the fire. The gasoline station barely escaped burning
as flames reach toward the roof and sides of the station several
times.
Two warehouses and the office of the furniture company were saved.
Mr. Beckwith said today that it was impossible to determine whether
or not any of the machinery in the gutted building could be salvaged.
Despite the intense heat of the flames, no firemen were seriously
injured. Hundreds of curious people quickly gathered at the furniture
plant, and city police officers were required to stop traffic
on road 15.
Fireman William Walgamuth, Jr. was given a tetanus shot at the
McDonald hospital when his shoulder was cut by a piece of falling
roof. Several other firemen with Walgamuth at the time, escaped
injury. Numerous minor injuries were given first-aid treatment
at the scene of the fire.
37 Employed at Plant
It was more than three hours after the blaze first was reported
that it was brought under control. Even then Warsaw firemen were
called back several times during the night to extinguish parts
of the charred ruins that kept breaking out in small fires.
Mr. Beckwith said today that approximately 37 persons were employed
by the furniture company. All were without jobs today. The plant
was closed for the Memorial Day holiday Monday, and no watchman
was on duty when the fire started.
The furniture company plant, which manufactured a complete line
of nursery furniture, was located at the north edge of Warsaw
and on the east bank of Center lake. Some people reported that
as many as 16 explosions occurred when the naphtha tank and lacquer
drums, sitting outside the building, caught on fire. Some of the
lacquer drums soared into the air, many landing in Center lake,
causing fisherman to row toward shore for safety.
Praise for Firemen
The furniture plant was purchased in 1943 from Raymond Korth,
of Warsaw, by Max Mollencamp, of Rochelle, Ill., and John W. Beckwith,
of this city. Mr. Mollencamp, vice president of the company, is
now in Missouri, where he is employed in the retail business.
Mr. Beckwith is president and treasurer of the plant. Edward Jobe,
of Warsaw, is foreman.
Warsaw firemen were quick to praise the Atwood, Leesburg and Winona
Lake departments for their co-operation in helping to fight the
fires at the furniture plant and Arnold home. Also, many men and
women in the large crowd volunteered for duty and helped carry
furniture and clothing from the Arnold home to safety. Warsaw
firemen said that help also came from Bill and Louis Goshert,
managers of the Gafill Oil company, who filled one of their large
gasoline trucks with water and rushed it to the furniture plant.
Warsaw police officers stayed on duty for additional hours to
assist in handling heavy traffice at the scene.
The Arnold home reportedly was only partially covered by insurance.
Warsaw firemen were called there again Tuesday morning when the
fire again broke out. It was quickly extinguished.
Warsaw Daily Times Tuesday June 1, 1948.
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