The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

GLASSHOUSE BURNED,

Total Destruction of King, Son & Co.'s Establishment, at Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH, August 2.—In the course of an hour this morning the extensive glass plant of King, Son & Co., covering an acre of ground at the foot of Eighteenth street, South Side, was almost completely destroyed by fire. At about 5:30 o'clock a blaze of large volume broke forth from the floor of the furnace house, and the watchman rushed for the hydrant in the hope of being able to extinguish the fire before it could extend to the remainder of the building. The hydrant was supplied with a pipe of a diameter but little less than that of a plug, but it was found inadequate to the emergency, and the watchman, comprehending this quickly ran out of the building and had an alarm signaled from box 142.

The works are situated on the river front, Eighteenth and Short streets, and occupy a lot one hundred and sixty-six by two hundred and forty feet. On the river front was a stretch of sheds covering a space of one hundred and sixty-six by forty feet which were filled with stock ready for shipment. On the Eighteenth street front immediately above the storage sheds was a three-story brick mold shop, then the glass factory proper, in which were two furnaces, and at the corner of Eighteenth and Short a two-story brick known as the cutting shop. Adjoining this on Short street was a three-story brick selecting and packing house. These buildings covered the lot, with the exception of a limited yard space for the use of wagons.

The fire started in the furnace house, which was of wood, and as it was located in the middle of the grounds, the extreme heat quickly broke the windows of the brick buildings adjacent, and communicated fire to them in every floor. There was but little natural breeze going but the heat started artificial drafts that carried the blaze with surprising speed into every nook and corner, so that the firemen were soon satisfied that if the destruction could be confined to the works about all would be accomplished that was possible. Hose were run from all directions and played wherever an opening could be got, but there was so much interior to the works as to place the department at a serious disadvantage.

The large furnace house was consumed within half an hour, and following it went up in fire and smoke the storage sheds and the extensive selecting and packing house. All these were totally destroyed with their contents, which consisted of valuable presses and other machinery and stock on hand. The machinery was ruined apparently beyond the reach of repair. The mould house was gutted completely, but it is possible there will be some salvage. This building was full of costly moulds and will add materially to the aggregate of loss. The cutting house, an extensive brick structure two stories high and comprising an L on Eighteenth and Short streets, fronting 150 feet on those thoroughfares, was the only building not completely destroyed; but it was damaged considerably. The two furnace stacks were not injured.

The ruins of the storage sheds presented a picture of utter destruction, there being nothing left but a long stack of broken glassware, several feet in height.

Loss, $55,000.