Slate Run, Pennsylvania
J B. Weed & Co. Sawmill
Fire
January 11, 1893
Saw-Mill Burned at Slate Run
Last Wednesday morning the large saw-mill of
Messrs. J. B. Weed
& Co., at Slate Run, was destroyed by fire.
The watchman first discovered the flames at
12:30 o’clock bursting through the windows of
the gearing-room. They quickly spread to the
oil-room, and inside of fifteen minutes the
entire structure was a seething mass of flames.
The people of that hamlet all turned out, but
they were unable to save the mill. The wind blew
a gale, and at one time the whole town was
threatened with destruction. The employees, with
the assistance of the citizens, saved the
lumber-yards, which was a miracle under the
circumstances. At 2 o’clock a.m., the roof fell
in, and what was one of the largest and
best-equipped mills in this section of the
country was a mass of ruins. The origin of the
fire is unknown.
The mill was built in 1886 and had a capacity of
one hundred thousand feet per day. The loss was
$50,000; amount of insurance not known. It will
prove a blow to the town, as the saw mill was
run the year around and the company’s business
constituted almost the entire business of the
town. There are fifty men thrown out of
employment.
It is reported that
Messrs. J.B. Weed and Co. expect to
immediately build a much larger and better
saw-mill than the one burned.
The Wellsboro Agitator, Wellsboro, PA 18
Jan 1893
Transcribed by Rosemarie Thank you,
Rosemarie!
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