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Show A LAMP DID IT. AN EXPLOSION LEADS TO A BIG BLAZE ON THE NORTH. . The Property of the Wasatch Asplinltiun Company llurned to the Ground Willi a Loss of 10,000 -Tho lire liepart-llieut liepart-llieut Muck III tho Drifts. Shortly after 1 o'clock this ruing tlie eventful "career of the old chcmbal works building In North Salt I.ako was ended in a wliilT of smoke and the sljuettire, with all its contents now lies as a ten-lhousaiid-dollar ruin. In tho vicissitudes of fate tlie properly had Changed bands several times. A squatty spacious structure covering nn area of To by feet, it had been erected by tlie I'tah Chemical company which Marled out to manufacture, audit nsll fur tho fait Lake Class company. This enterprise had been In ' operation but a short time when It drifted on to a snag and went up thu flume. Tho property was thou gob. Med up by the l-tiili Alkali company and from lliem leased by the "Wasatch Asphallum company, in both of ; which Institutions J. V. Cuiiner A liros, are stockholders. The asphiiltmii people have been conducting their business as tlio era of aspbiillutu In ion jwstllicd and at nights left tlie works in the custody of a watchman whose single responsibility was to look after Ihe cooking of the material, llo was the Solitary person on tho premise this morning morn-ing when tlie lamp that hung above the mastic pans suddenly exploded showering shower-ing its contents about thu room. Tho flames blazed and tho watchman rush-ing rush-ing to the whistle turned on its shrill alarm until the surroundings became so hot that lie wus compelled to retreat, llo hastened over to the soap factory hut tho flames had progressed beyond a possible hope of con-(ruling con-(ruling them. In the meantime an alarm had reached the firo station through box 17, and with the big teamer tlie department started in search of the hlasio that was Illuminating the surrounding sur-rounding country. They got within a quarter of a mile of tho doomed structure, where tho snowdrifts were encountered, the. wheels stuck fast, and with uo one to give information they abandoned tho run. The lire was then at Its height and a few minutes min-utes later the asphallum works were in ruins Mr. Culmcr was seen this morning and tated that tho company's loss was f 10,000 with an insurance of :0i0. Among the losses quoted by him was fljOOO Worth of mastic anil gilsonite that was to liavo been shipped today. All this was destroyed as was also the plant of machinery. The original cost of tho lmlldlug and its equipment equip-ment by tho chemical company is aid to have been $tlO,0o0, Its loss throwing uboul forty men out of employment. Mr. Culmcr Is not decided as to what steps tho company will take to rchaliililiilti Hs enterprise, lint says It is possible, tliey will locate in Hpuuish Fork canon. |