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Show Sunday, March 26, . . . 1972 . THE HERALD, Provo, 11 Utah-P- age For Provo 's Leading Industry (Continued From Page 2A ) were soaring 100 feet into the air, and heavy machinery came crashing through the building's crumbling floors. Although workers and citizens worked feverishly to save everything they could, many of the most costly and technical machines were firmly attached to the floor, making their resuce virtually impossible. Who Called The Alarm. . There is still some question as to who sounded the first fire alarm. The Provo Post of that day states that it was Grant Eggertsen who "sounded the wild cry of fire " by calling the Ore department at 11:30 ajn. One of the plant workers at the Jenkins, Clayton time, reminisces that the number of people who claim to have called the fire department on that historic day has grown faster than the names of families who claimlo have come over on the Mayflower. He adds, "There just weren't that many phones in the building." It has been established, however, that Mr. Jenkins and Victor J. Bird were two other the actual figure, the fire meant Company. local citizens who notified the destruction la the conflagration. eventually strung to the mill, The machines in the cutting and and everything was soaked that could be soaked. pattern rooms were carried out La France to the Rescue After the fire, tons of soaked the other were as tables and all In response to the frantic call, wool which had been stored in feed the the department quickly rolled its materials that might the buildings warehouses was first motor drawn fire fire." across the ground to dry. strung Over Police and apparatus, a 750 gallon Pumper Chief Jesse over, city ran to la fact, Victor Bird reports that Manwaring truck built by the American La station to ring the fire bell wool was even scattered to dry France Company, to the scene. fire on the floor of the old Tabernacle call forth more help. The men called the large and The Fire Chief at the time was on Center Street. machine the old "Seven Fifty." After the fire, five buildings Joseph Loveless. Regular It had right-handrrs and hard firemen included Don Parks, lay in smoldering blackened rubber tires. Reed Boshard, David A. "Bert" ruins. Unfortunately, it didn't have and Clarence Duke. Peay, Smoke Stack Still Stands . . any water. And there wasn't any After seven hours the fire was In the middle of it all, the one in the old mill stream near the under control, but firemen were hundred foot smoke stack for the factory either. It was all being never able to get water directed plant was still left standing. It used for irrigation. to the main buildings. can still be seen today in the The Post gives the following Weaving and Carding Rooms account of what happened that center of town, where it has been Saved redecorated to mark its new day: "The call for help was Fortunately the weaving and position as advertiser for the answered by hundreds of men carding rooms were saved, and P.E. Ashton Company. and boys. Every man who could Jenkins reports that this was the Despite all efforts, the fire had assist was on the job. The deciding factor in Jesse Knight's struck a fatal blow to the mill. It would never really recover. Denver and Rio Grande sort a decision to rebuild the mill. While the blaze continued, the Total loss for the fire is special train up to the mills with its section and yard men. Long city's police force rode through recorded at around $369,000 in before the flames had reached town asking people to turn off fire department records. the main building, every bolt of their water in order to build up However, the newspapers of the cloth and every pound of pressure to fight the fire. day and the records of Mrs! Provo Mayor at the time was Jennie Knight Mangum, Jesse available wool and yarn that could be reached safely was LeRoy Dixon, and shortl, after Knight's youngest daughter, list carried out and stored for safe the fire he issued a jjfoclamation the actual loss at $504,000. congratulating the firemen and Only $138,245 was insured by keeping. the firm. That places the real "However, the machinery local citizens on their efforts. Five lines of hose were lc at $365, 755. But whatever could not be moved and went to destruction for the plant. Because of it, the mills were fire department Fitting Foundation complete the It is a silent and fitting government contract, and the reminder of the foundation of tons of wool which they had history and tradition on which bought for seventy cents a pound Provo has been built. went to no use. When they were During the height of the fire, finally able to use and sell it the old mill whistle, which had after the wv, the price of wool sounded the time of day for so had dropped to thirty cents. many years throughout the city of Provo, became activated by End of Hope the heat of the blaze. The old whistle had formerly As fire department records report, "Some worker's fathers blown four times a day to let and grandfathers had worked in people know when to come to the mills, and they had been work, when lunchtime had looking forward to having their arrived, and when the day was children make their livelihood over. Now, under the fire's intense there also. Knowing this means of support had vanished was a heat, it blew one shrill scream, major blow to a great many loudly and then continued softly. Then for a long period of time it families." The expensive and delicate continued its mournful song as if machinery which had produced playing its own requiem. This "swan song" of the top quality wool for many years had all sunk into the basement whistle, and the building, of the main buildings and melted brought people from miles around to come and witness the into a ruined heap. le Tons and tons of' this tragic burning. were The fire burned fiercely for machinery merely plowed under and four or five hours, and flames covered over with dirt when the could still be seen at sundown. The fire, and the mournful factory was eventually rebuilt. The machinery still lies there whistle that accompanied it, today, underneath what has now marked the end of an era of the become the P.E. Ashton woolen industry in Provo. to unable d once-valuab- j lfllplfl :im f IP i V V U :j . Ti:" - ' WHEN WATER WAS FINALLY FOUND, tons of wool that had been stored in the mill for war production was soaked clear through during the blaze. This wool was later spread over the ground and on the floor of the old Provo Tabernacle to dry. The loss for the fire was estimated at $504,000, or well over double that figure in today's dollars. It was without question the greatest destruction by fire in Provo's history. TONS OF MELTED EQUIPMENT AND A LONELY TOWER were the rained remainders of the deadly blaze. The old smokestack has now been placed in retirement. Used actively by the plant for almost half a century, it is now a decorator piece, and sports a bright coat of paint as an advertiser for the P. E. Ashton firm to remind local citizens that business is stOI alive and well in Provo. 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