19470912 - 60 years ago today: Congoleum Rug Company Damaged By Fire

19470912 - 60 years ago today: Congoleum Rug Company Damaged By Fire

Democratic Advocate, September 12, 1947.

19 Pieces of Equipment From 13 Companies Bring Blaze Under Control In Large Warehouse At Cedarhurst

—The Congoleum plant at Cedarhurst, along the W. M. R. R. suffered its second heavy loss by fire Monday night when the rag warehouse caught fire from combustion. The building was sheet iron and 700 feet long. The first occurred years ago.

The following fire departments fought the blaze: Arcadia, Owings Mills, Pikesville; Sykesville, Boring, Glyndon, Reisterstown, Hereford, Cockeysville, Towson, Ellicott City, Pleasant Valley, Union Bridge, Mount Airy, Manchester, Hampstead and Westminster.

It was estimated that 300 firemen with 19 pumpers poured water into the rag piles for several hours before it was brought under control. During the height of the fire, flames were visible a mile and a half away, attracting hundreds of spectators.

A plant official reported that the warehouse was filled to capacity with from 5,000 to 10,000 tons of baled rags. No estimate of the damage was given by company officials.

The warehouse stands beside the North Branch of the Patapsco River, from which firemen pumped water, and is separated from another large building by railroad tracks.

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20060808 19460808 condemnation proceedings of the SRC vs Finksburg Meth church

19460808 condemnation proceedings of the SRC vs Finksburg Meth church

Today in Carroll County History, according to a news brief in the August 9^th, 1946 Democratic Advocate:

$13,500 AWARDED FINKSBURG CHURCH- The condemnation proceedings of the State Roads Commission against Finksburg Methodist church was held yesterday before Judge James E. Boylan, Jr.

The verdict of the jury was to the Trustees of the parsonage, Finksburg church, $11,050; Finksburg Cemetery Co., $7,460, trustees of Mt. Zion Congregation, $1,099, making a total of $13,500.

Judge Francis Neal Parke and Wooden & Benson were attorneys for the church. D. Eugene Walsh represented the State Roads Commission.

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20060425 April 1924 Fire at Congoleum in Finksburg (Asbestos)

April 1924 Fire at Congoleum in Finksburg (Asbestos)

Today in Carroll County History, as reported in the April 25^th, 1924 Democratic Advocate:

"FIRE IN 4000 TONS OF RAGS.

FLAMES RAGE IN RAG STORAGE HOUSE AT CONGOLEUM PLANT ASBESTOS, FOR HOURS-WESTMINSTER FIREMEN DO GOOD WORK-ORIGIN OF FIRE UNKNOWN-LOSS $2500.

Fire originated in the rag house at the Congoleum Company, at Asbestos about midnight Sunday and burned fiercely for about 5 hours before being brought under control.

At 2:30 the Westminster Fire Company was called out to combat the flames. The fire company with the assistance of the plant men fought hard until 6:30 when the fire was brought under control. Reisterstown Fire Company was called about 5 a. m. and arrived in a short time.

While the men at the plant pulled the sheathing from around the building the two fire companies with four streams of water completely extinguished the fire by 10 o'clock. Tons of water was poured in on the burning bails or rags.

The building is built of all steel and is about 200 feet in length and contained 4,000 tons of rags, estimated to be about 225 carloads. The fire trucks were placed on a bridge across the Falls with the suckers placed in about 5 feet of water.

The two machines were pumping 1200 gallons of water a minute. The Congoleum Company has fire plugs and a sprinkling system throughout the entire plant which was used.

The fire was discovered by the night watchman who gave the alarm and summoned the employees in this city and around Finksburg. The loss has not been estimated but it will run up into several thousands of dollars, which is partly covered by insurance."

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