Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Star Courier, June 6, 1953, p. 1A. NOTE: The item below was abbreviated from the original as shown by the ellipsis. One photograph accompanied the original. One of the most disastrous fires in Bloomington history swept through the Fell Iron & Metal Company plant at 503 N. Rogers Street, Thursday, leaving the sprawling building in a mass of crumpled steel and stone. Mrs. Irvin Fell estimated the loss at $65,000. She said that there was only $3,000 insurance coverage. The fire broke out in stacks of stored paper at the rear of the building, and despite the efforts of 25 men employed at the plant, the flames quickly spread to the roof.The employees had used every available fire extinguisher in an attempt to fight the fire before the arrival of the fire department, but the heat soon forced them to leave the building. The fire broke out shortly before 11 AM and by noon the structure was a total loss. The building was purchased by the Fells two years ago after they leased their former plant at Fourth and Rogers to Sarkes Tarzian, Inc.The building first housed the old Central Oolitic Stone Co. that was started by the Adams and Mahan families about 75 years ago. Their interests were sold out about 25 years ago to the Shawnee Stone Corp., whose principal stockholders lived in Detroit. The late J. L. Torphy was the last active manager. About five years ago, since the Detroit interests could not devote the necessary time to operation of the firm, it went into friendly receivership with the building later being sold at auction to I. Fell and Co., and the quarry to the Ingle Stone Co.The mill building was one of the largest in the Bedford-Bloomington stone district and housed more machinery than any other. The building was constructed of steel, glass and stone. This was the first fire in the history of the building that spread over almost an entire city block.