Frankstown Scene of Disastrous Fire The large kiln and crusher house of the American Lime and Stone company, at Frankstown, was completely destroyed by a fire of an unknown origin, beginning at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the Frankstown Supply company store and mill, four houses and one stable, were damaged by the flames, entailing a loss of more than $30,000 partly covered by insurance. The Hollidaysburg fire department aided in saving the adjoining buildings, and for a time it was feared that the entire community would be destroyed. When the fire was discovered, it had gained a slight headway in the roof of the kiln, but in a very few moments, fanned by a heavy wind, the entire building was in flames and the sparks were being carried directly into the heart of the town, some of them traveling more than 1,000 yards before dropping. Two engines of the Pennsy were used to pump water onto the burning building, while two played on the property of the Frankstown Supply company store and mill. BRIGADE ORGANIZED Bucket brigades were organized and the roofs of every house in the town were soaked to prevent them from becoming ignited. However, this method failed to save the properties of Howard Mc?, Charles Lee, Edward F. ?, James Bruner and the stable of J. L. Confer, all of which were damaged by the fire. The efficient work of the men saved these structures from burning to the ground, and the combined loss on these buildings was fixed at $2,000, all of which is covered by insurance. Phoenix Fire department of Hollidaysburg rushed to the aid of Frankstown shortly after 4.30 o'clock and did valiant work in saving many of the buildings, while sixteen men were taken to the scene from Hollidaysburg by Mr. Brenner. With the aid of these men, it was possible to confine the flames to the kiln and crusher house and save the buildings that had caught from the sparks. CONFER STABLE SAVED The stable of Mr. Confer is fully 300 yards from where the kiln stood, but active work on the part of a number of men as soon as the roof caught, soon put out the flames and the building was then soaked with water to prevent it from catching fire again. All of the other buildings were within two hundred yards of the burning structure, and only the hard work on the part of the bucket brigades and the Pennsy engines saved them. A heavy wind continually drove the sparks toward the center of the town, and this forced many men to scatter throughout the village to see that no other buildings became ignited and in case they did, to begin an immediate battle against the flames. Several switch engines pulled away all the freight cars in the vicinity of the blaze, although one was badly scorched before it could be removed. CAUSE MYSTERY The real cause of the fire is a mystery. Some claim they heard the explosion of a barrel of oil, while another version is that a spark from a locomotive or from a boiler settled on the roof and started the flames, but no foundation could be found for either rumor. The loss to the company will probably reach $30,000 as the structures will have to be rebuilt and the present price of material and labor makes it impossible to erect them at anything at near the original cost. The majority of the machinery was damaged beyond repair and is a twisted mass of steel and iron. Forty men have been thrown out of work by the flames, although it is likely that the company will use them to clear up the debris, preparatory to rebuilding. It could not be learned last night as to whether or not the plant would be rebuilt, although it is thought that it will, because of the great amount of lime stone that remains in the hills and which the company desires to take out and use commercially. Altoona Times, Wednesday Morning, December 4, 1918 INDIAN RELIC FOUND IN OLD RED OAK TREE While reducing a large red oak tree to fire wood, in the woods near South Altoona, on the Baker estates, Max Leader and J. W. Gartland of 3805 South Altoona [sic] found imbedded in the center of the log, a piece of iron which is very likely a relic of Indian days. Mr. Gartland brought the relic to the Times office yesterday afternoon but it does not represent any utensil that has been in use by any person of the present generation. It has the appearance of an elongated ladle and was fashioned out of a piece of steel about seven inches long. Mr. Gartland is of the opinion that it was used in melting lead for bullets during Indian days before regular bullet ladles were obtainable. It was covered with rust but a few rubs of a file revealed the finest kind of charcoal steel underneath the coating of rust. The ladle was in the heart of a big red oak tree. The tree, according to the rings in the wood, was more than a hundred years old and as the instrument was evidently driven into the tree when it was a sapling, the relic undoubtedly dates back to the time when the Indians lived in this locality. Altoona Times, Altoona, Pa., Wednesday Morning, December 4, 1918 JAMES GROVE ARRIVES HOME FROM ENGLAND Mr. and Mrs. Grove, of 920 Sixth avenue received a telegram yesterday from their son James, who for the past six months has been in the aviation service overseas. He informed the parents of his safe arrival in New York Sunday night, having been one of a unit of 4,000 aviators who sailed in the Cunard liner Mauritania. The young soldier can not complain of any lack of warmth in the welcome he received on his return to the home land as he participated in the royal ovation given the men at Hoboken pier. At present he is stationed at Camp Mills, Long Island and will remain there until mustered out of the service. Mr. Grove enlisted in December, 1917, was attached to the 202 Aero squad as an instructor in aerostatics and six months ago went to Europe. He is in the best of health and is looking forward to celebrating Christmas with the folks at home. Altoona Times, Altoona, Pa., Thursday Morning, December 5, 1918 Judy Banja Blair County PA USGenWeb Archives http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/blair/