February 18, 1965 — A fire was discovered about 4 o’clock Saturday morning in the “hair house” at the Virginia Oak Tannery. The fire was mostly confined to the hair and baling equipment. Damage to the building was said to have been slight.
The Luray Fire Department responded to the alarm with two trucks and were on the scene for about one hour and a half. They used lines from their booster tanks which were kept filled from the Tannery’s water system.
The one-story building is located at the northern end of the Tannery buildings and contains hair removing, drying and baling equipment. The building is equipped with automatic sprinkling devices which went into operation during the fire.
August Nollert, plant engineer at the Tannery, said he did not think the fire damage to the building, equipment and merchandise would amount to as much as $750. He praised the Luray Fire Department for its most speedy response to the alarm which kept the damage to a minimum and prevented the fire from endangering other buildings at the Tannery.
He said the building was back in operation Sunday afternoon, thanks to the willingness and efficiency of the plant’s maintenance department. Cause of the fire has not been determined. It was discovered by the night watchman who was making his regular rounds.
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