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The Kinsey Fire Observation Room


dave ziegler

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After walking around the open buildings and taking pictures on the third floor of Q building I went up on the roof again to get a couple of shots from the roof and of the Fire watch room and the room at the stair well that goes to the roof.

Q Building sits at the High point of the plant so when they built it that is why they chose Q Building to put this room on

Here they are

1. Back water tank tower from Q Building roof

2. Shot from roof looking back at tops of some of the warehouses

3. Fire watch tower room from roof

4. Another shot of the fire watch rooms

5. Shot from roof of big black storage tank on O Building roof from Q roof

6. Top of front stairwell to roof note square hole in wall there is a air intake fan there and also open window to let air in.

After all that has happen to this building it remains strong and steady it is such a shame that it has been left at the mercy of Young people who think its fun to ruin things breaks my heart.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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  • 1 month later...

One of the Things that I never worried about working in the Plant was safety. Things just seemed so well watched over with the Fire drills and all the extra well made Explosion Proof fixtures that I don't remember even thinking of anything Happening.

And in all its years of operation There was never any fires of deaths in the Plant and few if any injuries. In 94 yrs operating Kinsey not Only was Beautiful but well protected.

The only time we even thought about fire was when Cal Roberts Plant fire Chief would take the fire truck out with Harry Martin Asst Chief and drive around the plant sounding the siren for fun!

The design of the Explosion Proof Warehouses had the little porchs reached through a door on the wall as the escape you would step out on the porch and in a door on the fire escape the stair well was doubled walled and so the only way in was through the porch separating it from any explosion area a very good design indeed.

I have added a Picture of the Porches as they were made going from the Warehouse to the Fire escape.

The first floor you would go out the Back ground floor door so there was no conection to let fire in the stair well from the warehouse it would have had to travel on the little Porch and that was very unlikely. You could get into the fire escape stairwell from a door on the roof or the ground escape door at the bottom.

Going back and looking around at the Hundreds of Fire Hydrents in the plant and the woods down back the large pump room down there and the one out front and the water towers and special fire fighting blue water tank near all the Old Wood and brick Warehouses and Still Continental did things very right including putting Sprinklers in every single Building no matter how old and keeping them working even when as the example of the DSP-Pa. 12 still not being used anymore.

Safety was always a way of Life at Kinsey and I am very Proud to have worked there.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Genial Gin

Join The Swing To Kinsey

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  • 3 weeks later...

Tonight I am wondering what the Fire prevention setups were for other Distillerys. Fire Prevention was always a top priority for The Kinsey Distillery and there was never a Fire there or even close to one. Publicker Had a bad fire in Phila in 1957 and after that they really went all out to make sure for the rest of the years they were in bussiness to never let that happen again!

I never in all the years I worked there even thought of it Happening, none of us did because we, One had a Practis fire drill every month and two we were told all the time to be careful to not let that happen.

The Kinsey Distillery was one of the safest Distillery's to ever operate and I am very proud to have worked there through many safe years!

I will always remember watching Cal Roberts and Harry Martin ride around in the Old Kinsey Fire truck blowing the siran and also every month checking all the Hydrants to make sure they were working.

Dave Z

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's

Most magnificent Bourbon

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Tonight I am wondering what the Fire prevention setups were for other Distillerys. Fire Prevention was always a top priority for The Kinsey Distillery and there was never a Fire there or even close to one. Publicker Had a bad fire in Phila in 1957 and after that they really went all out to make sure for the rest of the years they were in bussiness to never let that happen again!

I remember seeing an old firetruck on the grounds of the part of Beam Clermont that is open to the public. It's a really nice looking old truck, maybe from the 1940's? I'm not sure. Not too good with cars. I'm sure they must have had more than one back then and many more now. As huge as those Beam facilities are, it's hard to imagine they don't have their own fire dept.

I seem to recall seeing and hearing about the fire supression systems at BT when I took the hardhat tour, but I don't remember the details.

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  • 1 month later...

Josh the Old Fire truck we had at Kinsey was a Mack from the mid 1930's and when Continental Distilling bought the Plant they had it upgraded as far as fire fighting equipment almost every year. It was of the type that had no roof on the cab and we always got a big kick watching Cal Roberts the fire chief and Harry Martin his asistant riding around sounding the very load Siren as they drove through once a week.

Even though it was very old it was in perfect shape and ran great!

As I have stated many times we had monthy Fire drills and most times they were in the area where at the Old Buildings and warehouses were.

I have the original title for truck in my Collection of Kinsey Things it was Junked after they went out of Bussiness.

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey Whiskey And Gin

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  • 3 weeks later...

Today I parked at my Friends house across from the Plant and got some different Pictures of most area's. I climbed up the front stair well in warehouse N as it was open and went up on the roof to take some Pictures one of which is the Kinsey Fire Obeservation Room sitting atop the fire Escape. Warehouse Q sits at the highest point in the Plant and gave you a view of the whole area to look for fire or other dangerous things.

Pictures are

1. Looking from the Roof of Warehouse N at the Kinsey Fire Observation tower on top of Q warehouse Fire escape. This Warehouse sat on thehighest point in the Plant.

2. Looking toward the front of the Plant from the roof of Warehouse N

3. Large amount of water on the roof of Warehouse N looking across to the tops of the two 1/2 million gal Whiskey storage tanks that stand 44 feet high mid point of the plant.

As I have said many times Kinsey was one of the safest Warehousing and Distilling / Bottling Plants in the world back in the days I worked there.

Dave Z

======================================================

It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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  • 3 weeks later...

Since I posted all my shots from Sunday I thought I would also post a couple of Shots of the outside and inside of the Fire Oberservation Tower on Explosion proof Warehouse Q its fire escape is one of a kind with the special room on top. And this warehouse sits at the High Point of the Plant. One of my Favorite things when this building is open is to climb to the top of the front stair well and walk across the roof to the Fire tower Room and look at all area's of the plant.

Sadly Someone years ago started a fire in the corn Whiskey barrels on the 3rd floor and the fire company in order to put it out knocked a big hole in the wall on th plant front side wall. However even with the fire and the hole in its wall Warehouse Q remains strong and safe! So here are 6 pictures from last winter I never posted of the fire tower including one inside it where it got so hot the glass in the windows melted and ran down the walls. This room even had heating elements to keep it warm for the times Cal Roberts and Harry Martin would go up and look for fire danger in all directions.

Dave Z

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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon

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I just wanted to post this part on here as it has to do with fire safety. In talking to Paul the Plant Electrian where I work now, He stressed to me how well things were layed out in the bottling House such as groups of different equipment in areas. They were all spaced in a way that protected one area from causing a fire in another area. He said just looking at the pictures I gave him that it was very well engineered to be safe from Fire and well planed in its creation.

After the terrible fire I think 1957 was the yr in the Phila Plant the company wanted to make sure nothing bad like that could ever happen to anything newly built or Old and as I have said before be it the Fire tower mid Plant to working sprinklers in all buildings no matter how old. To the Fire drills at the old buildings every month to the fully equipped Fire truck They did their best to make Kinsey the safest Warehousing of aging spirits, Bottling of Spirits and Distilling of spirits back when DSP-Pa-12 ran.

Dave Z

============================================

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well Winter is setting in and the weeds are starting to give the Buildings in Kinsey a break.

Here are two shots of the Fire escapes on the warehouses.

1. This is the regular fire escape on Warehouse C look at it and then the next one and you will see how very different the Fire Tower one is!

2. This is warehouse Q its Fire escape is built with the fire observation room on top. This was the perfect place as Warehouse Q as I have said many times is on the highest point of the Plant. It never stops amazing me that they built this on there and being it was built during WWII Who knows what esle it was built to look for as I was just thinking and the little room on top gave you a great view over the roof. However no one will ever look out that room again as the metal grating fell down in the sealed shaft and there is nothing to stand on.

My friend took a shot for me over the big open hole in the room on that day in 2007. I checked the stairwell and that shaft is completly sealed from getting into.

To me it was very interesting that when they built the Explosion proof Warehouses that they put that much thought into it all.

I took these shots on Sunday and the Sun went in just when I shot the Fire tower so it is a little dark but you can really compare them good this way.

Dave Z

==================================================

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was able to make one last trip into the Fire tower and here are some of the shots!

it was a very nice day and I was able to go in and go out one of the little Fire escape doors to climb the tower stairs. I did not want to chance the roof.

1. & 2. Inside the Fire observation room Kids have written junk everywhere now

3. Shot of some of the windows up there and heating element on wall

4. shot of melted glass

5. A tree growing in the room as you goup the fire stairs

6. Looking down the stairs

7. Another shot of Melted glass on the window sill

8. looking at windows

9.10.11.12.13 Shots taken out the window of the view in differant directions

14. An Old pipe valve that turned the heat off and on in the fire tower

still turns off and on after all these years with ease.

The Fire tower escape was the only one that had heat in it

14. Back water tower from Fire room across the roof

15.16.17. Shots of the top of the fire tower from across the Roof from the last time I got pictures a week before

18. Front Warehouse stairwell

19. Shot across roof from Front stairwell

20.Fire tower looking at it from the ground first picture shows hole smashed in by fire company. What happen reconstructing what caused the fire someone went on the third floor lit up some barrels that had some corn whiskey in them and it got so hot it melted the glass opneing windows in the tower room. The Fire company smashed in the wall at the back and put the fire out it has never dryed out and with the roof leaking there are stalagtites on the third floor ceiling. I took some pictures of them and will post them later.

What a sad ending for Warehouse Q the Fire Observation tower One of a kind Building. Yet it still stands strong and nor falling down a tribute to it well build when it was built.

Dave Z

===============================================

It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

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  • 2 months later...

About two weeks ago the last time I was at Kinsey I was amazed going into some buildings how many Fire Extingushers are still there Hundreds of them every where! When it came to the danger Of Fire our Plant had the most protection that was possible during the years it was operating.

Be it our mack Fire truck which routinely was upgraded every couple of years to the fire tower and the large Cummins powered pump down back to bring water up from the river to the back water tank and the inlets out front that brought water to the front water tower.

Cal Roberts and Harry Martin went around every week turning on hydrents and testing them building by building. There were as I have said before fire drills every month and their were men who's job included being ready in case of fire. The Explosion Proof Buildings were all laid out the same distance apart and there were hydrents on all sides of them.

All the Old Buildings had large Fire Mains built into them when Publicker bought Kinsey in 1940 and the fire drills were mostly done near the Old Warehouses and the Still!

In the 94 years Kinsey Exsisted there were never any Fires or Fire damage due to the way Publicker protected the Place.

Dave Z

------------------------------------------------------------------

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent bourbon

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  • 3 weeks later...

Three weeks ago when I was at Kinsey My friends showed me dozens of Fire Extinguisher's they were Old 1986 CO'2 ones and many of them still have charge and work. As I have said many times Protecting from Fires and people getting Hurt was a Large part of our Operating at Kinsey.

In the Years I worked there I never saw any fires and the Plant had its regular monthly drills especialy near the Oldest Buildings. When The Continental Distilling Division of Publicker Industries started working on the Kinsey Distillery They spaced all the buildings the same distance apart all the way around.

They Incropatarted the Rear Fire escapes with their walled of from fire aproach. How they worked was you could not get into them from a door directly, you had to go into a wall door and go out on a little railed outside porch which took you to a door on the side of the fire stairwell keeping the fire from coming directly into the fire escape. the wall where it was built against was double walled all the walls Had one inch rods running two ways and floors, walls and cealings were all 2 foot thick!

A good example of how well they were built is the fire many years ago that was started by Vandels on the top 3rd floor of Q Building The Fire Observation tower building. Vandels lit some barrels of Corn whisky sitting up there, I know becuase of remaining chared heads that say Corn Whisky.

It got so hot all the glass windows in the fire tower room melted, I have read that glass only starts to melt at 2,900 degrees or there about. It was so Hot the fire company knocked in a back wall area to get to the fire and put in out. After All these years Q Building stills stands and you can still walk up the fire stairs safely to do one of the things I loved to do look out across the plant for far distances seeing all area's around, as it was deisigned to do too look for any fire near or in the plant.

Built at the High point of the plant going back to give a view of the whole Plant it was a enginering High point and a tribute to operating the Plant with great safety.

I will always be proud for working there and thankful to Mr Neumans great idea's that kept the place safe and you can bet Old Joe Trish did alot of the blueprint design's for the Plant when it was being built in the early 1940's.

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky

For Unhurried Moments

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  • 4 weeks later...

Not very long ago about two weeks I got to Kinsey and discovered that vandels are now laying Fire exstingusers everywhere. The amazing thing is these units are dated 1979/1980 and they still have a full charge because they are of the old time steel with solid valve on top. I have one at home that is still fully charged and in great shape being a CO;2 type there were and still are hundreds of them there.

When we were cutting out all the steel whisky racks we had fire watch teams because of the whisky that had soaked into the floors through the years. Cal Robers stood all day at the ready with exstingusers in case of fire as we the yard gang carried the racks out as they were cut by Welding torch as they were built so well they had to cut them at the welds and take them out in pieces.

It was sad to see lots of the racks going but the new idea then was to stack the barrles on piles as they were filled and it was also hard work, then as we were also using the 120 gal barrels and 300 + gal barrles too!

Back when I worked at Kinsey there were dozens per floor of the Explosion proof warehouses hung on the large Pillers on each floor. They were checked every year and filled when empty. It was due to the pactices of safety that we never had any fires in the plant anywhere through its operating history! Looking back I always felt safe there at work never really thought of anything going wrong and the reason was simple we were prepared for most things that could happen.

The Kinsey Distillery had a long History of Safety and those who worked there were proud to work there!

I will post a picture some time of my Extinguser here it is another piece of History saved from the Vandels that never stop going there to destroy!

Dave Z

===================================================

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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  • 2 weeks later...

While checking out a friends new Phone with web and video I found something really Cool aparently if I could have known and got in Kinsey back in around 2000 many of the Old trucks and stuff where still sitting there. While looking I saw that they had gotten another Old Fire pumper with a cab and ladders to go with the Old One. This must have been bought not long after I left. In the Persons Video the fire truck was sitting in weeds next to the Fire House as if Parked and never moved again.

Also Out front I saw one of our Old 1941 Ford flat trucks sitting and lots of other cars and stuff. These were cut up later by the people who claimed they were going to buy Kinsey and were fixing it up all the while under the guise that they were going to build a Pro Pane electric Plant and use all the buildings. All that ever came of that was them stealing metal and knocking down the still and catching the Old Bottle house on fire then leaving after making so much money that they abandoned some fork lifts outside in the plant.

I am going to research and see if there is any way I can get some of those pictures for History. They also were at fault for the catching on fire of Warehouse I as far as I can figure burning Thousands of bottles of Spirits left behind or at least leaving it open for Vandels to do this including cases of my favorite peanut Liquor.

I have found lists of much of what was left behind when the Owner would not let Continental People in any more.

This is more of the sad story of the end of Kinsey in fall of 1986, never to be protected and left to be destroyed by Vandels all these years.

I would Neven want Ludy to see her as she is now it would break his heart. Because of this I will keep working on new things here and on other threads of the Histiory of Kinsey and I hope to find some more yr 2000 pictures.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

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I am posting a few pictures taken on Sunday of the Old Buildings out front that were always in the mothly Fire safety drills done at Kinsey under the supervision of Cal Roberts are Company Fireman. The team of him Harry martin and Stan Sofoniwitz kept Kinsey fire free through all the years we Operated.

1.This pile of Bricks was once the Original Plant office where our Boss Mr Harold Reinnert worked the People who said they were fixinf the Plant up years ago caught it and the old bottle house and barn on fire cuting Metal up.

2.,3. Here is the Old #10 Rye Building from the side across from the still was and inside looking back from the front the Sun was really bright on Sun so the pictures are a bit light.

4. A shot of the Old final grain process building looking from where the Old DSP-Pa. 12 stood.

It is sad to think of the fools who caught these Historic buildings on fire but whats done is done and so I try to lay out a picture of how it looked and how everything worked and these buildings alway had top priority for Fire frighting drills.

I will later today post the rest of my Pictures from all over the Plant on the memories Thread.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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  • 2 weeks later...

The more I walk around Kinsey and look at things I am amazed at all the things that were in place to prevent fires. They went beyond just the law and because of that forethought we never had any fires or injuries from fire. To this day there are hundreds old Co'2 fire extingusers everywhere and of course the vandels like to dig them out and throw them.

We had containment walls that were so good a setup that they are on par for modern ones like where I work today. Around the big 1/2 million gal tanks we had walls and drains to take the whiskey if there was a spill, away to another area tank by drains and pumps.

At the end they had 2 fire trucks as I discovered by a old picture after the place was abandon. Of course our Explosion proof warehouses had the fire escape system at the back of each building and we had our monthly fire drills at the most fire prone area's of the plant and of course the Fire Observation tower from which you could see all area's of the plant.

All this planing started under the idea's of Si Neuman and our great engineer Joe Trisch who did 90% of all the drawing and blue prints for plant projects.

We thankfully never had any near fire's ever in those years and there was never any loss of life at our Kinsey plant!

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey The Unhurried

Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

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  • 2 weeks later...

About two weeks ago I got to walk around Kinsey and here is a picture of the only other Fire escape that was different! This one is different because O building served as the Government Offices besides being where they distilled water for the Whiskey, had our Lunch room and was the only explosion proof warehouse with windows! The picture is of it at the back facing the Bottling House!

O building was One of a kind in all its design from the rest, Q buildings only was different in it having the totally differnt Fire Observation room tower! The rest of Explosion proof warehouse Q was just like the other 12 of 14.

I try to get as many pictures of the buildings as I can for History sake as I want the Warehouses to be seen by People as long as History continues!

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey The Unhurried

Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

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I walked around Kinsey Yesterday after I donated the Barrel and here are 3 shots I got through the Partly open door of Old Kinsey Warehouse H the last one ever built by Jacob G Kinsey.

1. The last intact Freight Elevator left is this one in H warehouse the others have fallen to pieces. This was the Last wood and brick Warehouse built by Jacob G Kinsey

2. Looking down through the warehouse

3. looking to the right at the racks!

This is the only one of the Old warehouses that still is not completly done for and it is sad. I remember well what happen if you put to many barrles on these you would crash to the floor! Also to go tto the upper levels to a certain point you had to either climb a wooden ladder or Ride the freight elevator as close as you could get then go up the ladder. And you better be fairly thin.

These warehouses when I started there had a wealth of vintage whiskeys and it was warehouse E where I had my first Rittenhouse Rye from the barrel. I am sure glad I got to do this job back in the day.

It was a fun job even though hard and if you love whiskey you loved the smells of all the warehouses!

Dave Z

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Inver House

Soft As A Kiss

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In one of the strangest querks of fate maybe around 2001 or there abouts the Fire observation room warehouse Q and warehouse I two of the 14 explosion proof warehouses were put to the test by Vandels when large fires where started in them. Q Warehouse got so hot that the glass melted out of the fire tower room! Then the fire company smashed in a big hole in the wall where there had been some old corn whiskey barrels on the third floor that had enough residue that the vandels got the fire going. Even after smashing in the section of wall Q building remains strong I was on its roof a couple of years ago and it is still a very strong building.

Warehouse I at one time had pallets of Liquor stacked 22 feet high in one of its corners. Many years before I got back to Kinsey, a fire burned everything to dust and burned out with no one but the Vandels knowing when this happen.

But the only damage to the Building inside is a tiny bit of chipped Brick nothing else. If nothing else this proves How very Good these explosion proof warehouses were built under the Leadership of Mr Si Neuman.

No fire escaped from them they are both still strong and if the fire company had knocked the wall out in that spot the only damage is glass melting and bricks chipping. These were as good as good could be for safety and containment and as they say where I work now Containment and safety are the name of the game.

What a tribute to Kelly for brick and Mc Cluskie builders from Phila back in those days, and the forthought of Mr Neuman when they bought Kinsey in 1940!

Dave Z

=================================================

The best Old Fashions Are, You'll Find

The Mellow Made With kinsey

Kind!

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This morning I was thinking about my second year working in the Yard Gang at Kinsey. One of our duties Winter and summer started then and was the job of hauling what were the barrel racks out of the warehouses as they were cut.

It took a powerful Welding Rod cutter to cut the welds to take the racks apart. They were taken apart in sections so that if ever wanted again they could be put back together.

During these times Both Cal Roberts Fire Chief and asstant Harry Martin would be on Fire watch with many types of Extinguers to prevent any chance of Fire. Doors to lobby's were shut to prevent any fumes from other floors getting involed.

It was a long and hard job that never was completely done while Publicker owned the place the last racks being taken out was by the people who took anything of value all the while claiming they were going to build a Propane power plant there till the deal went down and they left what was of Kinsey in Ruin even knocking down the DSP-Pa-12 Still for metal to make money from.

We would haul the parts of the Racks down to the Old steer pens going down toward the river and put them under the roof's.

Calvin Roberts worked at Kinsey over 40 years and was a great fire Chief and a very good man.

Our Yard gang then was Myself,Eddie Pinder, Bill Albright, Valintine Celenie and George Rhoads and Our Boss John Zuber. We used an Old Ford 8-N tractor and a farm wagon to haul the frames down back and we would spend about half a day doing this sometimes.

It took the whole crew to carry the Uprights and we had to turn them side ways to get them out the front roll doors. It was hard work but it had to be done and later in the day there were lots of other things to do depending on the season.

Bill Albright was a character every day for his lunch He brought a Lettuce sandwitch for his lunch. Sometimes he liked a shot with his lettuce sandwitch.

During the cutting of Rack uprights Calvin Roberts would have the fire truck right there ready. Every week Cal & Harry Martin and Stan Stofoniwitz the complete fire dept would go around the plant opening hydrents and testing valves.

They would run water to test presure and also would travel from time to time up into the Fire observation room to look around the plant especialy during dry Hot summers!

The fire prevention record at Kinsey was Perfect and there were never any fires during its years of Operation.

Dave Z

=================================================

Inver House Blended Scotch

Soft As A Kiss

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  • 2 weeks later...

This past weekend I was a guest at The Limerick Historic society and I took some stuff to show how the place operated and what it looked like back in the day.

To preserve History I was able to get many differant Explosion proof and weather Proof light switches from the Plant and the company Electrian where I work wired them after I decided and put the sets together. One of the biggest reasons the plant so so safe was the way the electric's were layed out.

Going into one of the waerhouses you would have red pilot lights telling you there was power on the dock.

Next you would go into the first floor Stairwell and throw a really big Lever.

Next whatever floor you went into when you got through the door to the bonded warehouse racks you would throw switches and pilot lights would come on with the Lights and other stuff. Also all plugs for lifts were explosion proof and all forklift Charging places had explosion proof plugs.

1. Sets of Pilot lights and switches at the back of my office made like the electiral headers on the walls going into the bonded warehouse area.

2. Rare late 1930's Explosion proof Candle shaped light these alot of times were mounted on a pipe and had an explosion proof cord to be able to be hung in front of a console that had no light. I made two of my 3 into Lampes to use in my office at back of my office. They have a spring at the top to hold the tube like 25 watt bulb shock absorbed. I also have one that is on the rod and I will post a picture of it soon.

3. Differant types of Explosion proof switchs and pilot lights. Switch number 3 from the right is a rare General Electric Explosion proof switch with built in Lock out and a plug in the side where Cheeko was shot in to seal it from vapors. The Electrian at work told me about cheeko it dryed after you sprayed it in and sealed everything from sparks that might get in somehow it dryed bright white!

4. A closeup of some of the switches, The Big throw switch one is from warehouse O and ran the pumps to pump whiskey from O to the Bottle house by overhead stainlees line to be filtered and bottled there.

5.Another of my Explosion proof candle shaped lights wired by the electrian and the base made by Brain the shipper in the plant. Sitting on my desk

6. Another darker shot of my Lamp.

7. Switches on my desk the little ones are weather proof and the bigger ones explosion proof. The one with the brass pull shaft weatherproof, is from the late 1890's and was in the Maintiance Barn built by Jake Kinsey in 1892.is

6th one from the left,the 5th one weather proof was one of the Dock light switches from Warehouse R it turned on the dock light outside. The first switch from the left is also a 1930's switch type explosion proof and the one next to it was down in the Old Weight and scale building at the back of the plant.

I found it broken off the wall laying in the rain by vandels and frozen up. I spent 3 days freeing it up and the switch inside solid brass mounted in Ceramic was like new so I was able to use it. It now is safe here in my office. Some of these switches are one of a kind others there are allot but the 1930's and late 1890's ones are one of a kind!

Many Thanks To Paul for wiring these one of a kind lights for history, this may seem odd but these were as much a part of the operation as the Whiskey stored there and the Distilling that happened there till mid 1951.

Dave Z

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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One of the most amazing things about Kinsey was the fact that in all of its 94 years of operation till 1939 Mr Kinsey, and till 1986 Continental Distilling there was never even anything close to a fire.

I credit this to the way Kinsey was built up after Continental Bought it at auction in 1940. When kinsey was laid out every Building was surounded by Fire Hydrents when built and each explosion proof Warehouse spaced the same distance apart. Each had special Fire doors leading to the little escape porches that went into the Fire escapes.

The fire escapes were not open at all to the rooms behind them except if you went by the little porches.

Then they had the forsight to put the Fire tower on the back of Warehouse Q which sat on the highest part of the plant and had great views in all directions.

I just lately found paper work about the Big water pump out back in the woods and found out it was put there just after I left Kinsey I will post the paper work some time soon.

Down in the woods out back where they had two more 1/2 million gal tanks the woods is filled with old Fire Hydrents and all the buildings had more then you could count of Fire Extingusers and also water Hoses on valves on the pillers and large pipes to bring the water in event of a fire to them in all the warehouse areas. Also all warehouses were heavy sprinkled.

Everything near fumes had explosion proof switches and pilot lights to check for power. Going into the warehouse each dock had pilot lights for each floor so you knew what was going on before you went in, also security could monitor them on their rounds.

Next you went into the stair well and threw a large switch, then you would throw switches on the Electric Headers in the warehouse storage area's. All outside switches were water proof even in the old Maintaince Barn 1892. Continental Thought of everything.

At the end they Had 2 fire trucks and also the large blue Water tank besides the two water towers. And walking around the Old Kinsey wood and brick warehouses you will find that they all had below the level giant Pipes and were completely Sprinkled when Continental bought Kinsey.

Finally there were the Monthly Fire drills performed around all the Old Kinsey Buildings to make sure that they and the Local fire company Linfield Fire company were ready for anything they could think of.

I am filled with great pride thinking about the time I worked for this great Company and deep sadness at its terrible end. When you think about the miles of Stainless piping going from warehouse to warehouse that had dump troughs and then to the Bottle house and never any leaking pipes that could cause explosion it was an amazing record for that time period.

Four 1/2 million Gal storage tanks safely operated all those years and 11 operating bottle lines in the big bottle house with one line, A-1-F able to do 40,000 bottles a day it is an awesome safety record. Also the old Kinsey bottle house operated from the mid 1930's continously till 1979 and never had a fire or explosion.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Best Old Fashioneds Are,You'll Find

The Mellow, Made With Kinsey Kind!

Dave Z

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  • 1 month later...

One of my Favorite memories was when The Kinsey Fire Dept Chief would take the Old Mack Fire truck for a ride around the plant.

His Name was Calvin Roberts and His asistant was Harry Martin. They would ride from one end to the other and Blow the Old siran and blow the Big horns. It was a fun thing to see during Work hours. Every day they would go to one of the Buildings they had a list to check them off and open Hydrants and test valves, and open them and run water.

Kinsey Had a great Fire Protection system and many buildings had Pyrotronics lighted fire warning systems panels. Also there were Hundreds apon Hundreds of Fire Extinguesrs. And of course the Fire Observation room on top of Warehouse Q at the High Point of the plant.

Thankfully everything worked well and we never had any Fires. Also as I have stated before every month the Company had employee's trained to fight Fires do drills with the Linfield Fire Dept. Most times at the Old Buildings out front and the Operating Liquor Bottle House out front that Jake Kinsey built which served the company till the very last day!

Publicker when they bought Kinsey paid and had all the Old wood and brick Warehouses fully sprinklered they put giant main pipes down in the space below the racks and ran sprinklers all through them to the very top of the racks.

When Cal would drive the Old Truck sometimes he and Harry would wear Firemans Hats just for the fun of it. The Old Mack did not have a roof in the driver area it was an old Open truck that Publicker upgraded every year and at the end they had two trucks.

Dave Z

============================================

The Best Old Fashions Are, You'll Find

The Mellow, Made With Kinsey Kind!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I decided to post a few more shots from this weekend as I enjoyed shooting the pictures so much and I did not want to wait till monday to share more so here are 7 more of my Sat shots on this thread.

1. Looking from the end of the bottling lines in room c back toward the lines

2. Moving to Warehouse R here is a shot Of some never used Caffe Lolita Cases filled with never used bottles

3. Plalet of Continental Black berry Brandy boxes never used. Continental always bought years ahead to avoid being stuck by shortages of bottles and boxes

4. One of The Brandy Boxes

5. Hallers Vodka case Box

6. Now back to the bottle house, Whiskey Heater #2 at far back end of the bottle house where lines started on the Platform back there

7. Whiskey Heater #1 on platform.

I am glad I was able to post many of my Pictures today and hope to post more soon.

Looking through the 1966 Bottle house in the pictures I have posted gives you an idea of how big it was and how modern for its time!

I hope everyone enjoys the pictures posted here and on the other two threads.

Dave Z

==============================================

Philadelphia The Heritage Whiskey

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been thinking alot about the amazing safety we had at Kinsey it was always Publicker's most safe plant and everything was designed for safety. To this day I am amazed at all the fire extingusers I see around there hundreds apon hundreds. Hoses Hydrents even down in the woods and lots of water capascity to fight fires.

Add to that the Fire tower at the High point of the plant and the Pyrotronic's panels in bottling, the fire house and some other buildingss to inform if a fire should start in a building it is a very impressive thing. Plus 2 fire engines tests on all the water valves every week we were ahead of alot of Distilleries those days as far as safety went and being the worlds largest then we should have been.

Mr Neuman did not take short cuts on safety and our record at Kinsey Proves it.

Here are a few more pictures from 3 weeks ago

1. The Old Grain Silo's going into the plant

2. Motors in back tank platform area bottling house

3. Pallet of Philadelphia Blended Whiskey Boxes never used warehouse R

4. Picture of Warehouse R in Black and White.

I hope these pictures posted today on all 3 threads are enjoyable for everyone and that they keep the History of Kinsey alive!

============================================

The Best Old Fashioneds Are,

You'll Find

The Mellow, Made with Kinsey kind

Dave Z

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