Garage Destroyed by Fire of Unusual Origin

Garage Destroyed by Fire of Unusual Origin

(From Our Regular Correspondent)

The Western Garage, Fortieth and Walnut Streets. Philadelphia, and its contents consisting of seventy motor cars, valued at approximately $100,000, was destroyed by a fire of unusual origin recently. A breaking electric light bulb, igniting the fumes from a leaking gasoline feed line, was the cause. A chaffeur, who was badly burned, was working under his machine in the rear of the garage by the light of an electric incandescent lamp. The atmosphere as well as hi sclothing was permeated with the fumes of gasoline from the leaking gasoline feed pipe, which he was repairing. It is supposed that he accidentally dropped the lamp to the concrete floor, causing it to explode. Almost instantly the man himself and his car were a mass of flames. Succeeding minutes were punctuated by the explosions of the respective gasoline tanks of the seventy motor cars in the garage. These minor explosions were followed, finally, by the terrific explosion of a high pressure air tank, whose seams and rivets had been softened by the intense heat. This last explosion served to scatter the flaming gasoline in all directions, some of it seriously burning Acting Captain Tomlin of Engine Company No. 5 about the face and The problem of the fire fighters was complicated by the fact that the rear of the garage abuts a very valuable and beatuiful church edifice. This building, thanks to the courage and determination of the firemen, acting under the direction of Battalion Chief Walsh, was saved.