The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-12-26
CAR TRAFFIC
Is INTERRUPTED.
0verheated Car Warmer Causes
Disastrous Fire.
ELECTRIC CARS ARE DAMAGED.
A Sunday Night Fire at the Car-shed of
the Electric Railway Company linz
mense Loss Entailed Details
of the Big Fire.

The electric street railway service
was seriously disabled in this city
through Sunday nights fire, and the
embarrassing situation will remain for
some time to come. Mechanics are en-
ployed expeditiously in repairing and
refitting those cars which were not
greatly damaged and in all probability
these will be ready for use in few
days, although the street railway sy3
tenn generally will be handicapped arr
employees thrown out of employment foA
short time. The exact loss sustained
by the company has not been estimated,t
but it is stated by Manager H. c. Fogle
to reach in the neighborhood of $780,
10000, with ample insurance to cover
the loss and damage incurred.
The fire was first discovered by assist
ant Night Boss Curtis Wachtel, about
II 80 o'clock Sunday night While he was
engaged in his duties of cleaning out
a car for Xmas traffic. Wachtel saw
dense smoke in the front part of the
barn, and, running to the rear he learn
ed the cause. Car No. SO, which is in
use on the Cherry street line was burn
ing fiercely inside. Wachtel ran out of
the front of the barn and turned in an
alarm of fire from box 81, located on
way. The sounding of the alarm sum-
moned the apparatus from the Central
engine house and No. and hose
houses at 1885. He then returned to
the barn and attempted to move those
cars out which were standing in the
front part of the barn. in which work
he was assisted by Officers Ryan and
Patterson who appeared few minutes
later.
The work of removing the cars be-
came extremely difficult and hazardous
because of the increased density of the
smoke and the spreading of the flames
to other cars and the rear portion of the
barn roof, that only the Mahoning
street car was safely gotten out of reach
of the fire. Two cars in use on Navarro
street had been allowed to stand outside
of the barn at night because of the con-
gested condition inside caused by the
storing of some 25 cars.
The fire apparatus arrived in a few
minutes and through the energetic eff
forts Of the brave firemen who entered
the smoke-filled building at the risk of
their lives, the flames were under con-
troll one hour afterward, although the
services of the firemen and some lineS-
of hose were required until nearly 4
o'clock Monday morning. Electrician
Jesse Taylor, of the company, arrived
at the barn, and he severed the live
wires leading from the power house to
the car sheds, and rendered the build
ing in this manner safe from further
accidental ignition as well as prevent
ing the firemen from receiving injuries
from the electric current. The private
coil of hose attached to plug at the
barn was brouhgt into use after the
firemen arrived, the man employed in
the car shed evidetly not thinking be-
fore turning in the alarm of its practi-
cability. The fire ragged and burned
fiercely for one hour, and as it commu-
nicated with the roof, there was added
danger in the minds of the firemen that
it might spread to other buildings, and
their efforts were strongly bent toward
getting that burning section under con-
troll.