The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-06
GARAGE WRECKED
. BY GASOLINE FIRE
Richmond Motor Company's
Plant Damaged to Extent
Of About $4,000.
TEN AUTOMOBILES RUIN ED.
Employees Have Narrow Escape.
Match Supposed to Have
Started Blaze.

sOlul lCO DldLS.
Amatch carelessly thrown on the floor
of the garage of the Richmond Motor
Company, 319-321 West Main Street,
yesterday afternoon at 1890 o'clock,
CAUSED fire which wrecked the build
ing and destroyed or damaged ten au-
i tomobiles. The loss Is roughly estt-
mated at $4,000, divided between the
Motor Company, which had several
cars for sale and hire the owner Of
the building, and a number of owners
of private cars which were stored IN
the garage at the time.
Wilson Meek. son Of s. w. Meek,
one of the proprietors of the Motor
Company. stated that while assisting
several employees in drawing gasolene,
The stepped on match. which at once
| ignited the entire place The men
barely escaped with their lives. and
| efforts to bring out some of the cars
were fruitless. The main tank, in
which was stored 125 gallons of gaso-
lene, did not explode, but the tanks of
the various cars blew up, while the
popping of pneumatic tires from the
| heat caused volley Of sounds like a
| pistol duel.
Two alarms were turned In, the de-
partment responding promptly. but
water seemed to have little effect on
the flaming gasolenc, which burned It
/ self out. The front part of the build
ing was saved, although badly scorch-
ed, and three cars In the front OF the
garage are believed to be little more
| than, scorched, though no careful ex-
animation OF their motors and mechan-
ism has as yet been made.
There were several narrow escapes,
wv por IL. 1o1 1t =
badly cut by broken glass, neces-
stating the attention of an ambulance
surgeon. Miss Eva Burke, the Office
|stenographer of the motor company.
barely escaped.
According to Mr.. Meek, two negro
helpers at the garage were filling
flve-gallon can from the gallon
tank OF gasolene. They let the can
run over. splitting the fluid over the
cement floor of the garage. Mr. Meek
started IN their direction, when his
foot struck on match dropped by
some unknown person, and almost In
stantly the whole place was in flames.
The workmen and machinists barely
escaped In their overalls. losing their
street clothes and personal belongings.
The wooden roof of The building burn
ed 1ercely. and at the first breath Of
the intense heat the front show win
dows fell outward, crashing into the
sidewalk on Main Street Machinist
d. D. Daniel, who made an unsuccess-
full effort to take out the cars in the
front part of the building, until by
ISLANDERS refused to allow him to risk
his life further is Of the opinion that
some one had been smoking in abso-
lutte defiance of the rules
Many Cars Destroyed
Manager Coleman Cutchins was not
in the building at the time, being at
the State Fair grounds in charge Of
an exhibit of Hupmobile cars in the
Industrial Building. He was notified
and rushed to the scene in his motor
car. but was only In time to view the
wreckage which the f1remen had left,
the rear portion of the building totally
destroyed. and the front charrred and
water soaked
Until the mass of twisted iron that
remains of ten new cars has been
sorted over and the condition of the
running gear and motors Of the cars
ascertained, It will be impossible to
fix the actual loss Two new Inter-
state machines just from the factory
We're among the cars destroyed.
Manager Cutchins gives the following
list of private cars believed to have
been in the garage at the time Of the
fire. though cars had been coming and
, going all day, and there may have been
others there:
II. l. Demon. car valued at $4,000,
completely destroyed. No insurance.
Mrs. F, s. Campbell. electric car,
value $500, believed to be only partly
injured
j. w. Rothert, electric car. valued at
$500; destroyed.
Y,,teh a1Acfrfr.
value $500; partly destroyed.
L. w. Mcveigh. Hupmobile, value
$3.50; destroyed
Three new Hupnobiles belonging to
the motor company are believed to
have been totally destroyed. Many Of
the private owners Of cars have In
surance while the motor company
had partial insurance on the stock.
me building, a one-story brick struc-
lure, formerly store. belongs to g.
vaughan. and was also partly insured.
ofncers of the Richmond Motor Com
pany are S, W. Meek and Mark r.
Lloyd. Manager John B. Alsop, OF the
Sreedwell Garage. II West Main Street
has offered Manager Cutchins tempo
rary use Of his offices and garage.
That the loss was not larger is UNI
doubtedly due to the fact that yester-
gay was a nollday, and many owners
had their ears out at the fair, while
several recently received were at the
fair grounds on exhibition. Several
of the cars belonging to the motor
company had been hired for the day,
and We're out at the time of the fire.
Assistant Fire Chief Wise directed the
fight against the flames. which were
quickly subdued when once the burn
Ing gasolene had spent it's force
New Garage Nearly Ready.
The ire spread to the wooden back
norches Of several residences west Of
the garage on Main Street, and for
a few moments 1t looked as though
there would be condensation Chief
Wise turned in second alarm and
dash Of water eXtinguished the flames
on adjoining lots Miss Lillian Cheat
ham. livig NJ 317 West Main Street,
next door to the garage, at the home
OF Mrs James SILVER, fell down stair
case in the excitement and was pain
fully though 1t is believed not serious
sly injured.
The Richmond Motor Company is
already erecting new and modern
garage, Just three doors to the east
ward, which Is already under roct,
Just afterdhe fire Manager Cutchin>
consulted the contractor and arranged
to expedite the construction work and
for the use OF part Of the new build