The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-09
Episcopal Church and the
New High School Building
Threatened by Conflagra-
ton Sunday Afternoon.
30 GALLONS GASO-
LINE ADD TO FURY
Firemen Bravely Avert Ex-
plosion by Dumping Tank
Contents 7 Blossom and
Bailey Children Burned.

Children playing with matches. and
immersed in gasoline, set
fire to the frame barn in the rear of
the residence pf DR.. J. c. Blossom.
Ill North Eighth street on Sunday af-
ternoon about 4:3O O'Clock. Owing
to the fact about thirty gallons of gas
oline, stored in the structure, which
was used by the physician as his gar
age, caught on, fire and for short
time enveloped the entire structure
in mass of fl mes, it was thought
for time that the ST. Paul's Episcopal
church and parish house, both ad-
jacent to the barn and the new high
school building, which is just across
the alley were doomed.
However, the firernen, Drawing the
dangers of a possible gasoline explo-
sion, were able by hard fighting to
confine the blaze to the barn itself,
and to the cornice of stable, belong
ing to e. G. Hibberd, which structure
also is adjacent to the barn. The barn
itself was gutted and practically de-
stroyed. The loss will probably am
cunt to $500, but whether it is insured,
could not be ascertained. The barn
belongs to the congregation of St.
Pauls Episcopal church.
Had the fire occurred today, it is
generally admitted serious consequent
ces would have resulted, as it would
undoubtedly have caused panic in
the high school. The storage of in.
flamables SO near school building
was strongly condemned by spectators
Sunday.
Playing With Matches.
According to the information which
DR.. Blossom was able to secure from
his ten year old daughter, Vera, she
and a friend, Charles Bailey, aged 8
and living on North Seventh street
were playing with cattails in. the Bios
som back yard. On suggestion of one
of the children, the tops of the cattails
were soaked in gasoline and then
lighted with matches secured from
the house.
With one of these torches, the Bail
ey child, it is understood, raced into
the stable and accidently set some rub
bish on fire, which included oil soaked
waste. The fire was communicated te
the structure proper. The children
endeavored to put out the fire, but the
alarm was turned in by stranger
who from the street saw the flames
break out. AS soon as the firemeI
arrived, the building was entered ant
the fifty gallon tank located. At thai
time the fire was in the south par
of the stable and the tank in the 9th
er end. BY steadily playing stream:
of water in the vicinity of the tank
the firemen were able to reach it ant
overturn the contents, about thirty gal
Ions. An explosion was thus averted
but as the fluid spread about on th'
floor and on the cement pavement IL
the alley, it added to the fury of thu
flames.
Children Burned.
The clothes of the Bailey boy caugh
fire in attempting to put the fire ou
and he no doubt would have been ser
iously, if not fatally burned, had 1t no
been for the prompt aid rendered b,
DR.. blossoms daughter. With a pill
low, which they had been using il
their play, she beat out the flame
opd sustained hurns of little cOnSe
quence upon the arms. The burns
the Bailey boy were not serious.
A crowd of perhaps thousand pei
sons watched the fire, perhaps tn
most spectacular of the year. Chic
Ed Miller and the firemen are en-
titled to more than ordinary praise TO
the manner in which they handled tn
conflagration, according to the witne:
ses. Had the fire communicated itsel
to the church and parish house an
the high school building, as it momeI
tarily threatened, the loss would hav
been the greatest in years.
DR.. Blossoms loss will amount t
about $50, consisting of different a.
ticles stored in the barn. At the tim
of the fire, he and Mrs. Blossom wer
riding in the automobile in West Ricl
mond.