The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-26
IMPERIAL LAUNDRY IS BADLY DAMAGED Fire Last Night Caused AL most Total Loss HARD FIRE TO FIGHT Sawdust and Straw Used for Packing Under Second Story Proved
 Especially Hard to
 Handle
HARD FIRE TO FIGHT

The plant of the Imperial Laundry at Sixteenth street and First avenue was practically destroyed yesterday evening when fire ragged for an hour over the en- tire building on both floors. I. Price, president of the company, estimated the damage at about 5000.
 The alarm was registered at fire station No. at s:55 o'clock and was responded to by Stations Nos. 1, and G. When they reached the scene the entire building was a mass of fire and the flames were reaching far out over the sidewalk in front.
 The blaze started, 1t is claimed, when a gas meter exploded in the front of the ground floor in the checking office. A. Busler, a driver for the Imperial Laun- dry, had returned to the plant about S:15 o'clock to reload his wagon for the next day When ready to leave, he turned the lights out and striking a match, moved 10 the switch near the front door which connects with every light and motor in the building. Ii is understood that when he pulled the switch back the lighted match which he held ignited some gas and the meter exploded. Busler had his hands and face badly burned.
 A watchman in the Birmingham Rail way Light and Power company's build ing, next to the laundry, hearing the ex- plosion. ran to the scene. The flames had leaped up and enveloped the entire office, and were shooting out through the open door. He immediately turned in the alarm. the firemen appearing on the scene three minutes later.
 Owing 10 the dryness of the building and the gas system. together vt fa. number of electric dynamos wh' e in the plant, the flames had sp '4f idly. Chief Bennett appearee a' the same moment as the mot lr e and took charge Of the fighf J lit'ss were played on the blaze ,. .+ter ere hours fighting the flame Vles practi- cally extinguished.
 Chief Bennett held No. 6 to put out sev- eral small blazes which could be seen licking through the cracks Of the cell ing He then left the matter in the hands of the captain of No. 6. The fire men tore loose several blanks of the cell ing, using the chemicals for the fire. It seemed that in erecting the building the contractors had filled the foot of space between the ceiling and the floor of the second story with sawdust and straw. This had caught fire, and with every 1oosened plank 1t spread. The men of No. spent over an hour and half in extinguishing this fire. The building was then placed in the care of a watchman to look out for any other sparks.
 According to the officials of the com pany most of the damage done was to the motors and machinery on the second floor. Very little personal property was destroyed, though a considerable amount was wet and soied by the falling wood.
 Mir. Price. in talking to a reporter last evening, said: "It had been our inten- tion to build on the first of the year, buf this fire will hasten matters How ever we will not attempt to repair this building, but will move to another place, probably on Second avenue We cannot correctly estimate the damage tonight, but I would place the loss around s5000.''
 The damage was completely covered by insurance with the Jemison- -Seibles Insur- anee Agency.