The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-22
TWO KILLED IN FLAMES.
CRUSHED UNDER FALLING
WALLS AND EIGHT OTHERS
INJURED IN ANDER-
son.
Explosion Occurs in Automobile
Garage When Man Strikes Match,
Causing Frc and Dcatll-ThOught
That Third Man Pcrishcd in
Flames.

were killed, crushed under falling
wall, one was probably fatally injured,
an unknown man is believed to have
lost his life and other people were
injured this morning in the fire which
followed an explosion in the garage
of Archie Todd.
The explosion came when Ebb Lay
ton, Spartanburg man, struck
match while the tank Of his auto.
mobile was being filled with gaso-.
line. The loss of life and most of
the injuries were caused by the col
lapse of the front wall Of the two
story concrete block building in which
the garage was located.
The dead are Robert Dodd, Jr., and
w. II. Campbell, firemen, fatally
crushed when the walls fell. They
died on the way to the hospital.
Tom Davis. another fireman, was
probably fatally injured, being pinned
for half hour under the debris OF
the walls. He was taken from the
ruins and carried to the hospital. but
physicians have no hope of saving
his life.
Archie L. Todd, proprietor of the
garage and adjacent repair shop. and
Ebb Layton, owner OF the automobile
which was being supplied with fuel,
are at the hospital suffering from Sc
we're burns.
II. c. Townsend, owner Of the
building in which the garage was To-
Gated, was struck down by the falling
walls and his left leg was crushed
from the knee to the ankle. 1t will
have to be amputated, physicians say.
Reed Fowler, M. b. Smith and Isaac
Fein, firemen, were severely burned
by the gush of flames from the front
of the building.
Anderson Johnson. q negro helper.
also was badly burned
The building In which the fire oc-.
CURED was two-story structure, of
cement blocks. 1t was completely de-
stroyed. together with all it's contents.
The building was probably worth ST.
600 and the. contents. including auto
mobiles and Mr.. Townsend's supply Of
tiles. about $4,000.
Layton came from Spartanburg
Thursday to operate an autOmo-
bile hack to help handle the crowds
expected for circus day. He put in
a busy day and when night came
found that he needed gasoline. Max
ing his way to the garage about mid
night he called for fuel. While the
gasoline tank in his machine was be-
ing filled he struck a match to light
the front lamp of his automobile.
In an instant there came fierce
explosion, and the entire garage be-
came mass Of flames.
Layton and Todd were both severe
ly burned by the belching fire that
shot up around the automobile. They
were hastened out of the building by
bystanders and rushed to hospital.
Meantime the fire department had
been summoned and had responded
in haste. The firemen directed their
first forts toward suppressing the
flames in the front part of the build
ing so that they could reach the in
terror and thus get better results
from their battle. Bodily they press
ed up against the building, and SEEM
ed to be making great progress in
subduing the flames. But they were
building too much on the strength
OF the concrete walls, which yielded
to the heat of the fire. AS the fire.
men stood close under their shadow
the front walls of the buildir slowly
bulged out and the top came down
with crash. followed by the lower
portions.
Crushed under the swiftly falling
upper section, Firemen Dodd and
Campbell went to the ground, cover
ed with the mass Of masonry. They
were taken from beneath the mass
but were fatally injured, bo~h dying
ON the way to the hospital. Others
surrounding the two fatally injured
men were struck down and injured,
these including Mr.. Townsend
Fireman Davis, standing close to
the wall escaped the deadly sweep of
concrete blocks. but was buricd be-.
meath the ruins. and probably fatally
hurt For Il half hour his voice could
be heard. raised in appeal for help and
directions To the scarchcrs when he
was taken from the ruins, he was
rushed to the hospital, where it is
feared he can not recover.
1t was in this pile of ruins hat the
unidentified man is supposed TO have
lost his life. For hours the scarchers