The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-08-22
Barn And An Auto
Eaten By Flames
From thursdays Daily.

From thursdays Daily.
Two barns and an automobile
were selected as toll by the untamed
fire element about five O'Clock yes
terday afternoon, and had it not
been for the timely arrival of the
Central Station boys, the entire Sec
ton on North Seventh street would
have been destroyed. When the fire.
men arrived after long hard run
of a mile and half people in adj
joining houses were already remoy-
ing their furniture and other be-
longings from their dwellings. and
Mrs. Emil PEPPER, who lives nearest
the barn where the fire started, had
most of the bedding and ,yaluableS
out of the house before the water
arrived The fire started in shed
used as a garage by John G. Pohl,
1906 North Seventh street, and as
soon as he noticed the smoke, he
telephoned to the fire department.
Just Returned From Drive.
Mr.. and Mrs. Pohl had. been fol
a ride in Mr. Pohl's automobile, and
the machine had just been run into
the shed. 1t is thought that hot
boxing On the machine, or perhaps
overheated cylinders, started the
fire. Mr.. Pohl was returning to the
auto to bring to the house some
eggs which had been left in the car
and he saw smoke issuing from his
garage. In a few seconds he heard
a slight explosion, probably one OF
tires bursting from the expansion OF
overheated and compressed air. Mr.
Pohl made up his mind that the
eggs were we'll done, and ran fol
the telephone. I
Before the firemen arrived the
shed or garage was in flames, and
the barn, against which it was built
was also burning. The flames could
be seen several blocks away by
the firemen on their way.
Was a Record Run.
1t was a record run, however, fol
the hills were steep. and the roads
none too good, and the horses were
in a white lather when at last they
come to the end of their journey
Three minutes after the wagons
were on the scene, the flames haG
been quelled, and there was no more
danger The barn, shed and auto
were entirely destroyed, and an
other barn few feet distant was
badly damaged on one side. Othel
small explosions were heard from
the region of the smoking machine
but the gasoline tank did not eX
plode for some reason After IT,;
burned boards had been cleared
away from it, and the water wa!
pouring in upon the machine itself
the gasoline escaped from the tank
and leaped to the sky in a sheet Of
red fire, but there was no eXplo
sion. The nearest hydrant to the
fire was so far away that the thou
sand feet of hose carried in the
to spare.
Need of an. Auto Truck.
In this fire the need of an auto
mobile truck of some sort was deep
ly felt. Had the firemen been able
to get to the ground three or foul
minutes sooner, the car could un
doubtedly have been pulled from
the burning building, and grea
deal of it could have been saved
AS it is the machine is a tota
wreck. The fire took the tempe
from the springs, so that the weigh
Of hn ~
the cylinders are warped into use
lessness. When the firemen were
two or three blocks from the sta
ton, H. Glenn Allyn left the gar
age with Ford car, bound at break
neck speed for the fire. He easil!
caught up with the teams in a few
blocks, and as he passed the hool
and ladder truck, took a representa-
tive of The Free Press from it al
he passed.
Speed of an Auto.
The exact location of the fire wa
not known, and after circling ,abou
three or four blocks, the automObil,
arrived at least three minutes soon
er than the fire department. A
this time even, there was som,
hope for the buildings, but had tn
auto started with the teams, heay.
chemical would have done the busi
ness quickly and efficiently, it i
thought.
Mr. Pohl owns the property wher
he lives, and the automobile was in
sured for 5000, and the barn TO
5000. He thinks that the insurance
will cover the loss. The car was
model F Buick.
John Robert, the gardner of Nortl
Mankato, owned the barn next t,
the one that was burned. 1t wa
damaged to the extent of SIS O