Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-10-22
"A FATAL FIRE AT ANDERSON.
Two Lives Lost In Fire Following
Gasolene Explosion.


to have lost his life and other people
were injured this morning in the fire
which followed an explosion in the
garage of Archie L. Todd.
The explosion came when Ebb
Layton, a Spartanburg man, struck
match while the tank of his automo-
bile was being filled with gasolene.
The loss oC life and most Of the in
juries were caused by the collapse of
the front wall of the two-story con-
crete block building in which the
garage was located.
The dead are Robert Dodd, Jr..
and w. H. 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 pin
ned 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.
H. c. Townsend, owner Of the
building in which the garage was To-
Gated, was struck down by the fall
ing walls and his left leg was crush
ed 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, negro helper,
also was badly burned
The building in which the fire oc-
Cured was a two-story structure, of
cement blocks. 1t was completely
destroyed, together with all it's con-
tents. The building was probably
worth $1,000 and the contents, in
cluding automobiles and Mr.. Town
sends supply Of tiles, about $4,000.
Was Seeking Fuel.
Layton came from Spartanburg
Thu rsday to operate an automobile
hack to help handle the crowds ex-
pected for circus day. He put in a
busy day and when night came found
that he needed gasoline. Making his
way to the garage about midnight, he
called for fuel. While the gasoIene
tank in his machine was being filled
he struck a match to light the front
lamp of his automobile. In an in
slant there came a fierce explosion,
and the entire garage became a mass
of flames.
Layton and Todd were both Sc
verely burned by the belching fire
that shot up around the automobile.
They were hastened out Of the build
ing by by-standers and rushed to a
hospital.
Meantime the fire department had
| been summoned and responded in
haste. The firemen directed their
first efforts 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. Boldly 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 firemen
stood close under their shadow the
| front walls of the building 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 mass of masonry. They
were taken from beneath the mass.
but were fatally, injured, both 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 buried be-
meath the ruins and probably fatally
hurt. For half an hour his voice
could be heard, raised in appeal for
help and directions to the searchers.
When he was taken from the ruins