The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-24
SAVE
BOTTLINC WORKS
FROM EXPLOSION
Chief Dittlinger Finds Flames
Playing About Gasoline
Tank.
BLAZE DESTROYS
CHERO-COLA OFFICE
Gas Drums, High Explosives, En-
danger Firemen-StOye
Is Cause.

An explosion that might have
wrecked the entire building occupied
by the Chero-CoIa Bottling Company
on South Spanish street last night was
narrowly averted when fremen broke
INTO the Office Of the company and car
riad out fvc-gallOn can of gasoline
which was surrounded by flames.
Both the openings of the gasoline
container were open and Fire Chief A
{. Dittlinger after the fire had been
cxtinguisehd, declared that it was a
remarkable circumstance that the gas
ol.ne had not been exploded.
The flames were virtually playing
about the mouth of the can, when We
cot in,' he said, "and l believe if it
had stayed there much longer, the
gasoline would have raised the roof"
The fire is believed to have been
started when 4 large heating stove be
came over-heated. The interior of the
company's office was Quilted with fire
and all of the cOmpany'S records were
lost in the blaze
The stove had been filled with coal
carly in the evening and closed tight
for the night, Fred Rouse. manager
Of the concern said. 1t had been Gus
tomary to leave a fire burning in the
heater stove over night he said ..
When the fire became too hot, the
woodwork nearby caught fire and the
blaze started up the side Of the wall.
The blaze was first discovered by
PatrOlman Arthur Whitener. Who ran
to a fire alarm box nearby and turned
in an alarm. Aud True, an express
man, also saw the fire few moments
later and telephOned to the operator,
describing the location of the fire.
Workmen employed at the bOttling
works rushed to the scene Of the fire
and attempted to force their way in
side to aid in taking out some of the
books. before the fire department ar
rived.
Within Il few moments the fire de-
partment arrived at the building and
Chief Dittlinger ordered the volun-
teer workers to come away from the
door Before the fire company was
prepared to throw water on the blaze
70 kick in the doors, would create
draft and aid the blaze in getting
start, he said
Little damage was done to the ma
chinery in side of the building, Mr.
Rouse declared last night after an in
spectiOn Of the plant. The machinery
is valued at about $4,000.
In the office all of the books of the
company were wiped out. One of the
books confined $500 worth of open ac-
counts, of which Rouse said he has no
other record
He estimated the damage to the of
fee and building will be about $780,
He sad he did not know if the part
of the establishment that was burned
is covered by fire insurance. The pol
cies are held at the home Office of the
concern, and he declared he did not
if they included the office
and fixtures.
He said the machinery, he was sure
was insured, for the policies had been
but a few days ago.
The gasoline that Mr. Rouse had
placed inthe Office near the stove, he
sad he had planned to use in cleaning
parts and in addition, he
and his workmen had planned to take
one of the company's cars down for
repairs today.
As additional hazard for the firemen
in the bOtt!ing plant was danger from
a possible explosion of several large
gas drums used in the bottlng process.
Liquid gas at pressure of | 400 |
pounds TO the square inch Is contained
in the steel drums. This gas is used
in carbonizing the soda water as it
IS manufactured.
Should the firemen have knocked one |
Of the drums out of place and had the |
stop-cOcks at the ends been knocked |
off, Rouse said there would have been
an explosion that would have thrown
the plant and probably some of the !
on either side into the sky
n hunks.
Miss Lulu Rogers, daughter of G.