The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1916-12-09
ROUNDHOUSE
fIRECAUSES
$25,OOOL0SS
SECOND DISASTROUS BLAZE IN
ROUND HOUSE IN PAST
EIGHT MONTHS.
Explosion of Hoky-Poky Wagon Scat
ters Burning Oil In Every Di-
rection-Fire-Up Man Injured.

The Dickinson railroad yards were
visited by another disastrous blaze
early Sunday morning, when fire de-
stroyed the southeast section of ten
stalls of the round house and also
causing considerable damage to ten
engines which were housed in the
stalls.
The fire started as the result of the
explosion of the hoky-poky or fre-up
cart. This vehicle carries a tank Of
crude oil, to which an air pump and
hose are attached, enabling the fire
up man to spray burning Gil over the
kindling and coal in the locomotives
when firing up. It is thought that
the oil was ignited through the close
proximity of a blazing torch.
Jacob Miller, who was operating
the contrivance, was seriously burned
about the face and hands, but never
theless, pluckily groped his way to
the shops and pulled the whistle cord
that gave the fire alarm. He then re-
turned in an attempt to extinguish
the blaze, but found that it had al
ready spread throughout the entire
section Of ten stalls. A general alarm
was signalled for all railway en-
ployees to appear upon the scene, and
this was quickly followed by an alarm
from the city fire department.
Both the fire car and city equip
ment were put into operation, and The
flames were confined to the one Sec
tion, all attempt at fire fighting be-
ing devoted to the saving of the re-
mainder of the giant roundhouse,
separated from the burning section by
a brick fire wall. The sections i'm
mediately to the northwest of the
burning portion, included the newly
rebuilt part, which is just being COM
pleted to replace the sections de-
stroyed by fire last spring.
Local railway physicians were
. called to attend to the injured fire-up
man, who was suffering extreme
agony from the terrible burns. He
was taken that afternoon on No. 8
to Glendive and is now being cared
for at the Northern Pacific hospital
The first fire alarm was given about
less than five hours later several
work clearing up the debris prepara-
tory to the beginning of rebuilding
operations. An order for new build
Ing IlldCcIldl W<.S ScllC ONcI Vic W1IC
and everything is now in readiness
for the reconstruction. Eight of the
locomotives which went through the
fire were of the biggest and most
expensive freight type and two were
switch engines. After being partially
dismantled, they were distributed to
the following shops for repairs: Two
to Livingston, three to Glendive, three
to Mandan and two to Brainerd. The
estimated damage to each locomotive
will slightly exceed $1,000 and the
damage to the roundhouse will ap-
proximate $4,000, making the total
fire loss between $4,000 and $4,000.
General Manager Rapelje, who was
in Livingston, Mont, at the time OF
the fire, came to Dickinson on Monday
and made final arrangements in the
matter Of rebuilding.
The last fire to visit the railroad
yards of Dickinson was on April 1st
when inc round house stalls, the
heating plant, machine and car shops
were completely destroyed. All the
buildings destroyed at that time
have been replaced with new struc-
lures. '..-