The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-03-21
AUTO PATROL
DAMAGED
Is Engulfed In A Big Sheet
Of Flames
As Tank Is Being Filled With
Gasoline
Driver Davis Has Very Mar
row Escape
Believed Gasoline Was Ignit-
ed By Electric Spark
Generated By Fluid Passing
Through ChamOiS Skin
Believed Gasoline Was Iqnit-
ed By Electric Spark
Generated By Fluid Passing
Through ChamOiS Skin

The police automobile patrol and
ambulance was badly damaged by
Are, and Driver William Davis had a
narrow escape from being seriously
burned about $3.50 o'clock Saturday
morning In front of the Third ward
engine house.
Driver Davis brought the machine
up from the Second ward patrol sta
tion to the Third ward engine house
for the purpose Of securing five gal
Ions of gasoline. Mr.. Davis carried
the 5-gallon can to the machine and
was about to fill the tank when, with
out any warning, a sheet of flame,
several feet in height, shot up from
the front of the patrol and in an in
ztOnt the entire front portion of the
machine was blazing. Driver Davis
grabbed the can of gasoline and ran
to a place of safety. but not until his
hands were severely burned and his
eyebrows and hair badly singed.
Driver Davis is unable to explain
just how the whole thing happened,
but it is supposed that a quantity Of
the gasoline ignited from the heat of
the exhaust pipe, although the engine
was not running when Davis started
to fill the tank.
Just as soon as the big machine
caught fire, Driver Davis called for
assistance and the other firemen
came running out of the engine
house. The automobile fire apparatus
was run out and it was necessary to
use the chemical in extinguishing the
blazing patrol. The front part of the
patrol was in mass of flames and
had it not been for the prompt action
on the part of the firemen the frame
work of the machine would have been
completely burned up.
The patrol is badly damaged, and
it will probably be necessary to send
the machine back to the factory to
be rebuilt. The frame work Is badly
scorched on the exterior and the in
terror. On the outside the highly-fin-
ished paint was so blistered that it
peeled off with the touch of a finger.
The windshield was broken, the hair
seat for the driver completely burned
up and one tire, strapped to the side
of the machine, was badly warped.
1t is not believed that the engine is
damaged.
The auto patrol wagon was built
by the Peerless Automobile company
of Cleveland and has been in service
just a little over a year.
Chief Pickard of the fire depart
ment stated to a Banner representa-
tive Saturday morning that he was
of the opinion that the blaze started
from pouring gasoline through
chamois skin. This, the chief ex-
planned, produces electric sparks and
this ignited the gasoline. Chief Pick
ard states that he has recently been
reading an article on this very sub
ject and it was found that electric
sparks were always produced when
the gasoline was poured through
chamois. Driver Davis was pouring
the gasoline through chamois Satur-
day morning when he started to fill
the tank in the auto patrol.
Chief Pickard further stated that
it may be possible to have the neces-
sary repairs made to the machine in
Mt Vernon and not send it back to
the factory. The chief stated that
most of 'he damage was to the wood
en- portion of the car, and that the
engine was not damaged.
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