The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-23
q. CARS BURN
. IN $50,000 FIRE
: At DAKOTA Co.
Entire Town Endangered by One
II Of Most Spectacular Blazes
in City's History
FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES
UNUSUALLY GOOD WORK
Saving Of Hoagland Building
Considered Little Less Than
Miraculous

~~A4SASSSA va AS>VeAS AS~S0 . ApAA
Miraculous
Twenty-seven automobiles were de-
stroyed and loss Of approximately
$4,000 incurred in one of the most
spectacular fires in the history of Bis
mark, which shortly before midnight
last night destroyed the Dakota Motor
company's plant on Main street and
for a time endangered all of the city
north and west of that point. Flames
mounting more than a hundred feet
into the air, fed by jets and sprays of
gasoline and oil, shot up huge burn
ing embers which, caught by a strong
wind from the southeast, were car
ried over the city, falling on tinder-
dry roofs as far distant as Avenue A
and Mandan avenue. 1t was only
through good fortune that dozen
blazes did not break out simultaneous
ly in the business and residence dis
tricts.
Origin a Mystery.
No satisfactory explanation has been
given Of the origin of the blaze. B.
C. Marks, vice president of the City
National, who came in on No. ! last
night, was en- route home when his
attention was attracted by some SOL
diers who were running toward the
garage, Glancing in, that direction he
saw a small tongue OF fame stealing
up the outside of the motor plant, at
, the rear of the building. Henry Rich
holt noted the flame at about the same
time, joined the party at the garage
and then turned in an alarm. 1t Is
probable that the building had been
burning Is minutes or longer before
an alarm was turned in, as when the
fire department reached the scene the
entire structure was envelOped.
Many Cars Saved. g.
Garage men and volunteer assist
ants, while the firemen played their
hose on the blazbu utundertook the saw
ing of the half hundred stock or stOr.
age cars which we're i'll the building.
Thirteen cars were run outside to
points beyond the danger line before
the fire became so hot that no one
could venture within so feet of the
blazing pile.
Chris Bertsch, Jr., fire commission
er, was one of the last to leave the
building. He made a desperate effort
to save C.. B. Little's fine new Pack,
ard limousine, which had been driven
only once or twice. Commissioner
Bertsch backed the car to within 10
feet of the door, where it collided with
an oil tank and was blocked. At this
juncture wave of flame and smoke
struck the commissioner, burning his
hands and face. Today he was re-
moved to the hospital, the condition
Of the burned surfaces demanding
surgical attention. p7'ti'"
Sad Luck. '''| - -
A. N. Christensen, crop reporter for
the agricultural college, had the un'
pleasant experience of seeing his
brand new Ford, half in and half out
:, side one of the side doors of the ga
rage, consumed down to one tire, a
rear spring and the differential gear
The garage men had showed the Cal
half way through the door when they
were enveloped by a burst Of flame
and they narrowly escaped falling
where they we're. The car was just
far enough outside to save one real
tire. Mr.. Christensen stated this
morning that he had purchased the
machine so recently that he had not
had time to have it insured, and his
loss is practically complete.
Others who are known to have lost
cars are: George Pherril, Ford
coupe; ]. D. Grant Motor Co., Fargo
touring car; George Gussner, touring
car; e. J. Hopperstad, Overland tour
ing car. The Dakota Motor Co. lost
in new cars one Ford coupe, nine
Ford touring cars, two Oakland eights
and four, other Oakland models, 1t
new cars in all, while 13 new cars
were saved Eleven storage cars were
burned, and as many more were saved
An especial effort was made by the
garage men to save the storage cars
as these were held at the owners risk
while all of the stock and sales cars
accessories and equipment of the Da
kota Motor Co. was covered by lnsur
ance.
Splendid Work.
Several hundred Bismarck people
who hastily left their beds and donnet
the first thing handy-and this yer,
of ten meant an odd combination O
mid-winter furs and midsummer paja
mas-witnessed an exhibition of fire
fighting Sunday night which woult
have done credit to any metropolitan
fire department in the world.
The fire laddies without the leas
r confusion. under the leadership o
Chief A. B. Currier, set to work ~th'
moment they reached the scene will
definite purpose in view. 1t becam
almost Immediately apparent that nj
agency would serve to save the garag'
building, dried to tinder by sun ant
time and soaked with oil and gas unit
it blazed with the fury Of powder
While every effort was made to sub