Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-28
80 AUTOS BURNED,
) FIRE SWEEPS GARAGE
$4,000 Loss in One Blaze.
Flames Sweep Sugar-Laden
Vessel in Delaware
CROWDS WATCH SPECTACLE

SdndS IN thlS city this morning.
One resulted in the total destruction
of thirty automobiles. va1ncd at nearly
$780, 900. This blaze occurred in the
garage of Harry Odcnheh, 5154 60
Thompson street.
The second fire resulted in serious
damage to the sugar laden Elcuthcreos
X. Ncnivclos in the Delaware river. off
Reed street.
The garage fire was discovered early
this morning and the firemen fought
for nearly four hours to cxtinguish the
blaze. Several high priced touring cars
and a $1,000 ambulance were among
thos" destroyed. The damage to the
building is valued at 10000.
Score of Minor Explosions
4 score of minor explosions occurred.
A dozen houses in tho ncighborhood
were endangered. but frcmcn confined
the flames to the garage building, a
, long, one story structure.
The garage proprietor was at his
| home with broken ankle which he'
sustained last week when he fell from
a ladder in the garage. He watched
the blaze from a window opposite the
ruined building.
The ambulance destroyed was the
property of the West PHILADELPHIA
! homeopathic Hospital.
| Automobile owners who stored their
machines in Odenh"h's place had KEYS
to the garage. The proprietor said the
! last man to store his car for the night
! left at = O'Clock this morning. The
IL:
3 ~ o'clock.
Policemen Lose Cars
! Among those who lost cars in the
fire wcrc Sergeant Charles Fodder. Of
the Peach and Media streets police
station. who had just stored new
car in the garage yesterday.
Lieutenant Samuel Ellis. of the same
! station, also lost valuable car which
was covered by insurance.
Both men were optimistic over their
! losses.
Patrolman Coons, of the Peach and
Media streets station, saw the glow of
| the flames when he looked into a win
! dow of the garage. lie sounded an
alarm and then aroused Odenhch by
pounding on his door.
The building was a sccthing furnace
when iircmcn arrived. The flames had
gained such hcadway that it was i'm
, possible to push any of the cars out
to the street.
1 As the flames reached the gasoline
tanks of each machine an explosion
followed.
Alarmed residents Of the ncighbor-
hood hastily dressed and prepared to
move their possessions.
Odcnhch said this morning he was un-
able to explain the cause of the fire
About half of the machines stored
there he said were of a popular make.
ana about the same number of the cars
were insured.
The garage proprietor said no one
was in the place, to his knowledge, after
. o'clock.
Freighter Fire Spectacular
The fire on the frcighter was especial
ly spectacular since it was discovered
Just as the whistles and bells began to
ring in celebration of the signing of
the peace treaty.
The blaze started in the second hatch
and spread to the sugar cargo. The
crew of fifty had a hard time fighting
the flames because of the sitting smoke.
The fire boats Stuart. Ashbridge
and King helped fight the fire, while
hundreds of people lined the banks.
The origin of the fire has not been
determined, and the damage has not
been estimated. The fire was finally
gotten under control at II o'clock.
Charles Hart, $50 Thompson street.
and his family, comprising Hart. his
wife and their four children. were
awakened by the glare of the burning
garage. They fed to the street in their
nightclothes.
Hart carried his eight year old
daughter, Sarah. Ills wife picked ur
their four year old son, Charles, Jr.
while their oldest daughter, ten year
old Louise. carried her baby sister
Dorothy, into the street.
The calls of the policemen aroused
Joseph Shiffin and his two sisters, Bella
and Gertrude, in the house adjoining
the garage. The two sisters were over
come by gasoline fumes, but were ear
ricd to safety.
Frank Fogg, 5152 Thompson street
wrapped his two year old daughter il
blanket and carried her through tn,
, smoke. All homes in the vicinity O
the garage were scorChed.