Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-01-05
TRANSFORMERS
CAUSE OF THREE
FIRES AT 4 Am.
Fire Department Answers
Three Calls Within Hour,
Due to Transformer
DAMAGE ALL TOLD LIGHT
First National Bank Among
Buildings Affected

Three fires in the business distriC
were caused this morning by burn
ing transformer on a city light pole
The fires were in the Houston Cafe
the bennett Motor Sales Compan.
and the First National Bank. Be
cause the flames were carried int
the buildings inside the conduit pipe
little damage was done, unless tim
proves that re-wiring is necessary II
some OF the buildings.
The trouble came from the trans
former on the pole at the corner
the alley between Elizabeth anu
Levee street on Twelfth. The first
alarm was reported from the Houston
Cafe at o'clock, where Christmas
streamers of paper came in contact
with the heated pipe and blazed. The
fire followed the paper around the
walls Of the building II was extin-
guished by the use Of chemical and
the principal damage was to the cleo
trical fixtures.
Just as the fire department had
finished its work in the cafe. they
were called TO the bennett Motor
Sale company, half block distant.
A drop cord had been lOosened by
the heat and fallen onto the top of
an automobile. setting ii on fire This
was extinguished by the chemical.
II. B. Parker, manager Of the garage
said this morning that. because all Of
their electrically run equipment was
closed off. their damage, except to
the wiring, would not run over $50.
The department had returned to
the station and was recharging the
chemical tank when they were at
tracted by pistol shot to Elizabeth
street. This call proved to be at the
First National Bank. Entrance was
effected by breaking one window
and a small blaze was extinguished
with "A chemical.
In the First National Banks fire,
the heat was communicated from the
switchbox, which is located near the
vaults, to the wooden door Of the box
and to length Of house firehose,
the hose hanging from a rack about
nine inches from the switchboX. The
fire hose was destroyed, and the wall
slightly damaged. as well rs an all
steel filing boy standing nearby. No
papers were damaged The damage
all told at the First National Bank.
including the broken window through
which entry was made, will not 90
above $3.50, according to Vice Presi-
dent II. NJ. Lamberton.
R. b. Creager, president of the
bank, this morning called in Roy
Weller. who was in charge Of the fire
crew last night in the absence of
Chief Manahan, expressed in behalf
ot the officers of the bank their ap-
probation for the good work done.
and presented the fire department
with check for $50 as a practical
token cf this appreciation.
For a while after the first alarm
was turned in, the entire city was
in darkness until the exact center Of
the trouble could be located. The
fuzes on this circuit were drawn TO
prevent attempted use and the lights
in the rest of the city were turned
on. Because the fire department
confined itself solely TO use of the
chemical tank there was no water
damage anywhere. In preparation
for serious eventualities the depart
ment strung lines of hose to the scene
of the fire but water was never turn
ed into it. The fact that there were
no more fires in places feeding from
the same circuit is accounted for 10y
the fact that, but for the places
where fires occurred, there WAS nc
current in use.
This mornings fires proved the
wisdom Of the city ordinance requir-
ing electrical wires 10 be carried il
conduit pipes according to firemen
Had the wires been exposed the dam
age would have proven serious, as II
was the fire was cinfined to the pipes
and it was only when these became
overheated that the blaze resulted.
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