Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-05-27
BLAZE DESTROYS
EIGHTEEN AUTOS
Lockett Motor Company Is Re-
duced to Ruins by Flames
GASOLINE EXPLoDES
Stone Walls Are Hurled Down
When Gas Tanks Burst

VI
stock and building, is complete .
ruin today as result of a devastat-
ing blaze about 3 o'clock Thursday
morning which Quilted the establish
ment. Gasoline explosions hurled
down the sturdy stone walls of the
rear end. Eighteen automobiles,
new and second hand, were COM
pletely ruined. Kratzer's bakery was
damaged to an extent of several
hundred dollars.
The cause of the disastrous con-
fiagration is not known. 1t is thought
possible that it started through
spontaneous combustion in oi1y
waste that is used in garages. A
combination OF. mice, matches and oil
might also have started the blaze.
The fire had probably been burn
ing slowly for some time when final
ly about $50 o'clock it reached a
gasoline tank. The tank exploded and
the first explosion was followed by
two Others. Heavy granitoid blocks
were hurled thirty and forty feet
away.
The fire department was quickly
summoned and succeeded in saving
Kratzer's bakery from destruction
and in quenching a blaze on tho roof
of the Watt-Ho1mes Hardware
Company Warehouse before serious
damage was done. The gasoline and
oil in the garage were spread so eff
tectively by the explosions that it was
impossible to save any of the stock
or fixtures of the Lockett Company.
Mr.. Lockett was out ct town We'd
nesday and Thursday i.sat.
No insurance MAS oailie3 Oh the
building, which was owned by Mr..
F. J. Hansen. The building was oc-
cupied for about ten years by The
Leader Publishing Company. Kratz-
er's Bakery carried $1,000 insurance
which partially covers the loss. The
I damage to Watt Holmes was COW
cred by insurance.
The insurance, all carried by the
Fretwell Insurance Agency, was $14,-
10000 by the Lockett Motor Com
pany, $1,000 by J. w. Scarborough
and $1,000 for G. s. Wilcox, each of
the latter having a car in the build
ing.
A spice of comedy was given to
the disaster, according to guests at
the Aldine Hotel. The explosion
awaker1d all the guests and when
the flames first started it looked for
short while that they might reach
the Aldine, Guests in extreme neg
ligec fled through the halls. One
salesman stated this morning that
he had dragged his trunk downstairs
with one hand when the fire first
started and found that he couldn't
even lift it when his excitement had
gone. Several windows in the hotel
were cracked by the shock of the
explosion. No other damage was
done there.
The shock of the explosion was
felt practically all over the city, it
is said. Many people in the resident
sections said they were awakened by
the conclusion.
Several people living near t h e
scene OF the explosion said they were
thrown out of bed by the first ex-
'plosion.
Probably the largest crowd of peo-
pie that ever viewed an early morn
ing fire in Fitzgerald watched til e
building burn. The noise aroused
the curiosity of hundreds of people.
The fire department was still hear
ing compliments today for the re-
sourcefulness showed IN combining
the fire to the Lockett and Kratzer
buildings. The flames would probably
have done immensely more damage
than they did if Chief Wilkerson had
/ not cut them off on all sides. The
fire had made a good start in the
WattHolmes warehouse and was
creeping along through boxes and
other material to the oils and high
infiammables, when a lead of hose
was thrown in and put it out. The
machinery in Kratzer's bakery was
saved with very little damage.