The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-09-29
LIGHT PLANT Is
DAMAGED BY FIRE
OVERHEATED EXHAUST ON DIE
Sell ENGINE STARTS DES-
TRUCTIVE FIRE.
LOSS ESTIMATE S3S,O00.00
Splendid Work of Fire Department
Saves Building and Part of the
Equipment. Partial Ser
vice Resumed.

Fire broke out in the municipal light
plant about 500 o'clock Monday even
ing, and gained headway SO rapidly
that for a time the entire plant was
despaired of. Engineer Woodward
was on duty at the plant alone, when
the fire started from an overheated
exhaust pipe on the big Diesel engine
which is located in the newly built
part of the plant on the east end. Be-
fore he could get fire extinguishers to
work the blaze had spread over the
entire east end Of the room and an
alarm was turned in. In five min
utes the entire interior Of the big east
rooms was mass of flame and it
looked very much as though the en-
tire building and plant were doomed.
Fast work as we'll as heroic work
on the part of the local fire depart
ment is entirely responsible for the
saving Of any part of the building and
light equipment. Two lines of hose
were strung and within thirty min
utes from the time the alarm was
turned in the boys had the fire COM
pletely under control and this was
done without damaging the genera
tors in the west portion of the engine
room to any great extent. Fire Chief
Alvord hesitated to send men into the
burning building on account of the
high pressure air tank which is used
for starting the big Diesel engine
During the hottest part of the fire
this tank blew up, but luckily blew
out from the bottom, lifting the big
tank from the concrete foundation and
setting it over several feet. This was
the only damage done by the explosion
and it was only few minutes later
that the entire blaze was we'll under
control.
AS soon as the smoke would permit
plant superintendent Hughes and his
corps of assistants, aided by E. L
Wharton of the Glasgow Electric Shop
went to work on the switch board
and wiring, which were very badl.
damaged by the fire, and at midnigh
they had the steam generators work
ing and furnishing lights to the en-
tire city.
The local fire department member
and the city officials and assistant
cannot be praised too highly for tn
splendid service rendered. A com
plete tie-up of the light plant woul
have necessarily put several othe
business places in the city out of bus
mess temporarily, as the newspape
offices and garages are entirely equip
ped with motors for power and two @
the principal cafes do the bulk of thei
cooking on electric ranges.
Superintendent Hughes and Mayo
Christinson have gone over the dan
age to the plant and estimate that :
will run in the neighborhood Of $35
100000, as the big generators on tn
Diesel engine are total loss, as we
as the switchboards, wiring and mos
of the other equipment in the buildin,
Patrons of the light plant can do
great deal toward aiding the plal
while it is working with less than ha
of the normal power, by conservin
in every possible way on light ar
water, especially between the hou1
of 500 and 500 p. m. The two stea
generators are now furnishing pow
and light for the entire city and du
ing these hours the load is sometime
more than they will carry. Patrol
are urged by the plant superintende1
to watch their lights and immediate