The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1923-06-29
Total Loss Has Been
Estimated To Be In
Neighborhood d Of
100000

uioeo'cieu III the DTlCk garage Dullu-
ing on the corner of Main and School
street. Gardneryille, owned by the
Helberg Motor Sales company and
known at the Motor Inn. Two
hours later all that remained of one
of the finest garages In Nevada
was mass of charred ruins, only
portion of the grim walls standing
With the building, SO automobiles
were reduced to twisted steel.
The pricipal stockholders of the
A. W. II. Helberg. G. M. Pickersgill
and Fred Heitman.
The fire was discovered about 12:30
and someone in that part of town
fired a revolver and shouted fire. A
moment later the fire siren sounded
and aroused citizens from their
slumber 1t is said that a muffled
explosion was heard moment be-
fore the flames were discovered. That
was probably due to gass forming in
the storage room where the fire
started and blew out the skylight,
allowing flames to shoot skyward.
A. w II. Helberg. heaviest stock
holder in the Motor Sales COM
pany, was among the first to arrive
at the scene of the fire. He was un-
aware of the location Of the blaze un-
til he reached School street and
even then believed that the fire
was in back of the garage. Then he
was Mortified to see smoke rolling
from the building and made heroic
effort to get the chemical engine
from the burning building. 1t was
stored within fifteen feet of the main
door to the storage room. Smoke
was rolling from the building but
Helberg managed to reach the seat of
the engine. He stepped on the start
er and the motor turned over At the
same moment he felt a stinging pain
in his hands as he gripped the steer
ing wheel, and detected that the
fire had already reached the ap-
paratus and run for his life. His
hands were badly burned and were
soon swathed in bandages by first
aid workers.
In the meantime the new fire pump
which was in Hermes' paint shop in
started by Jack Saunders, who was
forced to break down the door to gain
admittance to the building. 1t was
then realized that the fire hose was
in the burning garage. A phone
message to the Minden fire depart
ment brought their hose truck in
quick time and while the garage
was hopelessly doomed. stream of
water was played upon the residence
OF Chas. W. Brown on Main street
and closely adjoining the garage.
The home of A. Wehrman on School
street was in great danger and a
buckle brigade held the flames back
until the hose could be run around
back of the garage. This one stream
was played alternately on the two
buildings which undoubtedly would
have been destroyed along with 9TH
er property had 1t not been for this
stream of water.
BY this time the big garage was a
mass of fire, flames shooting a
hundred feet into the air. 1t was a
serious moment and that part of town
appeared to be doomed
A call for help was put into Car
son City, and under the leadership
of fire chief Art Meyers. the depart
n,aut ctartad ON n record run TO Card
neryille with its apparatus and
reached here in ample time to be
of material help in getting the fire
under control. A line of Carson
hose was run to the Gardnerville
fire pump and was manned by men,
bers of the Carson company. The
interior of the garage was a seething
mass of burning embers and had a
wind come up, nothing short of a
miracle would have saved that part
of town from destruction. With all
the attendant danger of falling walls,
both the Carson and Gardnerville
firemen, with assistance of the Min
den department entered the danger
line and by their splendid and daring
work kept the flames within the one
structure.
At one stage of the fire slight
wind came up and sent burning en-
bers flying in all directions. This
proved what would have happened
had a heavy wind, which had been