The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-20
HIGHWAY SHOP
UNITS BURNED
EARLY TODAY
Fire Causes Loss Estimated
at From $4,000 to $685.
600, Fully Insured
WATCHMAN is BURNED
Fire Started When Lantern
Strikes Truck and ExplO-
sion Follows, Is Report

Fire which originated early to-
day destroyed the main building
and boiler room of the state high
way shop units on the prison road
in the eastern part of the city. The
loss is variously estimated from
$4,000 to $25, 900, no accurate es-
innate being possible at this time,
fully covered by Insurance, accord
ing to stat. officials. Since the
trucks which burned were given
to the state from the war depart
ment's war surplus the actual mon
etary loss to the state through the
fire is fully covered by insurance,
it is believed.
The fire started, according to
Nightwatchman Matt CloOten,
when he struck a lantern against
truck and it fell into pail of
gasoline. An explosion and fire
followed, he said.
Two Nash quad trucks, one
three -fourths ton White truck. two
Ford touring cars, one. five-ton
Holt tractor, $4,000 worth of mag
netos and prabably 81 500 OF mech
anrcs tools were destroyed in the
fire. Two cars were taken from
the building.
The city fire department re-
sponded and connected hose on
Fourteenth street, after having to
return for more hose to make the
long connection. Numerous volun-
teers responded.
The airplane of Harry Potter, IN
the open near the building, was
endangered by sparks but was NOV
ed to a place of safety.
Three other buildings in the
shop unit were saved. s>1s ...s.ss
The first alarm came about 1880
p. m. Mr.. Clooten suffered severe
burns on the left hand and about
the ears, and today was in St.
Alexius hospital. He said today
that he was in the office when he
thought he smelled paint burning
and started back with a lantern to
investigate. He said the lantern
hit truck, fell in gasoline and
The explosion followed. He tried
to open door nearby but could
not and then .crawled along th1
side wall to the office.
The building, a frame building
consisting Of a former airplane
hangar and an office addition on
the front of It, and the boiler room
next to it. were leveled to ,th',
ground. Splendid work was done
in saving the other buildings.
Frank Hubbard, foreman, declar-
ed the shops were kept clean and
wer, electrically lighted. Some
time ago representative of the
war department told the state
highway commission that North
Dakota was taking better care of
surplus war material than any
other state, he praising the shop
system very highly in report.
The highway commission has re-
ceived thousands of dollars worth
of trucks and parts from the war
department. They have been re-
paired at the shops and set out to
counties. and cities to be used on
road work, at actual cost, the plan
enabling the subdivisions to get
valuable vehicles for a few hund-
red dollars.
Investigate Fire
William Guttleman, superintend-
Aent, and Frank Hubbard, foreman
of the shop, who investigated the
fire today, said that the fire prob
ably spread after the oil from the
broken lantern ignited the oil soak
ed floor. There was no pail Of
gasoline or vessel Of any kind on
the floor, he said, the floor being
kept strictly free of such vessels
at all times. The building, he add
ed. was equipped with electric
lights.