Imperial Valley press., 1927-06-07
Fl AMES
DESTROY
STATION
Southern Pacific Freight
Depot Burned to Ground
In Spectacular Blaze.
LOSS IS UNCERTAIN
Temporary Quarters Will
Prevent Interruption of
Service.

Fire breaking out shortly after A
O'Clock yesterday afternoon COM
pletelv destroyed the Southern Pa
cific freight depot fronting on Main
street and two box cars, parked be-
side the building The entire con-
tents of the building were destroy
ed. clerks salvaging only four type
writer's and the cash from the
flames. Four persons were burned
, during the conflagration, G. B. Haw-
kins being removed to the Ell Cen
tro hospital with both arms and
his face badly burned. The others
suffered minor burns and were
! treated at the fire station and ply
sician's offices.
Officials of the railroad were un-
able to give an estimate Of the
total loss this morning, the way
bills and other documents showing
the contents of the building going
up in the flames. It is believed,
however. that the total loss will not
exceed $4,000. The building loss
was placed at $4,000. Furniture
for the new Southern Pacific depot
was burned in the fire which will
hold up the opening planned for
June 20. The loss is partially sov-
/. cred by insurance.
The report OH the origin of the
fire has not been definitely deter
mined by officials but it is believ-
ed it was started when Hawkins,
an employe of the McCabe Motor
company, attempted to fill the gas
oline tank of truck on the depot
platform. 1t was said that in fill
ing the tank he caused the can from
which he was pouring the gasoline
to come in contact with the battery
of the car. \ spark resulted set
ting fire to the gasoline.
Hawkins is reported TO have
! dropped the gasoline can as the
flames burned into his face and
arms, but managed to fish it out
of the car with the use of start
ing crank. The can fell to the plat
form, setting the wooden framework
on fire. The truck was then moved
toward the main building in an ef-
! fort to get it nearer to a hydrant
to put out the blaze but it only
caused a further spread of the
! flames.
Five Lines Laid
When firemen arrived on the
scene and lines were laid the entire
building was a mass of flames. Five
| lines were turned on the building
and one chemical line was used but
the flames rapidly ate into the
o. nd N 1acc thon on
! hour and a half had reduced it to
] ashes.
/ The clerks managed to get type
writer's and the cash out Of the de-
pot before the building became too
! dangerous to enter. The blaze was
/ spectacular one and hundreds
watched as it ate away the supports
If the building and the entire roof
tumblod at once. The spectators
were driven to a distance as the
! heat about the building grew in
| tense.
The firemen under the supervis-
ion of Chief Tom Reams fought
hard to halt the fire but they were
unable to cope with the blaze. The
, floor of the building had apparent
| ly become highly inflammable from
the occasional spilling of grease and
oils and with the added spilling Of
! gasoline along the runway, there
was little chance for the firemen.
Only the furniture for the now
depot, some merchandise piled in
! one of the two freight cars which
were destroyed and the records are
among the articles known to have
been destroyed. Two cars of auto
mobiles on siding near the build
! ing were hauled away before they
CONTINUED on page 6)