The Washington times., 1929-09-25
CHANCE Of FIRE
STILL EXISTS s.
IN CAR
BY j. LEO SUGRUE
Times Automobile Editor

Not long ago along a prominent
highway In the Middle-West an
automobile carrying four persons
left the road, plunged down an
embankment, pionioned all the oc-
cupants beneath it, and burst into
flames. All four persons were
burned to death.
The accident involved in a spec.
tacular way one of the most un.
usual of modern motoring hazards
fire.
That this hazard which has
diminished steadily since the early
days Of the automobiles was in
volved served, in many quarters. to
draw attention again to the fact
that where gasoline and heat are
neighbors there Is an element Of
danger, however small 1t may be.
In the particular case cited, the
gasoline tank was not damaged In
the slightest by the mishap. The
effect could have been no worse
had it been split from end to end,
safety observers point out.
Tank Top Knocked OF
What actually happened was that
the force of the gasoline as the car
of the fuel tank. The escaping fuel,
contact with the hot engine. The
result was a blaze.
In the opinion of many qualified
observers, the lesson to he drawn
from the accident is one that
motorists we'll may know; namely,
that there still exists the chance of
N Io
of metropolitan fire departments
are dotted daily with concrete evil
dence that while the harvard has
been reduced it has not been
eliminated entirely.
Figures never have been collected
to show the fire loss in automobiles
due to one not uncommon feature
Of poor car care-the oil and dirt
encased engine. Now that a major
ity OF engines are inside OF cover
plates. this hazard also Is dinin-
ished. There are millions Of older
cars in service, however, which are
not so covered.
Their engines. in many cases. ac.
cording to service authorities, are
mass of matted oil and dirt. AS
an alighting place for the spark
that may be produced by a short
circuit in the electrical system or
mis-firing of the ignition they
represent a definite danger. 1t Is
pointed out.
Simple to Clean
1t is simple enough to clean them
or inexpensive enough to have them
cleaned to be fully justified.
Strangely enough. the substance
i~ La t.
infls mmable though not dangerous
If properly handled. The effective
cleaner is kerosene. All the motorist
needs to do is wait until the en-
gine Is cold. wash it off with kero-
sene, and wait until the latter has
evaporated before starting the en-
gine. IF the hood is left raised
during the drying process 1t should
not take more than a few minutes.
In those parts of the country
which have low temperatures during
part of the year, misuse of the choke
and improper carburetor adjustments
are more common causes of fires
than elsewhere.
A glance at the more familiar
causes of fires in motor cars indi-
Gates, then. that the motorists task
in preventing them is one of:
I. Recognizing that despite their
rarity, fires are possible.
2. Having the fuel lines checked
periodically and all leaks promptly
and effectively repaired.
2. Keeping the outside Of the
engine free from dirt and oil.
4. Keeping the ignition system
in order.
5. Seeing that the carburator mix
ture Is not too lean and that the
choke is properly used.
What to do in case of fire, should
the motorist suffer such an exper-
ience through Indifference or acci-
dent, is another story. Unless he
carries chemical equipment for fight
ing flames in the car at all times,
he should be familiar with the more
available means of extinguishing a
blaze. Water is useless in fighting
such a blaze but nature has provided
excellent substitutes in the form OF
dirt, sand, clay, mud and the like.
These "plastered" on the flaming
part will quickly stop it where water
would only spread the flames.
Fires may be fewer but they still
light the pathway Of the careless
and unwary car owner.
toh