The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-03-23
BLAST CAUSE
LAID TO SPARK
|GNITING GAS
One Dead, Three Injured
and Damage of $4,000,
Toll of Explosion.
FIREMEN ARE OVERCOME
Young |. A. C. Bell Captain
Loses Life in Plaza
Motor Inn Tragedy.

Ignition of gasoline fumes by
spark from the elevator caused the
Plaza Motor Inn explosion Wednes-
day afternoon and claimed the life
of one man and burned three 9TH
ers seriously.
This was the verdict today of Al
G.. Feeney, state fire marshal by
virtue of his dictatorship of the
state department of safety, after he
conducted Joint investigation with
Bernard Lynch city fire prevention
bureau head
Praising city firemen for their
dash into the gas-f1lled basement to
bring out the body of the dead man
and rescue of the injured, Feeney
said the general competence in ham
ding the fire probably prevented
other blasts.
Started by Spark
Approximately TOO gallons of gas
oline were fed into the three base
ment tanks Wednesday morning,
Feeney said, and the valve of one of
the feeder pipes was left open. This
caused fumes to collect and they
we're detonated by spark from the
elevator, Feeney explained.
Also conducting an investigation,
William F. Hurd, city building in
spector, said he would urge passage
of an ordinance in an effort to safe
guard against further explosions Of
a similar nature.
Hurd said he will ask that garages
and other establishments storing
gasoline be required to install out
side intakes for gasoline, so that
any escaping fumes such as that
causing the Plaza blast could not
collect.
One Dead, Three Injured
The dead man is Robert c. Ken
nedy, 20, of 800 East Walnut street,
bell captain at the Indianapolis
Athletic Club who had gone TO the
garage less than five minutes be-
fore the blast to get his automobile
he kept there.
Critically burned is Harry r. Ale,
%, of 933 Healing avenue, man
ager of the garage, who suffered
face and body burns.
Less seriously burned are two
Negro garage employees, Harold
Barnes, %, of 1889 Paris avenue,
and Herman Collins, %, of 2214
North Rural street.
Kennedy, a bridegroom of nine
months, had stepped on the elevator
to go to the basement for his car,
and was joined by Ale, Barnes and
Collins.
Faced With Wall of Flame
when we got to the basement"
Barnes told police and fire authori-
ties, there was roar, and some one
opened the elevator door
There was a wall of flame facing
us and I dived into it. Somehow or
other, Collins and I made it up the
ramp to the first floor, and that's
about all I remember"
Ale is believed to have CROPPED his
way through the fumes to the north
end of the basement while Kennedy
was aSphyXiated and burned before
he got out of the elevator. His
scared body was found by firemen
halfway out of the cage.
BY this time, Ale'S frenzied
screams could be heard by police
and f1remen and Mcmahon yelled to
him to lie on the basement floor and
keep calling so he could be located.
Firemen Are Overcome
Firemen under Headquarters Chief
Roscoe McKinnie invaded the gas
eous basement to lay firelineS, and
dragged out Ale and the lifeless
Kennedy.
Several firemen' were overcome by
smoke and fumes and several SUI
fered hand burns, but required only
first aid treatment.
Force of the defamation smashed
the glasS-incloSed east side of the
first floor of the four-story build
ing, tearing door from the
sidewalk to the Office off its hinges
and hurting it into Vermont street
Walls we're bulged at several
places on the lower floor and the
concrete ramp from the first to the
second floor was cracked. Although
garage windows were hurled into
the alley, none of the windows OF
cars stored on the first and higher
floors was broken.
Loss Set at $4,000
Less fortunate. however, are
owners Of cars kept in the basement.
Approximately twenty were dam
aged, Fire Chief Harry E. Voshell
and Bernard Lynch, fire prevention
bureau head. estimated the loss to
the garage and cars at approximate
ly $4,000.
Surviving Kennedy are his young
wife. Mrs. Helen Kennedy, 10; his
mother, Mrs. Hazel HouSlander a
brother, John Kennedy. 16, all of
the Walnut street address, and his
father, Okla Kennedy, Beech Grove.
Kennedy'S mother recently under
went major operation and COL
lapSed on arrival at city hospital
morgue, She was kept at the hos
pital and her condition was reported
today 10 be serious.