Evening star., 1948-08-16
Downtown Reno Fire
And Blast XIII Five
And Injure 13O
BY the Assoeiotsd Press


RENO, New, Aug. l6.-Five men
were killed by fire and an unex-
planned explosion in the Reno bus
mess district yesterday.
More than 100 others were hurt.
Most of them were spectators.
A thorough search Of the rubble
today determined. police said, that
there were no other bodies in the
ruins.
But this search failed to disclose
the cause Of the violent blast that
lifted the roof of the frame and
brick building in the old section of
Reno's business area at about 10
am.
Hundreds Of persons swarmed to
the scene as the fire broke out. Police
tried to keep them back.
Policeman Sounds Warning.
Just a few minutes before the
explosion one policeman, pleading
vainly with the throng to get be-
hind the fire lines, yelled "get
back there-that's dynamite in
there!
Some scattered, fortunately, as
the explosive was mentioned.
Then the blast came.
But those who heard the warn
ing were agreed today that the
officer was using only a figure OF
speech-"that's dynamite" refer
ring to the fire hazard.
Authorities were certain, they
said, there were no explosives in
the building. Pending further ex-
ploration of the ruins they could
not say what caused the blast.
The policeman's warning was
well timed.
Debris Showers Crowd.
"A few of the timid retreated, u
said John Sanford, city editor of the
Reno Gazette. THE rest pushed
closer. There was a roar. Smoke
shot through with spurts of flame
blanketed a half block of Lake
street."
District Attorney Harold Taber
said preliminary investigation dis
closed no dynamite involved in the
blast.
Mr.. Taber and Reno detectives
Joined the fire department in a con-
tinuing investigation of the explo-
sion and fire. Property damage
was estimated, unoff1cially, at be-
tween 100000 and 100000.
The blast blew out the front of
the building, which housed small
shops, vacant cafe and a small
rooming house. A slot machine
one of those under repair in one
of the shops-Went booming across
the street. Shoes were blown of
some spectators.
The crowd, showered with smok-
ing debris and splinter glass, broke
in panic. Some were trampled un-
derfoot. Others were badly cut. AL
available ambulances were sum-
moned, some racing to Reno from
points as distant as Truckee, Calf,
IS miles west OF here.
Rescuers Dig in Ruins.
While the injured were being
rushed to three hospitals, rescue
crews went into the still-smoulder-
ing ruins of the building to recover
the bodies of these five victims:
Fire Chief Frank Hobson, SIS, OF
adjacent Sparks; Capt. Glenn Davis,
IS and Fireman Earl B. Platt, both
of the Reno Fire Department.; and
and two civilian volunteer rescue
workers, Domingo CALI, %, and
Bill Bryon, about so. .
At a late hour last night, all of
the hospitalized injured except 36
had been treated and released. An
undetermined number of persons
received emergency first aid treat
ment at a station quickly set up by
the Red Cross near the blast scene.
Listed as critically hurt were
Robert Gaussie, So, business agent
for a Reno labor union local; Capt.
Lowell Monday, 38, of the Sparks
fire department: John Lusich, Reno
fireman and Hugo Fanucchi, As,
Reno wholesale grocer.