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Show HE DESTROYES F1JUILDIN6S GASOLINE EXPLOSION THROWS BLAZING COALS; LOSS WILL EXCEED $30,000 Fish and Game Building Is Completely Destroyed; Entire Equipment of Fire Machinery Called to Scene of Disaster Salt Lake Fire dostroyed moro than $30,000 In property at tho state fair grounds Tuesday afternoon, when a blaze, originating in a shed whero an airplane was stored, spread to adjacent buildings beforo any (Iro .mnchlnory could reach there. Within ten minutes min-utes of Its breaking out, every piece of apparatus in the city was racing to tho tlnmes. Shortly afterward, Assls-tna Assls-tna Flro Chief Knight rcquestod Ft Douglas to dispatch Its flro fighting corps to tho nsslstanco of tho city dc- partment. This action was necessary becnuso of tho extent of iho blazo and tho fact that a high wind blowing from tho lako threatened tho larger buildings on the grounds with destruction. As tho (lames licked their fiery tongues about tho Manufacturers' building, a despor-ato despor-ato effort to snvo that structure wwa made, nnd last reports nro that It will cscapo with only superficial damage The Fish and Gamo building, tho Merchandise Mer-chandise building nnd several hundred feet of stables, comfort stations and lessee structures oro completely dostroyed. do-stroyed. A disconnected eloctrlc feed wlro is said to have given rlso to the blazo. The flame originated In a shed whero n alrplano belonging to Box Smith vas stored. Four persons narrowly escaped death In tho explosion which occurred when tho Are reached the plane's gas tankv Frank Dordanot, working on tho piano, was sevcroly burned about one arm and shoulder. Following the flro Dordanet explained explain-ed that last night he had disconnected somo lighting wires to realign nnd secure se-cure a better lighting for his work, it Is said. This Is believed ip havo mado posslblo tho Arc, although no official opinion In this regard has been voiced. Thrco others were wfirking with Dor-rlanct Dor-rlanct In tho alrplano shed, adjacent to tho fish and gamo building. They were unaware of what was transpiring until tho burlap wrappings of tho machine burst Into flame. They looped loop-ed to safoty ns tho gas tank exploded, and Dordanet sustained somo sovero burns from the flying sparks. With the explosion the wooden structure, struc-ture, Its Umbers nflume, was thrown over a wide area and in this way tho blazo spread to the flsh and gamo and other buildings. J. L. nornc, secretary secre-tary of tho State Fair association, estimates esti-mates tho loss at In excess of $50,000, all of which Is covered by insurance. Smith's plane, a twisted mass of metal, represents n $4000 loss, It Is said. When tho blazo belched nbovo tho tlmbcrsof tho shed, whero a moment before they had been working, Smith's assistants rushed for the nearest tele-phono tele-phono and turned In nn alarm. Time of tho blazo is flxed at 1:45 o'clock. Within a few minutes every v'oco of lire lighting apparatus In tho city was on Its way to tho scene. A few minutes min-utes later a request was nindo that the Fort Douglas equipment bo rushed to the Are. This was done because of the danger In which tho lnrger buildings were put fiy a slight breeze from the lake. But before tho army firemen could roach tho blaze tho local fighters had It under un-der control, It was reported. Among the buildings absolutely burned to the ground In the blaze are tho fish and gamo building, the merchandise mer-chandise building, tho educational building, tho dairy barns and stables, one-haif of tho swlnoshed nnd n considerable con-siderable section of the other stablo buildings. A comfort station and some booths within the Are nrea also wore burned down. Throughout Its duration tho blaze was Intense, nnd ns tho flames spread to the adjoining structures with hardly hard-ly any effort, It was feared that tho entlro group of buildings, representing represent-ing an Investment of moro than $225,-000, $225,-000, would go. But tho quick action of the flro department In responding to tho call Is credited with limiting the damage to tho extent noted, it Is said. |