FATHER AND SON BADLY BURNED WHEN FIRE DAMAGES BUSINESS BLOCK

Gasoline Explosion Responsible for Bad Blaze in Clothes Cleaning Shop of Cameron & Son

[Welland Telegraph, 14 January 1912]

THE INJURED

             Archibald Cameron, face and hands burned.

             Charles Cameron, face and hands seriously burned.

             W.F. Wright, hair singed and face slightly scorched.

THE FIRE

             Charles Stewart’s two-storey frame building on East main street-partially destroyed.

             Cameron & Son’s cleaning and pressing shop completely gutted.

             I.E. Wills’ barber shop, damaged by fire and water.

INSURANCE AND LOSS

             Charles Stewart, owner of the building-$1500.

             I.E. Wills’ barber shop-$500.

             Cameron & Son-$500.

             An explosion of gasoline in the cleaning and pressing shop of Cameron & Son, East Main Street, started a fire in the two-storey frame business owned by Chas. Stewart, which had not only partly destroyed the building but completely gutted the cleaning and pressing establishment and damaged the barber shop of I.E. Wills, which occupies one half of the building. Mr. Stewart has living apartments on the second storey but the flames were checked before the fire spread to that floor.

TWO BADLY BURNED

             Just what caused the explosion is not known. Mr. Cameron and his son were at work cleaning clothes, and were using gasoline. W.F. Wright, organizer of the I.O.F., was in the shop waiting to discuss a business matter with Mr. Cameron, who is financial secretary of the I.O.F. This was about 12.45.

GASOLINE BECAME IGNITED

             What ignited the gasoline is not known but a sheet of flame suddenly shot up, setting fire to the clothing of Mr. Cameron and his son, and to everything in the building of an inflammable nature. Mr. Wright was standing near the door and only the outer edge of the flame caused by the explosion touched him. He grabbed a coat and wrapped it around Mr. Cameron and this extinguished his burning clothing. Charles Cameron was in the rear of the burning section and had to come through the flames to reach the door. It was in doing this that he was so badly burned. When the door was reached it was impossible to open it for a time, the spring lock having caught. The combined efforts of Mr. Wright and Mr. Cameron, however, succeeded in opening it.

             The eleven year old daughter of Mr. Cameron was standing at the door at the time of the explosion, but she escaped without injury.

             Medical assistance was immediately called and the two injured men were taken home and their burns dressed.

USED EXTINGUISHERS

             An alarm was immediately turned in and the hose reel from the fire hall almost directly across the street was brought over. A stream of water was soon playing on the flames and the fire brought under control. Several fire extinguishers from the Grand Theatre was also used to good effect. The cleaning and pressing machinery of Cameron & Son and the clothing belonging to customers which was in the shop at the time was all completely destroyed. The loss of the firm will be about five hundred dollars, which is covered by insurance. 

             Mr. Wills’ loss will also amount to about $500 as nearly everything in the barber shop was drenched with water. Insurances will cover this.

             Mr. Stewart estimates the damage to the building at $1500, fully covered by insurance.

             The courage and presence of mind of Mr. Wright was responsible for saving Mr. Cameron, sr., from perhaps fatal burns. As it is he is in a dangerous state.