A Close Call at the Blacksmith Shop
A blow torch ignites gasoline fumes at Jameson Newell's shop, nearly destroying the facility and two automobiles.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
What might have been a very serious accident occurred last Monday forenoon at the blacksmith shop of Jameson Newell. Con Prager was making some automobile repairs in the shop, using a blow torch in his work. The flames of the torch ignited escaping gas from the car and for a short time things were pretty warm. But for the quick action of Mr. Newell in throwing wet gunny sacks on the flames and smothering them, there would have been two autos and a blacksmith shop to be accounted for now.
“For a short time things were pretty warm.”
This incident serves as a snapshot of the transition era between the blacksmith-as-mechanic and the dedicated auto-repair shop. The danger of gasoline vapor, a 'new' industrial hazard in 1915, echoes modern concerns about hazardous materials in small business environments.
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