A Narrow Escape

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 98, 20 April 1933, Page 2

A Narrow Escape

The simple manner in which a fire can start was demonstrated to a Foxton garage proprietor when working in his shop one night recently. He was just preparing to leave the premises at 10 p.m. when he noticed a smell of burning rubber. He walked through the garage but failed to see any signs of fire. He heard a peculiar noise coming from a car that had been driven in that day for a repair job, but on which a start had not been made, however, and placing his hand on the vehicle, he gave it a shake, when, to his astonishment, flames leapt from under the floor boards. He quickly disconnected the battery and discovered that the cause of the trouble had been a faulty battery terminal. The battery had been quietly shorting where the insulation of the terminal had worn away and when he gave the car a shake a complete break-down of the insulation had occurred. Had lie not noticed the smell of the “short” before he leftthe garage it is more than likely that the' premises would have been seriously, gutted and the cause of the outbreak would, like so many other fires, have been shrouded in mystery.—Herald.