Four-Year-Old Sets Fire to House

New York, 1895

News in Brief.

The Long Island railroad company has opened the new station called Edgemere between Far Rockaway and Arverne.

President Corbin of the Long Island railroad visited Montauk on Tuesday and inspected his recent purchase of 4,000 acres of land.

A 4 year old grandson of William T. Rider of East Rockaway set fire to the house Tuesday through playing with matches. The interior of the house was burned out.

The people living in the vicinity of Bowne's mills, near Flushing, have appealed to the state board of health to prevent the dumping of garbage and manure there.

A post office has been established at Washington Square, near Hempstead, under the name of Munson. Miss Daisy Stringham has been appointed postmistress.

Antonio Carrara, who was a staff officer to Garibaldi, died at the home of his brother-in law at College Point Saturday night, the result of an operation performed on his throat. He was a banker.

Two deaths from lockjaw occured in Flushing Wednesday. One was Mary Treadwell, infant of Samuel Treadwell, of Little Neck, and the other a daughter of Henry Zobel of Bayside.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, June 28, 1895, p. 2.

ELECTRIC FIRE ALARMS.

1895

Their Advantage In the Time When Immediate Help Is Most Needed.

The first few moments after the outbreak of a fire is the critical time in deciding whether or not it can be got under control, and upon the prompt arrival of the apparatus often depends the salvation or the destruction of the entire plant. While a watchman may be thoroughly conscientious and alert and do everything in his power under the trying circumstances which confront him the appliances at hand are necessarily limited, and one man is seldom enough for the emergency. If, after doing all he can, he finds the fire too much for him to handle and must then leave it to send in an alarm, much valuable time is lost, and when the apparatus finally arrives the blaze has obtained a vantage ground which often means the destruction of the property.

With the splendidly developed electric fire alarm systems which are on the market at the present day, affording every possible means of protection and at the same time reducing the insurance premiums very materially, it seems a decidedly short sighted policy to pass them by and still depend on the by no means infallible vigilance of a human machine, which, however good it may be, still has weaknesses which the other is not heir to.

The automatic fire alarm companies have made immense strides in the improvement of their systems during the past few years, and as their business has increased through the gradual appreciation of its merits they have kept abreast of the requirements presented and meet them at every point. The insurance companies have not been slow to recognize the additional protection to themselves as well as to the manufacturers, and have offered inducements in the shape of reduced premiums on plants so equipped.

The manufacturer whose plant is destroyed by fire, even though he be insured, suffers a loss which can hardly be estimated at the time, and from which it may take him years to recover, and though it is a peculiarity of human nature to look on such a contingency as applicable to everybody but himself the sensible man is the one who leaves no dangerous point unguarded, especially against so ruthless an enemy as fire. — Electrical Review.

Trestle Fire Case Ended

New York, 1895

Justice Hendrickson's Court.

Lucien Huadberg, of Woodhaven, aged 15, who was arrested for setting fire to the trestle work of the Long Island railroad at Woodhaven Junction, was discharged by Justice Hendrickson on Friday. He came to the conclusion that the boy had no intention of setting fire to the structure.

August Bycott and Henry Miller were arrested on Sunday by Game Constable Philips for fishing in Way's pond on the Flushing road. They were charged with violating the Sunday law. They were arraigned before Justice Hendrickson, who discharged them with a warning.

Note: In an earlier article, his name was spelled Lucien Haurdberg.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, June 28, 1895, p. 8.

Fire Panic in a Factory.

New York, 1895

The men and girls at work in Kleinert's rubber factory at College Point were startled just before noon Thursday by cries of fire. Smoke came in clouds from the second story and soon filled the whole building.

The fire escapes of the factory were crowded with women scrambling to escape. Lillie Wurtz fell to the ground and broke her arm. Another young woman jumped from a second-story window to the scaffolding, twenty-five feet below, but escaped injury. Half a dozen girls were slightly bruised.


Pustler Charged With Libel.

Professor Paul Kyle, director of the military academy for boys at Flushing, has brought an action for libel against Paul Pustler, who until a few days ago was employed as music teacher in that institution. In his complaint Mr. Kyle alleges that Pustler has been circulating a report that the institute was infested with diphtheria and that Mr. Kyle treated his pupils in an inhuman manner.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, June 21, 1895, p. 1.

FIRED THE TRESTLE FOR FUN.

New York, 1895

A Boy Tries to Destroy Part of the Long Island Railway.

Lucien Haurdberg, 15 years old, employed as a wiper in Lalance & Grosjean's agateware factory in Woodhaven, was held without bail by Justice Hendrickson Wednesday morning on a charge of setting fire to the Long Island railroad trestle at Woodhaven Junction. The fire was discovered in the trestle just before midnight Tuesday by Night Watchman Charles Daggatt.

The last train for the night had crossed when Daggatt saw smoke ascending from the trestle. He and several others clambered out over the string pieces to the blaze and extinguished it. At first it was supposed that the fire originated from a hot coal dropped by a locomotive, but Daggatt eventually discovered what appeared to be a bundle of greasy rags partly burned. They proved to be the remnants of two small pairs of trousers, soaked with oil and grease. Detective Sarvis arrested young Haurdberg, who lives near the trestle with his parents.

To the detective and Justice Hendrickson the boy acknowledged that the trousers were his. Tuesday night, he said, his mother told him to take them out and burn them as they were no longer fit to wear. He thought it would be great fun to get the firemen out, so, with the trousers under his arm and a handful of matches in his pocket, he climbed up the earth embankment. He clambered out on the heavy wooden stringpieces, and, placing the trousers in a convenient corner formed by the beams, he struck a match and set fire to them. Then he hastily retraced his steps. Upon reaching the ground he became a little frightened and ran home and went to bed. Soon he heard the village fire alarm and then he knew his blaze had been discovered.

But for Watchman Daggatt's timely discovery the trestle would probably have been destroyed or the timbers charred and weakened sufficiently to wreck the first train that crossed in the morning.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, June 21, 1895, p. 1.

Thomas Mott's House Burned

New York, 1895

Nearly Everything in the House Lost — $30,000 Damage.

The handsome country residence of Thomas Mott, president of the agricultural society, was destroyed by fire Sunday morning, together with nearly all the contents. Mr. Mott lives in a secluded neighborhood near the west shore of Hempstead harbor, about one and one-half miles from Port Washington. The house was comparatively new. It was occupied by Mr. Mott's family during the winter, and Sunday there was also present Frederick Hicks, of Old Westbury. All the hired men, excepting one, had gone away for the day.

About 10 o'clock Mr. Mott and Mr. Hicks stood in the door-yard talking. Mr. Mott chanced to glance upward and was horrified to see flame and smoke issuing from the roof of his home. He rushed into the house and alarmed the ladies, who were seated in the dining room. A hasty examination convinced Mr. Mott that nothing could be done with the means at hand to subdue the flames, so the members of the family turned their attention toward saving as much of the contents as possible. Nearly all the furniture and bric-a-brac on the lower floor, together with a small safe containing valuable papers, was successfully removed before the fire reached that part of the building.

When first seen, the fire had gained considerable headway, and had spread so rapidly that it was impossible to ascend to the second story. The family therefore saved only such articles of clothing as they wore when the alarm was given.

Mr. Mott's loss is heavy. The house alone cost $20,000, and the upper floors were filled with antique furniture and bric-a-brac which cannot be duplicated, much of it being heirlooms of the Mott family. The building was insured, while the contents are a total loss, Mr. Mott will rebuild.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 5, 1895, p. 8.

An Alleged Horse Thief

New York, 1895

Max Reiss, alleged to be an old offender, was arraigned on Wednesday on a charge of stealing a horse and rig valued at $250 from Solomon Catlin, of Maspeth.

On Monday Reiss is alleged to have broken into Catlin's stable and committed the robbery. On Tuesday he sold the rig for $25.


Fire at Far Rockaway

Fire broke out in the residence of Mrs. C. Burns at Far Rockaway on Sunday, and the interior of the house was badly damaged. The flames started from an overheated stove.


Tried to Burn and Steal

An attempt was made Friday night to burn the house and out buildings of George. W. Wetterau at Hicksville. Night Watchman Keiser discovered piles of shavings, paper and rags saturated with kerosene, ignited near the buildings while on his rounds at 11 o'clock. He put out the fire and notified the owner. At about the same hour an attempt was made to rob the tin store of Freedman Bros.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 5, 1895, p. 1.

May Arrest the School Teacher

New York, 1895

The parents of Willie Umfricht, 12 years old, who is a pupil in the school at New Hyde Park, have been advised to cause the arrest of the principal of the school, William Dodge, on the charge of assault. Friday afternoon Principal Dodge had occasion to correct the boy, and when he called him to the platform the boy refused to obey. Then the principal went to the boy's seat and endeavored to pull him from it. Willie resisted, and during the struggle which followed he received an ugly gash in the cheek.


Fire at Harbor Hill

A spark from a Long Island railroad locomotive set fire to the underbrush in the Harbor Hill woods, east of Roslyn village, Wednesday morning. The flames quickly ran through the woods and burned throughout the day and night. A large tract of woodland was damaged.


Stealing Ivy from Graves

John Deickel, of Glendale, was arraigned before Justice Schmidt in Middle Village Friday charged with stealing ivy from graves in Lutheran cemetery. He was fined $20.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 29, 1895, p. 1.

Incendiaries at Work

New York, 1895

The police of Far Rockaway are puzzled by an incendiary fire that damaged the summer cottage of J. Furman at Inwood to the extent of $300, and endangered the lives of Mrs. Cornelius Davenport and her children, who live in the house. A hole had been cut from the outside into an unoccupied room on the lower floor and through this combustibles had been introduced and the match applied.


MARRIED.

SMITH — SMITH. — By the Rev. J. Howard Hobbs, on March 27th, 1895, Abraham D. Smith to Miss Phebe Smith, both of Jamaica.

Six Months for Chasing Little Girls

New York, 1895

John Murphy of Long Island City, who chased little girls and who was arrested after a two mile chase by an excited mob, was sent to the county jail by Justice Duffy for six months.


Forest Fires Near Brentwood

A forest fire broke out on the farm of Dr. Wilson, at Brentwood. The flames raged furiously for a time and it looked as if a number of barns and houses would be destroyed. The people turned out and fought the fire.


A Sneak Thief Got There

A. Livingston Bogart's Jamaica amateur banjo orchestra had a rehearsal in Union Hall seminary Saturday night. Monday certain properties were mysteriously missing. A banjo, which had been loaned to Mr. Bogart by Mr. Alliger had disappeared, together with two clocks.


Pickle Factory Burned Down

The pickle factory belonging to A. Tiedman at West Deer park was burned on Thursday night. A gondola belonging to the Long Island railroad was also destroyed by the fire.


Looks Like Real Business

Henry A. Van Allen has the contract for furnishing the tires for the Long Island electric railroad, and on Saturday commenced delivering them along the line of the road, work upon which will shortly be commenced on South street.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 29, 1895, p. 8.

Coyle Acquitted — Absent Witnesses

New York, 1895

John Coyle, of Jamaica, who was indicted for setting fire to the house occupied by John Reese on Willow street, Jamaica, last June, was tried in the court of sessions on Wednesday and acquitted. He was defended by Judge Weller.

This is the same case where William Morrell and his wife, both respectable people, positively testified on the examination that they knew Coyle well, and that from their window they saw him actually light the fire against the side of the building. One of the remarkable things of this trial is that Mrs. Morrell was not examined as a witness. She was not even subpoenaed. Chips and kerosene were found on the step of the house, where one fire was started, and some sticks were found at the side of the house where a fire was also started. Thomas Reese occupied the house. On the trial William E. Kavanagh, Chris Prinz and John Fitzgerald testified to Coyle's good character. Coyle is mighty fortunate.


Force Lost His Diamond Pin

Alexander Force, of Jamaica, had a fight with a stranger on the Fulton ferryboat Fulton at a late hour on Tuesday night. The next night he reported to the police that immediately after the fight he missed his diamond studded horseshoe scarf pin worth $100. He thinks the pugnacious stranger stole it.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 15, 1895, p. 8.

A Pest of Burglars

New York, 1895

The people of Flushing are becoming alarmed over the robberies that have been committed there within a few days. Some time on Wednesday afternoon sneak thieves entered the residence of Oscar Leek and stole a gold watch and chain and some small articles of jewelry. Thursday morning when Michael McKenna went to feed his horse, he found the horse and wagon missing. An attempt was made to enter Edward Morse's residence. Mr. Morse shot at the burglars and they fled in the darkness.


Fire on a Ferryboat

The Long Island railroad ferryboat Sag Harbor was discovered to be on fire late Saturday night on a trip from New York. Unknown to many of the passengers the deck hands extinguished the fire.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 15, 1895, p. 1.

Burglars Busy at Hunter's Point

New York, 1895

The Long Island City police are trying to run down a band of petty burglars who have been operating in the Hunter's Point section of the city for the past two weeks. The latest work of the gang was early Sunday morning, when James Hicks's saloon, on Jackson avenue, was broken into and sixteen bottles of brandy carried off. Patrick Sheehan's saloon was also broken into, and the cash register, containing $4 in change, rifled.


Fire At Whitestone

Payne's large carpenter shop was burned at Whitestone Friday morning. The building was valued at $1,000. Hansom Whitmore's dwelling-house, close to the shop caught fire and though the frame is standing, is a total wreck. It was valued at $2,000, and insured for $1,000.


Burned Out the Cigarmaker

The residence of Joseph Thunia, a cigarmaker at Bohemia, near Sayville, was destroyed by fire early Friday morning. The family were forced to leave hurriedly in their nightclothes, saving nothing.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 1, 1895, p. 1.

Tried to Burn a Barn

New York, 1895

An attempt was made Saturday night to burn the barn of Alfred Cole, in College Point. A quantity of hay in the stable had been set afire, but the flames were quickly subdued.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 1.

A Barn Burned at Roslyn

New York, 1895

A series of assaults and attempted robberies, of which John Fischer, of Roslyn, has been the victim for several months, assumed a more serious aspect on Wednesday evening when his barn was burned. There is every indication that the fire was of incendiary origin.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 1.

A Female Firebug

New York, 1895

Rhoda Carlton, 14 years of age, was arrested in Brooklyn on Saturday for setting fire to a house owned by Adam Caldwell, her stepfather. The little one confessed that she set the building on fire. She said that last Summer she lived in the family of J. L. Hope at Flushing, and that she set his house on fire three times. Mr. Hope was seen, and he said that his house had been on fire three times while the girl lived there. The last time the fire was started he suspected Rhoda and sent her away.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 1.

The "False Alarm Fiend" and His Deadly Joke

(Click graphic for bigger.)

Chicago, 1916

More Firemen Killed and Maimed Responding to Calls of Mischievous Adults and Children Than in Going to Real Fires — St. Louis Fire-fighters Find One in Eight Alarms Are Fictitious — How Jack O'Connor Was Killed

The practical joker is always with us, and while the world may sometimes cry, "The joker is dead — long live the joker," it has long been acknowledged that the human zero in chronic deviltry is the chap who sends in a false alarm just to see the boys or "hosses" run. These hopeless boneheads are constantly bobbing up in nearly every community in our land, with results that sometimes land them in deep trouble or cause them to part with more or less of their precious dollars as penalty for their indulgence in a foolish and sometimes tragic amusement. However, a good, stiff monetary fine, or a term behind jail bars, seldom fails to cure the city or village cut-up of all further desire to "monkey" with fire alarm box, telephone or any other means of sending the fire lads on a hazardous run when no reason for it exists further than the silly joker's ambition to startle the public.

A St. Louis paper has found it quite necessary to take up this subject, and with good reasons, as the "false alarm fiend" seems to have carried his deadly joke far beyond the limit of tolerance in that city, with the result that lives have been lost and much human and mechanical energy expended for naught.

At 11:15 o'clock on the night of Aug. 8 some person, perhaps bibulous and certainly with a perverted sense of humor, observed a fire alarm box at Natural Bridge road and Sophia avenue, says the Post-Dispatch. At once he conceived the outlines of what appeared to be a brilliant joke. He walked up to the box, broke the glass in its front and pressed on a lever. Then, perhaps, he chuckled and walked to a safe spot and waited to see the fun.

Most of the firemen of Engine Company No. 31 were in their bunks when the alarm came in. They sprang to their places. The horses flew to their positions and, when the automatic harness fell, pawed impatiently to be away.

John O'Connor, a fine, stalwart, courageous man. sprang to the driver's seat and reached for the reins. One of them dropped. As he tried to recover it, the horses lunged and he fell headfirst to the floor, where he lay all crumpled up. Somebody pulled him to one side, another driver took his place, the engine went on its way.

Then a doctor came and looked at Jack O'Connor. Jack was dead, with a broken neck.

It is interesting to wonder whether the man who pulled the hook enjoyed his joke. It is interesting also to speculate on the nature of the mental make-up of such a man — whether it permits him to feel that he is guilty of Jack O'Connor's death.

"Hooks" in Bad Wreck.

It was a similar "joke" that sent Hook and Ladder Company No. 15 to Euclid and Cote Brilliante avenues on the night of July 4. The truck collided with a street car at Euclid. Captain Farrell and Firemen A. Gradell and J. Haberstroh were thrown to the ground and so cruelly mangled that they are not yet able to return to duty.

Capt. John Detwiler lay on a bed of suffering for 67 days, early in 1914, with both arms and his nose broken and his back badly wrenched because another idiot turned in a false alarm from Klemm street and Flora boulevard. Fireman George Harbaugh was out of service for 53 days with a fractured skull and Fireman E. Sedivec was out 30 days with a wrenched back from the same accident, a collision between their truck and a street car.

On the night of Nov. 7, 1915, Edward A. Murphy, a citizen, was run over by a fire truck responding to a false alarm, and was sent to the city hospital with both legs broken.

On the night of Dec. 5, 1915, Lieut. William Haas of Engine Company No. 11 was thrown from his wagon when responding to a false alarm and was severely injured.

On the night of July 27 last, G. Wadsack, a fireman, was badly hurt when the truck on which he was riding, after a false alarm, struck a tree.

In every one of these affairs, honest, decent, law-abiding men, trying to do their perilous duty for the public, were hurt because of a quirk in the brain of some other person. It is part of a fireman's job to take risks, but he has risks enough, heaven knows, in his regular work without having these added to them.

When Firemen Get Sore.

"You see, it is this way," one of them said to the writer recently. "We know we are taking chances all the time. You never hear a holler from us, tho, when we get hurt at a fire or going to one. It's when some fool turns in a false alarm and an accident smashes up some of our fellows that we get sore. Whoever sent Jack O'Connor to his death, for instance, is a murderer, pure and simple, in our eyes. It'll go hard some of these days with one of those guys if the boys ever get him dead to rights."

Every man from the Chief on down to the newest hostler in the department believes that there is a strange and especial danger in going to false alarms. They declare that their records prove it. It is comparatively rare, they say, that there is a collision or an upset in going to an actual fire.

The number of false alarms turned in is simply amazing. The total from Jan. 1, 1913, to Aug. 1, 1916, was 1,934, an average of a little more than 45 a month. Last year one out of every eight alarms recorded was a false one. The smallest number in any month was 20 for August, 1914, and the largest was 72, for November, 1913. Thus far in the current year the smallest number was 35, for April, while January and February each had 41.

There is a popular impression that most of these alarms are turned in by children. This is not true, according to Chief Henderson. Most of them, the Chief says, are turned in by men and particularly by men who drive various kinds of delivery wagons late at night. One of these sees a box, the Chief declares, turns in an alarm, drives on a block or so and waits to see what happens. The streets usually are deserted at the time, they are not detected at their work and consequently escape all punishment. The law provides a maximum penalty of imprisonment in the penitentiary for this offense, yet it is rarely inflicted because it is hard to obtain evidence for an arrest, to say nothing of conviction.

Children Sometimes "Jokers.”

Children are caught more frequently. They are invariably turned over to the Juvenile Court and an official of the Fire Department takes a hand in the prosecution. Whenever it is found to be a case merely of prankishness, the matter is usually ended by a stiff reprimand and by a recommendation that a parent of the child administer a sound spanking. This recommendation is generally followed and the result, Chief Henderson says, in most cases is salutary.

"It is with adults that the real trouble comes," the Chief added. "If we could only get the public to realize the enormity of the offense and to look upon the man who turns in a false alarm as an individual dangerous to the public welfare, who ought at once to be surrendered to the authorities, we could soon break up the practice.

Most of the serious accidents to trucks going to fires come from collisions with street cars. City ordinances require that when the bells of the fire engines are heard, motormen must stop their cars and drivers of all vehicles must draw up to the nearest curb and stop. Most of the motormen do this, the Chief says. Some of them do not but try to beat the engines across a street intersection.

"The United Railways, as a corporation, invariably cooperate with us," the Chief explained. "Some of the individual motormen do not. They usually advance the plea that, shut up in their vestibules, they did not hear the bells. It is often hard to disprove this. When we can do so, the street car company always fires the man and he cannot get his job back again. As a general thing, we have little trouble with motorists. They nearly always give us right of way when they can."

Want Better Traffic Regulations.

Most firemen believe that the traffic regulations of St. Louis for such emergencies are antiquated and insufficient. Altho our ordinances require all cars and autos to stop when the fire engines are coming, they are not rigidly obeyed as they are in other cities — in New York for instance. There the law says that traffic shall stop and it does stop. However, there are three or four traffic policemen on all corners in congested districts to see that it does.

Kansas City and other towns also have an admirable arrangement to stop traffic in congested districts. There on downtown corners are electric gongs. As soon as engines are started these gongs begin ringing, much like the bells at block signals on certain railroads. This is a signal to clear the thorofare, and the fire engines have an open road for minutes before they actually appear.

Chief Henderson has tried to get a similar arrangement authorized by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. It would cost about $30,000 if electricity is furnished free by public service corporations, and our city lawmakers have not seen fit to incur the expense.

"If we had such gong signals, tho," the chief declared, "I would rather put them at places outside the downtown district. Really we have very few accidents downtown. They usually happen out in the quiet neighborhoods, late at night.

"I'll tell you what our worst trouble is, tho, and it's going to cost St. Louis a big conflagration some day. It is the congestion of traffic on downtown streets, where autos are parked. Some of these days we are going to have a fire on a street where it will take us half an hour or maybe more to get these cars out of our way, and by the time we have got a place cleared to work in the fire will be out of our control. A loss of five minutes getting to a fire is likely at any time to mean two or three additional hours getting the fire under control."

Some Motormen Are Reckless.

Curiously enough, many of the drivers of fire wagons believe that most collisions are really unavoidable accidents. "The bust-up usually comes so quick you don't know what has happened or how," one of them said, "until somebody is pouring water in your face and bringing you to. We always try to get the horses under control when we approach a street car crossing and most of the motormen do the best they can. But sometimes you are going along at a good clip and a street car is going at a good clip and before either you or the motorman realizes the danger — zowie!

"We are always afraid of the motorman who tries to beat us to the crossing. Maybe he is a minute or two behind schedule or is trying to get to the end of the line a minute or two before so he can stop for a bit of lunch. There is usually a bunch of excited people on the corner. Some of them motion to us to come on and maybe some of them motion to the motorman that he can make it. The law says he oughtn't to try to make it, but he goes ahead anyhow — there always are a few fools like that — and then it happens!

"The public could do a lot of good and save a lot of danger in these cases if it could only be properly educated. If a few of these reckless motormen were reported to the street car company once in a while, it would stop such foolishness. Understand, we haven't any quarrel with the motor men in general. Most of them try to obey the law and help us out all they can. It's the occasional fellow that takes a chance who makes all the trouble.

Public Should Help, Say Firemen.

"Maybe I feel pretty strongly about this, but it's a serious matter for us fellows. You just put it into your paper that if the public will cooperate with us in this matter and, above all, help us put the false alarm fiend out of business, we'll be satisfied."

Policemen, as a rule, cooperate with firemen in every way possible. Chief Henderson says he has never made a request of one at a fire without getting immediate and satisfactory response. However, strict enforcement of the rules requiring street cars and autoists to stop at the approach of a fire engine has always been lax and there have been few arrests and prosecutions.

The new parking ordinance for automobiles is proving helpful in keeping some of the downtown streets clear, altho the fire fighters would like to see it extended until no autos were left in the streets without drivers in charge of them.

They Had Better Watch Out.

Ten times in the last five days false alarms of fire have been sent in from the alarm box at Fifty-eighth street and South Wabash avenue. Last night, says the Chicago Journal, when Engine Company No. 51 arrived at the corner, its members questioned a little girl standing at the curbing.

"'Stubby' McGovern and 'Billy' Barry did it," she said. "They do it most every day and then they run away and hide.

"Stubby" and "Billy" are 8 or 9 years old. A policeman will talk to them today.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Sept. 16, 1916, p. 12.

Cider Saves The Property

1910

Barrels Burst Just In Time To Quench Hot Blaze Which Had Started In Residence

Bellows Falls, Vermont — The thirty-two barrels of hard cider stored in the loft of the barn of George Seabury, in Langdon, N. H., some distance from this town, were mainly responsible for saving his beautiful dwelling house from destruction by fire. The flames started in the cellar of the barn and had almost entirely consumed that structure when the cider barrels, owing to the intense heat, burst, flooding the barn and extinguishing the flames.

There was a high wind at the time and as Langdon boasts of but a bucket brigade the house would undoubtedly have been ignited by the flying sparks and consumed before aid could have reached them from this town. The stock was removed from the barn to safety.

Mine Fire Burns 25 Years

1915

Blaze Thought Conquered, Rages in Remote Gangways

HAZELTON, Pa., Dec. 16. — The Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company is fighting a mine fire at Honey Brook No. 1, that was believed to have been extinguished twenty-five years ago. Stripping operations at the west end of the basin of anthracite fuel uncovered the flames, which were eating up measures which were flooded in the eighties.

In 1906, when the water was tapped from Honey Brook, nine men were choked to death by white damp found in the workings of a residue from the mine fire twenty years ago. No further trace of the blaze was encountered, but it is now believed that it continued to rage in remote gangways cut off by falls of rock from the body of coal that was being worked.



"Didn't Know It Was Loaded"

Pugilist Killed While Fooling With Man's Rifle

NEW BRUNSWICK. N. J., Dec. 16. — George Reed walked into a lunch room here and placed his rifle in a corner and sat down to eat breakfast. In a few minutes Severin J. Kucinsky, a pugilist, 25 years old, came in.

He greeted everybody cheerfully. Then he walked over to the rifle, picked it up and placed the muzzle against his heart.

"Now," he said to Reed, "pull the trigger!"

Reed did so. Kucinsky died two hours later in St. Peter's Hospital. Reed was arrested. He said he thought the gun was empty.

The Boy Who Tipped the Scales to a Generous 450 Pounds

Raised In Nebraska

Not long ago one of the most corpulent persons in the country died at Cedar Rapids, Neb. His name was C. Hemingson and his photograph was submitted to GRIT by Roy Meson, of Cedar Rapids. Hemingson was but 17 years old when he died. He weighed 450 pounds. In spite of his immense proportions he managed to move about quite actively. He was helping to extinguish a small fire when he succumbed to over-exertion. He was born and raised on a farm near Cedar Rapids.

—Grit