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Show I SMOKE EATERS HAVE I ODD EXPERIENCES !N I I DISCHARGE OF DUTY 14- (HY WILL O'BYRNE.) It used to bo that kiddies turned in false alarms to see the "horslcs run." But, nowadays. It la to neo the-'shirr, the-'shirr, autos scoot past." Ninety-five per cent of the false alarms turned in last year In Ogdcn were by children, according to the Investigations conducted by Fire Chief Geo ;(;- A Grucs, Tho other five per rent v eto by adults who, Chief Graves said, could "be divided Into the olfUMea I those that were criminally inclined and who turned in the false alarms with the deliberate Intention of taking: tak-ing: the equipment away from a fire beinr fought and those that lacked ordinary Intelligence. More than ninety-five per cent of all fire alarms are now received over t iie telephone at headquarters. ODD F A PTOIBNt I S And due to this change the fireman fire-man have met with some odd experiences. experi-ences. A fall waf received at heudquartcrs one afternoon last year. 'There's a fire." came the voice over the wire and as the crew piled n the equipment ready to go the voice continued. 'You- know, l think a great deal of my lawn and 1 have been " "Yes. yea," hastily Interrupted the fireman, "but where in the fire?" "Well. I'm coming to that." continued con-tinued the woman while the fireman danced about With the receiver to his ear and the men on the trucks wondered. won-dered. If he had lout his tongue. ."I've jUBl planted my lawn with seed and I wanted to tell you about." "Yes! yea! yes!" the now frantic fireman shouted." but, where do you live?" XiAMEfi BREAK THROUGH "I guess you better hurry," the voice went on "for I can see the flames breaking out through the roof But, I wanted to tell you not to spoil my new 'awn with your men and lad-I lad-I ders. will you?" "Surely not. madam, not for th world." answered the exasperated fireman fire-man recovering his wits and decldlns to humor her, "but. where do you lire?" "Oh, the fire Is not at my house. It's at Mrs. Jones' house next door to mine. She asked me to call you " And finally they got the number and got to the fire in time to save the cellar from burning up. or down, as you wish. FIREMEN NOT BUND-READERS But, all of the trouble can not be II traced to uneasy women. There is the man. for instance, that ! will .lump In his auto ir on his blcy-IJ blcy-IJ cle. ride like mad to the nenre.t fire J 1 alarm box. turn in the alarm and then forgetful of the fact that the firemen are not wizards, ride madly i back to where the house is burning. This happens frequently List year thtj equipment arrived one afternoon at a fire-alarm box on the bench The chief had about decided to go hack, that it was another case of a 'also alarm when a bicyclist came riding madly down 'he street, Jumped off bis wheel and shouted-"Well, shouted-"Well, what are you standing around here fore? Why don't you go to the fire? My house (s burning' ' "We would If we knew where It was," answered the chief and before the amazed man got the directions fairly out of his mouth the equipment aae again on the way to a point some four blocks distant Few people realise the danger involved in-volved in turning In false alarms SPLIT UP EQUIPMENT While the equipment wan fighting a fire at 166 Twenty-fifth street the alarm of which was received at 10:46 p. m. one night last month, some one turned in a false alarm from Box 36, at the corner of Twenty-fifth street I and Monro avenue I Whether that case was one of the deliberate cases involving the turning In of an alarm by some one who I wished to draw the department away from Its work, split up the equipment, as It were, la still being investigated That sort of thing happened frequently fre-quently two years ago. Fire Chief Graves eAid. He recalled the night when the department de-partment was working at the maca- ronl factory fire near Nineteenth and ' Washington aenue and within a few f I minutes w.-is called to HkM the Ogden Junk House fire at 20:y Washington avenue. It was while this fire was burning that the department received two false alarms from different section sec-tion of the city. rati er peculiar Instance happened , 1 last year which the firemen at he;id- i quarters still talk about. me morning n alarm was received by telephone at 1:05 o'clock to the ferfect thai the St, i'aul hotel at 427- '3i Twenty-fifth waa on fire. II I IIS CAR DAMAGED Tn making the run to this the chief's I car. driven by Lester Hill skidded, j due to the wet street, collided with 1 pole and both Chief Gruves and the driver narrowly escaped serious In-; jury. The damage to the car was re-j paired at a cost of approximately ) $200. The false alarm was traced to a I telephone pay atatlon at the l'nion stullon and was turned In shortly be- j foro a man who at one time was In the flic department service hoarded a train at the Lnion station for Poca tello, Idaho. He had been visiting the I ire department but a short time be-j fore the alarm was received. An amusing feature of the false alarm angle happened recently In Salt ! Lake. Fire nief W H. Bywater had! been visiting the public school demonstrating dem-onstrating to the youngsters with an alarm box how an alarm should be turned In. The following week there waa re- ii eued at the fire headquarters more, j false alano-. trom boxes than had been , turned In tor months. I The chief decided that the youngsters young-sters were demonstrating that tht-y I had paid close attention to his lec- I ture. Inquiry relative to false alarm brought out a peculiar sidelight on the i question i:h TO BUSINESS. At one period false alarms became entirely too frequent to suit Chief. Graves some years age and he began' I a quiet investigation. I It was during the time when a cer- tain man was employed on the depart -1 ment as a substitute and as such he i received fifty cents for each alarm he responded to and $1 fr each alarm In which water was used. The investigation showed that a ' bosom friend was making it his buei- 1 ness to turn in false alarms and that 'the substitute waa splitting the fifty-I cent fee with him. His immediate dismissal saved him what would undoubtedly have been rather severe treatment at the hand j of tho men. oo |
