Show as a airo extinguisher lightning recently struck the flagpole tho eastford hotel at oxford sid a largo building which was formerly ahe maryland military and naval academy and set fire to the cupola causing much consternation among tho guests and threatening to destroy tho house this would have been tho caso but for tho rain which was falling at the time and the efforts of the proprietor who aed milk as an extinguisher it is stated in accordance with an old superstition that water will cot put out firo caused by lightning how long this antique fallacy has clouded tho minds of the superstitious ious is not known but that it has come dowa from remote times will hardly be questioned the hotel proprietor believing that water would not save his premises was at liis wits end for an effective extinguisher until he noticed a milk wagon filled with cans of the lacteal fluid standing just at tho moment in front of the bouse a ready to hand method of salvation providentially supplied seizing one of the cans the nonbeliever in water lugged it to tho top of tho hotel and poured it out on the lightning kindled flames and then went back for further supplies until he had tho satisfaction of seeing the lat bpark smothered and the burning hol saved baltimore sun |