Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-12-24
ROMANCE Or A
BOY FIREMAN..
GLEANINGS FROI A JUVENILE STORY
Dealings With the New York Fire Department
Sparks of Fire and Of Love.

Although 1.-THE Third Alarm" is pro-
fessedly nothing more than a boys
story, nevertheless it Is a book that is
bound to be very closely read by a large
! class OF New Workers. Some boys, per-
haps, will read it simply for the story
which it contains, but there are other
lads who, together with a great many
of their elders, will read it critically
and carefully, because 10 is a romance
which deals with the practical work.
ing of an Institution In which every
true Gothamite has an honest and
hearty pride-the New York Fire De-
partment.
The author of this book, Mr.. James
I L. Ford, has been known chiefly hereto
fore by his contributions to contempt
raneous, humorous and juvenile litera-
ture, but he has been for many years a
close student OF various phases of New
York life, and the theme OF this, his
latest literary venture, was suggested
10 him by the keen enthusiasm with
which people watch and ever follow the
swift running engines and book and
ladder trucks as they dash through the
streets in a mad race TO save life and
property.
The fire service has always exercised
a peculiar fascination over boys, and,
although the city is full OF ''fre-cranks"
OF all ages, it occurred to Mr..
Ford that a greater number OF
them could be lead to become interest
ed in the book If it were to be put In
the form of a juvenile romance. This
he has done in 1.-THE Third Alarm" and
while be has provided his hero with a
romantic and interesting career and has
led him through many vicissltudes to
ultimate glory and happiness, he has
vet contrived to impart to his young
readers an immense amount OF infOr-
nation regarding the best appliances
for extinguishing fires, and the methods
i'm vogue, in what we New Workers
consider the best fire department in the
world.
NO AMERICAN IRE LITERATURE.
Now, Americans are a people Of deeds.
rather than words, and so 1t happens
that, despite the acknowledged superb
ority of our scheme Of FIRE extin-
guishment, we have absolutely no fire
literature Of our own, although hun
dreds. of European books have been
published bearing on different phases Of
the subject.
Captain Shaw, who was for twenty
five years chief of the London Fire Bri-
gade, is the author Of four or FIVE tech
meal books, which are highly regarded
in England, and Costello's history OF
our own department is well known to
its members. There have been bali a
dozen volumes written on the Theatre
Comioue fire and almost as many on the
Ring Theatre fire. There have been
also one or two German stories founded
on the Berlin department, and a great
many years ago an English author
wrote a Juvenile story about the London
Fire Brigade; but with the exception Of
Mr.. Ford, no author, so far as is
known, has founded a complete and in
teresting story on life in the New York
department..
HERO OF FoRD's VOLUME.
The hero oil "The Third Alarm"
Bruce Dexter, is the son OF q fireman
who has been killed in the performance
of his duty, and cut Of regard fer his
fathers memory, the chief OF battalion
allows Bruce TO attach himself to the
truck quarters, where he makes himself
as useful as he can, studies all the de-
tails of the service, and meantime
makes a number of useful friends.
One of these friends Is an old gentle
man named Peter DeWsnap, who. in bis
younger days. was an enthusiastic mem
Der Of the old volunteer department,
and has been what is known as 3 fire
crank" ever since. There are plenty Of
men Of this type in New York. more
than most people are aware Of, and not
q fire occurs that does not attract q
score Of them to watch the turning
A "frs crank" Of another sort,