The evening call. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1891-1893, 1893-06-29
PEOPLE WHO GO 10 FIRES.
They Are of All Sorts and OF VARYING De
greeS of Honesty


Ihey Are OF All Sorts and OF Varying De-
grees of Honesty.
la this city, the. other day, fully
100, 900 people ran to a fire! There is a
strange fascination about big blaze,
not only for the small boy but for
the man as we'll From the
time the engine-house doors
fly open, in response to the still
alarm, till the police draw the lines,
there are always hundreds Of people
anxious to assist or take part, in
some way, in fighting the red dragon.
There are cranks who rush to every
neighbOrhood fire, for no other reason
In the world but that of being on
deck. Sometimes, however, they run
with motives not the most honest.
| The class Of tenement looters" is as
well known to the police as are
funeral thieves" and they are about
| as sincere. When mans house is
| going up in smoke, naturally he is in
hurry to get out his goods; conse-
QuentlY he gratefully accepts the ser
vices Of some stranger, who works
like beaver in getting things down
stairs. The proprietor is excited and
runs wildly to and fro; the fire is al
last subdued: then he takes an in
ventory Of his goods, out on the curb
everything looks all right, but he soor
finds that some one has made Off WITH
800 worth Of his silver.
Aside from the honest fire cranl
and the looter there are the junk
men who hurry to the scene as sool
as they think it safe. They gathe
about, occasionally darting through
the fire lines, and With a crooked iro
proceed to rake the debris in quest o
spoil.
AS far as the attractions Of FIR
60 they are by no means over VINE
B the engines have rumbled home. In
1 wreck Of the building is always II
7 garded as dangerous by the depart
ment. and must be allowed to cool o
before it is entirely abandoned.
3 stream is kept playing on the smol
g ing bricks and mortar, the fire laddl'
run to and fro, pulling, haul1nI
chopping, seeking everywhere for
d spark.
The public is deeply interested
9 this sort Of labor, too, for that ma
ter. Small boys, idling men, bus
bodies generally. mount the ruin
pulling away fallen posts and wall
trying to make people believe tn
are assisting the firemen. The poll
are supposed to prevent this, but tn
N c1n0nECf11I
duty Of the officers to see that no OF
carries off any plumber, and also
keep back intruders, SO that the I'll
!. men may work freely. After T.
B. debris has cooled though, even t
% notice abandon the scene, and then
II the men and women who ran to t
Is fire. the patrol alone remains co
J, spicuous. Their duties compel the
\ to keep a watchful eye on the pre-
N erty saved, in the interest of the
surance companies, whom they
rectly serve, and in whose pay IN
~ are.
III Fire patrOlmen must see that
III unnecessary damage is done durl
u the fighting Of the ire, must Cal
goods to place Of safety, must
!, that none Of it is stolen, and MI
~ nrotect it until the insurance
n iusters get an opportunity to asse
D. This is not done in day. lnsuraI
IN adiusters are as crafty and slow gol
q; AZ detectives They never hur
- They run to the fire quick enou|
- hut they are very slow to depa
They hang around for days at til
intently gazing on the ruins. WI
hey they think Of in these somoer !
ney ments has never yet been record
When YOU see a man at the debris
q big fire, his brow beset with
rowed lines Of care, his hand in
coat like a general, or statesm
Won must set MIN down as an In!
ance adiuster, bordering on
much the insured will take on
dollar and not protest too StrOngl.
The last man who runs 10 III
the chap VINO deals in old brlck
mortar. He goes and looks over
remains Of the building, then
the owner and bids There al
ha number Of dealers in New YORK
make a speciality Of spoil from I
They sort out the wreckage, ana
20 advertise their finds under the
sus- Of second hand window frames,
. !" The brick are cleaned at a small
IA ner thousand and are then sold
spb. ronph inside work. New York \
rice, p, coins
nrha canRdinU nature of Ger