The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-21
AN EARLY
FIRE CA1L.
Electric Light Wire and Gas Pipe
Cause Trouble.
FlREMEN PERFORM GOOD WORK !
A. H. Swain and Family Aroused From
their slumbers at Two O'Clock This
Morning by a Fire That Made
Rapid Headway Under
Their Bedroom
Floor.

Shortly before two O'Clock this morning
cries Of Police ~ attracted Chief Of Police
Tosh and Watchman Martin OHara to the
hardware store and dwelling of A. H.
Swain, on North Main street Watchman
Creary and Policeman Ed Kester arrived
soon after. They found Mr. Swalm's wife at
the entrance to the house and she told them
that there was fire in the rear Of the store.
kester and Creary stood guard at the en-
trance, while TOsh, O'Hara and Mrs Swain
Joined the latter's husband in the store and
attempted to put out what, to them, appeared
to be slight fire. Mr.. Swain adjusted a
small hose to a hydrant in the store and Mrs.
Swain carried buckets of water. With this
assistance the two officers fought the fire,
which was in the ceiling It soon became
evident that there was more fire than could
be reached from below and the quartette
hurried to the bedrooms over the rear part of
the store. Tosh and O'Hara worked like
Troians and received excellent assistance from
both Mr.. and Mrs. Swain, who were per-
fectly self-possessed and did all that could be
suggested to assist the officers in putting out
the fire without having the place flooded by
water, but it soon became evident that the
services of the fire department were indis-
pensable and Policeman Kester was sent to
sound an alarm. Mr.. and Mrs Swain praise
the police and watchmen highly for their
services. At one time both Tosh and O'IIara
staggered as if they were about to succumb,
but they reached fresh air and quickly re-
covered. Both men were drenched with
water and showed the effects of hard work
Policeman Kester sent q double alarm
from box 20, at the corner of Main and
Centre street. When the fire companies ar
rived the flames had spread between the
jOists of the second floor to the southwestern
corner of the building and a stack of fire ex-
tending up the weather boards from the sec
ond floor to the roof brightly illuminated the
neighbOrhood. 1t was 2;05 when the alarm
was sounded and the fremen had before
them what threatened to be an extensive and
disastrous fire, but their work was so prompt,
effective and judiciOus that within fifteen
minutes the fire was ont and, without any
material damage 10 the interior of the
building by water. Mr.. Swain says that
had the interior been flooded his damage
would have been at least 81 900 more than it
is. Estimates were made this morning and
the loss is fixed at about $fO0
Mr.. Swain was the first to discover the
fire. He and his wife occupy one of the bed
rooms over the rear of the store. Their two
children occupy the adjoining bedroom Mr..
Swain was awakened by choking sensation
and found the bedroom filled with dense
smoke. He says that when his feet touched
the floor t felt hot. He rushed down to the
store and saw blue flame at the electric
light wire on the ceiling. HIS wife ran to
the front door to call the police. When the
police arrived his two children were taken
out of their bedroom to front room, where
they remained until the fire assumed a more
serious FORM when they we're carried to the
house of q neighbOr. The police say Mrs.
Swain is a remarkably selfpossessed woman.
After the alarm was sent in and her services
were no longer required in the attempts to
put out the fire, she proceeded to pack trunks
with such articles as she would wish to save
should their removal from the house be re-
quired. This she did deliberately as the
hremen hurried to and fro about her, the
only evidence of alarm on her part being
an occasional admonition to the fremen to
give her due notice if the fire should get
beyond their control and a removal of effects
become necessary, THAT woman is worth
four of the general run of men in case of
this kind, - remarked one of the fremen.
An exhaustive investigation as to the cause
of the FIRE was made this morning and the
conclusion reached that in extending gas
pipe along the ceiling to the rear part of the
store few months ago the electric light
wires on the ceiling were interfered with in
such manner as to create a short circuit.
This had an effect on the gas pipe in such a
way that small hole was gradually eaten
into it. II is presumed that last night the
safety fuse at this point gave way to the
pressure under the short circuit The burst
ing of the safety fuse occasioned, as it always
does, a small spark, or flame, and this ignited
the gas which was escaping from the small
hole made in the pipe by the short circuit