Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-11-11

set fire to a pile of newspapers on the
show you how to douse the flames out.
There will be some little smoke, but
that can go out of the windows"
Mrs Bowser felt certain that some
disaster would happen if anything of
the sort was attempted, but it was Ell
Their give in or have row, and she
gave in. The cook felt the same way,
but she wanted to keep her place for
the winter. before going down cellar
Mr.. Bowser unwrapped the extinguish-
er and explained what it was charged
with and how it worked. He also gave
a brief history of the great Chicago
fire, which might have been prevented
by cool man and an extinguisher.
Then the trio proceeded down cellar.
and he heaped up lot of old newspa-
pers and gave history of the Boston
confagration, which could also have
been checked in it's infancy by one
squirt from Squlrter.
Now, then he continued, as he
opened the cellar window and got
ready to strike a match, eve will make
this scene as realistic as~possible. 1t
is midnight | awake TO smell smoke
and hear the faint cracking of the de-
structive flames. l bound out Of bed
without saying anything to Mrs. Bow
ser. and as l come down stairs I find
the cellar ablaze. it is from the cooks
carelessness as she brought up coal for
morning. | seize the extinguisher and
come dashing down. and. though it APP
pears as if no human power could stay
the conf1agration, tackle 1t and have
it out in 20 seconds will now light
the papers to show you how the thing
works.
AS the papers were alight he rushed
upstairs after the extinguisher. A min
ute later he reappeared with it strap
ped to his back and the nozzle in his
hand. He had meant to keep very cool
and do the thing up beautifully, but he
grew excited over it and as he was met
by volume of smoke he lost his head
and his footing at the same time.
With a whoop and a yell he fell for
ward down stairs and rolled over and
over to the cellar bottom. As he rolled
the extinguisher tried to extinguish,
but instead Of the stream striking the
flames it played on Mr.. Bowser's head
and feet and body, on the ceiling
above and the walls around, on the
women who tried to rush forward and
help him up. The pile of papers blazed
and the smoke poured out of the WIN
dows, and it wasn't thirty seconds be-
fore some one was pounding at the
front door and yelling ''Fire!" Mrs.
Bowser ana the cook lodged the fire
and the extinguisher and fed up stairs.
but it was too late. A score of people
came crowding in as soon as the door
was opened, and without asking ques-
tons they dived down into the kitchen
and snatched up anything that could
hold water.
Mr.. Bowser had got UP by this time
and had got control of the squirter, but
he couldn't get up stairs for the people
who were throwing down water. AS
he yelled and shouted and swore an
engine came rafting up, 8 hose nozzle
was thrust into the open window, and
during the next five minutes 800 barrels
of ice cold water gushed into the cellar.
Everything, including Mr.. Bowser, was
afioat and soaked and chilled to the
marrow when Mrs. Bowser finally made
the over-zealous popuiace understand
the situation. Then Mr.. Bowser was
hauled out of the window by fireman,
and while Mrs. Bowser and the cat
stood on the steps above and the popu-
lace crowded around the fireman held
the fire statistician up against the wall
and called HIN seventeen kinds OF a