The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-10
Janitor schappa's Quick Work Pre-
Nantad n Diaa ct rnl1r ENira

vented DlSiStTOuH f1Te.
1t was only by the vigilance ant
quick action of Janitor William A
Schappa that serious fire was prevent
ed in city hall last night. The fire com
missioners, who were in session in theii
room on the first floor of the hall, were
having a heated discussion over the
case of Fireman William A. Miller but
there is no probability that this, warn
though it was, caused the fire.
Janitor Schappa was sitting in the
lower corridor near the elevator when
he detected a strong odor of smoke. He
looked around, but could see no fire
and then he jumped into the elevator
and descended to the cellar. There he
looked around, but could find no cause
for the smoke which filled the cellar
The dynamo which runs the elevator is
enclosed in a little boarded up 10x10
room at the foot of the elevator shaft.
There are two doors leading into this
room and both were closed Opening
one of these Mr. Schappa was startled
to see a thick volume of smoke roll out
and looking inside he saw flames leap
ing nearly to the ceiling and enveloping
the dynamo.
He ran back to the boiler room where
he keeps a hose continually attached to
a faucet for the purpose of wetting
down the coal. Snatching up this hose
and turning on the water he carried
the hose towards the dynamo room, but
found it would not reach quite to the
door. He finally turned the stream of
water through the door, however so
as to reach the blaze and after he had
subdued the fire partially in this way
he secured hand fire grenade and
broke it over the dynamo in the midst
of the blaze. This squelched the flames
and few pailfuls Of water extinguish-
ed the sparks which hung in the wood
work under the dynamo.
Mr.. Schappa then went into the fire
department headquarters and called
out Fire Marshal Gladwin and Super
intendent of Fire Alarm Telegraph
Grant, who aided him in tearing up the
remnants of the burned floor of the
dynamo room and in putting out some
lurking sparks.
The dynamo was then started and it
was found that it had not been injured
to prevent the elevator run
ming. Superintendent Grant is of the
spark from that part of the dynamo
known as the computor. This is
small cylindrical wheel to which are at
tached several rows of brushes and it
is thought that a spark set fire to a
piece of waste or other like material
which might have caught on the
brushes. The blaze was communicated
to the board floor and the boards to-
gether with the stringers to which they
are attached were in a blaze when Mr.
Schappa discovered the fire.
Had the blaze had more of start
the elevator shaft would have acted as
a f1ue and a fierce fire would have
been raging in few min
utes. The committee meeting was be-
ing held on the second floor and Jani-
tor Schappa was present on that ac-
count. II the hall had been closed, as
t is evenings when no meetings are
leld, the city hall would probably have
needed considerable repairing before it
would again accommodate the city IA
hers. AS it was the damage will not |
exceed $40 unless the valuable dynamo |
s found to be injured, which it did not |
seem to be last night,