The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27
Fire-Department Stories
Told on the Midnight Watch
in a Mood Tells His Interesting
Exper "A Profus of Lathe

ii. We started down the cellar way and
the smoke was awfully thick. but by put
ting our heads close to the nozzle We were
able TO stand il.
However, Just before we got to the CEN
ter OF the cellar the floor above caved in
ana came tumbling down. We supposed
that all of the floors had fallen, and, as
could not get out, we waited. but moth
ing came except the one floor, which had
just caved in and formed a cone, and
around this We had 10 climb. 1t seemed
to us as though il two miles TO the
back of the cellar, but we finally got there
and began hitting the fire with the stream.
MYSTERIOUS WHITE STUFF.
After the water had played on 1t a little
while everything round was covered with
something white. and this white substance
was floating in the air; and. we had no
light except the CLEAN of fire. it gave the
place a CHASTITY appearance. We hit this
white stuff with the stream, but it would
only float gently away, and water had no
effect on it whatever. That stuff was all
around us. and / will tell you. in that glim-
mering light. while neither one of us be-
lieved in ghosts. it made feel queer.
1--WE didn't find out what it was that
night, for soon the chief relieved US. and
other men took our places, but after we
had returned to our quarters l could not
help thinking about it. and made it point
to go down and investigate 1t the next day.
1 found that this concern had a great
quantity of soap stored in the cellar. and
the heat from the flames had melted II;
when began throwing water ii formed
a great mass of lather, and this, ating
around in the dim light from the fire, made
a CHASTITY sight. | will have to admit that
L was greatly relieved when L found out
what Ii was
After the fireman had finished this story
he sat for some minutes steadily smoking
hut final w nod n lie toll
One of the Strangest things that / have
ever seen since | have been a member of
the department occurred some years ago.
when L was stationed IL company on the
south side of town, ne said. "A young
Jew had moved into the neighborhood and
bought a barber shop, oA4ch was only a
short distance from the engine house.
Well, he came around every once in awhile.
and we could tell by his conversation that
he was very well educated because his
language excellent.
I'm those days, for it was before this
new fire-alarm system was put in and
all alarms came in on the gong, we did
not have TO stay so close TO the house, and
often would walk up to his barber shop,
for from there could hear the bell. and
talk TO him. We all noticed that every
time we went In he was reading a book of
chemistry, and we used to joke with him
about it, He said that it had always been
his favOrite study when in school and he
liked to keep it up.
well. the back of his barber shop was
against the back of a saloon, which faced
on the other street and lounging about
the saloon was an old man who cleaned I'D
the place for his board and lodging The
room In which he slept was right against
the barber shop. and there was a door be-
tween the two places
lone night along about O'Clock, this old
man came running in the engine house
and said there something the matter
over at the barber shop and he believed the
place was on fire. We got upJ hitched the
horses to the wagon and went over there,
but We could see no fire. We took an ak
and broke the door down. and out came
| a great roll of smoke, which was of a
very peculiar yellow, and 1t kept pouring
| out of the place in great quantities. Some
| of us put wet handkerchiefs over our
| faces. and by crawling on our hands and
| knees we were able to get in. And standing
| in the back part of the room in the center
! of the floor we found a chair on which
was an ordinary saucer filled with Somet
| thing that emitted this smoke. We simply
| threw the saucer out of the window, and
/ the fire was out. After this we started an
| investigation. This Jew had taken paper
| and stopped up every hole with the ex-
| ception of the keyhole in the door leading
| into the saloon and this he had forgotten
| He had then started this stuff, whatever il
| just when we did the whole place would
| have been blown up, but the old mar
| smelled the odor of the smoke coming into
his room and it woke him up just in time. .
| Did you ever find the jew" asked
/ some one in the room.
| No" replied the fireman. I'VE never saw
| him afterwards, but we did find out the
| day before this happened that he had the
| place heavily insured and this was the way
! he meant to get the money"
The fireman this time looked UP at the
| clock, whose hands pointed TO 1885, and
| after knocking the ashes from his pipe
said it was time TO wake I'D the other man
| and strolled off to bed
The visitors, for the first time realizing
the lateness of the hour, got up and left
for they were afraid if the other man was
| as interesting a talker as the first they
would be there until daylight