Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-28
TURNING IN FALSE ALARMS.
Malicious Action, but Not Mistakes,
Should Be Punished.

The recent movement in police and
nre circles to increase the penalty for the
oHense OF turning in false alarms of fro
is good one, and should be carried out"
said local insurance man to a Star re-
porter but am reminded of an instance
recently happening in this connection
where an alarm, although it would have
peen fa!se, might have been justified
L live In a fiat on upper 14th street. the
ground floor of which is occupied by a
store A few Sundays ago, while we were
dining, We heard strange voices I'm the
'front.' hallway, accompanied by pounding
on the doors. Before / could reach tho
front door l encountered couple of men
fastening toward me in the hallway of the
nat, who hurredly volunteered as an ex-
PLANTATION for their thus practically forcing
an entrance into the apartment, the pleas
ing information that the roof was on fire.
and that had better hustle out of it,
They further informed me that a
heaVy volume of smoke strongly impreg-
mated with the odor of burning wood, was
sweeping over the roof to the south of
| the building over vacant lot adjoining,
and that the sidewalk was crowded with
were alarmed as to the welfare of the in
mates of the building. 1 went to the
WINDOW mo ,s saw crowd of people gazing up
Ing, and noted the thick smoke rolling
over the vacant space in question.
n,nd ia thanked the gentlemen for their
parent danger, but requested them not to
turn in an alarm. 1 explained to them
that the smoke came from a chimney on
the north side of my fat from the adj
Joining building, also an apartment house
of three stories, the ground floor being also
occupied by q store, the owner of which
economies in furnace fuel by the use of
excelsior and broken-up packing boxes.
The gentlemen seemed incredulous and I
watched them make an explanation later
to the crowd below. The smoke soon
ceased and the throng dispersed.
1T Is in this manner. with, different
stance, that hundreds of what are termed
false alarms of fire. are annually turned
in in this city. 1t was just year pre-
heard a violent ringing of our electric
bell. followed by the appearance of sew
eral excited men in our hallway yelling
fire. Gu this occasion I had been badly
scared AID had descended into the street
and noted the smoke I have described.
''On this CORNER occasion 1 turned in
less time than it takes to tell ii. for
then thought the roof of my fiat was on
fire, as did the crowd found on the side
walk. The firemen came, and when they
got to the roof the cause of the smoke
was discovered. The wind being in tho
right direction and the atmosphere heavy
over the edge of the roof into the south
vacant space to the sidewalk, and the APP
psarance of q roof fire. seemed perfect.
But suppose the roof had really been
on fire Blazes of this sort, of exterior
ORIGIN are in nearly all instances noticed
first by pedestrians on the streets, or the
occupants of adjoining premises. Every
minute counts, and in each of these in
stances I have cited pedestrians would
have been justified from appearances In
turning in alarms, yet In each instance
there was no actual fire.
1.-The penalty for a wilful turning in
Of a false alarm should be severe, but cit
liens should in no wise be deferred from
acting quickly at the fire box If rea-
sonable ground appeared of the presence
of fire in a building. 1t Is prompt ac-
ton in the initial instance which often
prevents what is reported as an fnclpient
fire. from becoming dangerous one.
me. the occupants of the house first learn
of the fire when the engines, thanks to
this promptness appear at the door"