The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-02
FIREMEN KEPT BUSY
SLIGHT BLAzEs KEEP THEM ON THE
 RUN ALL DAY.
Men of Fire Department, During the
 Last sixteen Hours, Have Been
 Called Out One Dozen

The cold snap has made things very busy for the firemen. In sixteen hours they went to dozen fires, and in fact, ever since the big fire Friday night, they have been on the jump. The best piece of work they did during the last few days was saving the s2eo,0o0 plant of the Alabama Cotton oil Company, which caught fire early Monday morn ing.
 After the f1remen came back to their station houses they had a brief rest, | then the trouble started At 6:55 o'clock in the morning, George Harris.s house, 20 Wilkinson Street, occupied by H. F. Jones, caught fire on the roof. The men from the Madison Avenue and Five Points stations, responded, confin- ing the damage to $50.
 l On their way back from the fire, the roof of Emma Jones's house. 138 Hall l Street.. started splazing, and they put that out before the property was | greatly hurt Then they headed for home again, only to respond to an alarm that called them to 414 South Union Street, the house occupied by Clara Betts, 1t having been set on fire from a defective fireplace. The presence of the department men SO soon after the U before 1t gained any headway
 Just as the tired men ana horses reached the fire engine house. the bell sounded again, calling them to a house. part of the T. H. Carr estate 421 South Court Street, occupied by c. T. Fitz- patrick. The roof was ablaze, but the flames were .~extingpished in time to confine the damage to about $15. Soaked with water from head to heels ha av. last supply of dry clothes and thought they were to have brief respite, but at 11:30 o'clock they were called to Deca- tur Street, where in a side alley. three negro cottages were blazing furiously The middle house was too far gone to be saved. so the men confined them selves to saving adjoining property. It was a rather stubborn fight the fire put up assisted by the wind. The houses are mostly old and the drought has made them very dry. They burnt like finder, but the good work of the fighters prevented a confiagration. The damage at this place does not amount to more than $500. The whole damage done by the dozen fires during the last two days does not amount to more than $500.
 The fire department stations each had something to dc. There was not brig anO sltldl| was hGL lAIAcQ OQt anu every man got his soaking. The men of the Madison Avenue station got the brunt of the work, being present at more than half of the fires. They used up every scrap of winter clothing they had and when night came Monday evening. they were clad in summer garb, low quarter. ed shoes. fancy socks, peek-a-boo waists and other things pertaining to hot weather. There was not man in the station that had winter clothes that were not wet. and the good natured raillery that went around because of the curious garbs caused no little amusement. Their fast work on each occasion told. for several of the fires were in closely packed neighborhoods and almost every house was wooden structure.
 During January. 1908. the apparatus of the department made forty-eight runs. Last February the record was made with fifty-two. Considering the start made this month it looks like the old record will be broken.