Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-25
MAYOR RENTERS WITH FIRE
Dahlman's Office Blazes on Day Of
Second Inauguration.
FLAMES PUT OUT BY SECRETARY
Mayor Knows Nothing of ~ Until
Miss Malone Conauers the Blaze
and Tells Him TOW
Happened.

-
Mayor Dahlman was baptized with fire
on the occasion OF his induction into Of
flee Monday to begin his second term as
chief executive OF the city OF Omaha.
But the ma, or showed none Of those
brave qualities heard of so much. in fact,
it is said he knew nothing Of the fire until
it was out, and had it not been for the
presence Of mind OF Miss Nellie Malone
the mayors secretary, the city hall might
now be nothing but a mass of smouldering
ruins. Luckily, Miss Malone saw the fire
In time and instead of screaming and run
ming away, as some women would have
done, she grabbed some old rugs and ex-
tinguished II before much harm was done.
The mayor was talking over the phone
in his private office and Miss Malone had
gone into another inner office, when some
office seekers had left. She soon returned
to the main office 10 find it blue with
smoke. Flames were cracking around her
desk and official documents, blown by the
wind coming in from an open window, were
flying through the office. burning fire
brands which ate holes through the ex-
pensive rugs wherever they lit. One leg
of the secretary's chair was burned off,
the whole Of one side of her desk was
blackered and charred and the wastepaper
basket had been entirely consumed.
There was no time to be lost, and the
secretary, without sounding an alarm,
grabbed a couple OF old rugs and smothered
the fire before 1t had gotten a hold Of the
woodwork of the building itself
Then she Tells the Mayor.
Miss Malone then told the mayor what
had happened, but, contrary to all pre-
cedent. she did not faint.
While the outer office in Mayor Dahl
mans corner Of the third floor Of the
city building is decorated with charred
embers and burned carpets, his inner Of
flee presents a gala scene. The inclemency
of the weather deferred the custodian from
flying TO the breeze the new city flag, and
this, therefore, draped across one side OF
the executives office. over his desk. Then
on his desks were placed several large
bouquet of flowers sent by friends with
congratulations and we'll wishes for an
other three-year term. Red roses pre-
dominated in these bouquets, the mayors
preference to this color and this flower
being known.
Mayor Dahlman was not the only city
official who was given flowers Monday,
however. for when the council convened at
3 O'Clock In the afternoon the six repub-
llcan members found on their desks large
boquets with congratulatory messages
from tine Central Republican club. The club
also sent a boquet 10 City Engineer Craig
The new city officials took hold Monday
morning, though all of those holding ex-
%ecutive positions, with the exception of city
engineer, are holdovers. Each walked into
his respective office, shook hands with the
former incumbent (himself), made his ap.
pointments for the term, and resumed work
just as though nothing had happened.
No Change for Craig Now.
City Engineer Craig will make no changes
In his office at present, but in the Other
elective offices-clerk, comptroller, attorney
and building inspector-the present forces
have been reappointed with only one ex.
ception. This exception is in the building
inspectors office, where Fred belong, as
%sistant, Will be superseded by another II
a short time. Dick Grotte. deputy. ant
John Moss, assistant, building inspectors
have been reappointed.
City Clerk Butler has reappointed his en-
tire force as follows: Deputy, Thomas F
Daily; license clerk, Harry Primeau; or
dinance clerk. Oldrich Jellen; assistant or
dinance clerk, Win Sergeant; journal clerk
Naomi Schenck; stenosrapher, Grace Glib
son.
The force IN the office OF City Comptrolle
Lobeck will remain as heretofore: Deputy
Fred II. Cosgrove; head bookkeeper, Ottt
Wolff; bookkeepers, S. r.. Crickmore, w. S
Robertson, william Sievers and Franl
Planck; stenographer, Amy Bergstrom.
City Attorney Burnam has also reap
pointed his old assistants: First, Ignatiu
J. Dunn; second, John A, Rine; stenog
raphers, Suzette Peasinger and Sara
, Marks.
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