The Washington herald., 1909-08-12
FOX TERRIER DOES
TRICK TO FIREMEN
NipS Joseph BarlOw'S Legs
and Turns in Alarm.
THEATER MECCA OF CONFUSION
Barlow Had Inserted Key in Box to
Report 30. X" When Stage Ter
rier Bit Him on Leg-He Did His
Part in the ImprOmptu Drama and
Firemen Did the Rest.

II was about 7:3O o'clock last night. be-
hind the scenes at the Lyceum Theatel.
when Fireman Joseph Barlow walked
across the stage 10 a fire alarm box. drew
a ring of keyes from a pocket, and in
serted a key In the lock on the door.
There was nothing unusual in his ac-
ton, for every one familiar with the
workings" behind the drop" knew Fire
man Barlow reported o. X. TO fire alarm
headquarters every night about 1880
o'clock. He had been doing the same
thing nightly since he was detailed to the
playhouse from No. 1 Chemical Company.
and he performed the duty last night
with the ennui OF a tired existence.
No one gave attention 10 the fireman as
he turned the key, throwing open the
iron door Of the little red box. Scenery
shifters moved about languidly, attending
to this or that duty; a chorus girl in
brilliant red costume down a small hall
was arranging her coiffure, and laughed
lightly at something said by a girl In the
dressing-room; the stage manager stood
IN the center OF the stage looking upward
at a Fly, which was in position: a pet
terrier trotted beneath washstand in a
corner Of the stage and Tapped water from
a small tin pan, and everything was as
usual.
Chorus stood in Waiting.
In three-quarters of an hour the cur
tain would rise before a chorus OF gay.
laughing. singing girls just as It had
risen for years and years. SO Fireman
Barlow slowly drew the key from the
lock. He was about to lower his arm
/ when the terrier playful after quenching
! its thirst ran behind the fireman. Bar
low did not know the terrier was be-
! tween his legs, and when he felt the
sharp prick Of row OF tiny teeth. ac-
/ companied by a loud bark. the man in
/ voluntarily jumped
! In some manner the key ring was
! hooked IN lever inside the fire box. and
when Barlow suddenly moved his hand
| IN trying TO evade the terrier the hook
/ began 20 move. 1t descended slowly. de-
/ scribing a semi-circle. and it's movement
was accompanied by a low buzzing. Bar
/ low kicked at the terrier. which scam
/ pered away. Then the fireman quickly
| turned 10 the fire box
It's all over now" was his inaudIhle
! comment as he watched the hook ue-
| scend 70 the bottom OF the semI-circle
and then fly upward with a snap Barlow
| slammed the door and turned around.
! The terrier had disappeared. The stage
manager was insructing two stage
hands how to arrange the "hy," whicn
| was out Of place. The chorus girl had
! finished piling her black hair on top OF
] a
/ and coils In the mass while she stood
/ before a mirror observing the effect OF
/ her work.
There was quiet and tranquility behind
! the scenes, with only the low monotone
| OF soft-talking men and women to dis
] turb the peace. Beyond the footlights
O musician was mending a violin, and
| beyond him a waiter was standing in the
aisle tying white apron about his
waist
Beyond the waiter was a policeman.
sitting IN a chair beside a door leading
to the long, brilliantly lighted lobby
which opened on the street. In the street
there was no quiet. but a babble and
great confusion. From almost every d.
roctiOn came the clank Of fire bells. and
down Pennsylvania avenue could be seen
engines, hose carriages. and trucks being
=
cabs, automobiles. and pedestrians.
Then a shrill clang was heard. and Bat
talon Chief Proctor and Deputy Chief
Sullivan appeared in fast-driven carriages, |
which stopped with a rush and cIamor
before the entrance 20 the theater
Engines Nos. 2, 6, "A. and l6 followed !
the chiefs and were stopped beside water |
plugs. while rubber-coated hremen began |
running lines OF hose into the playhouse. |
Trucks ] and 3 added to the confusion, |
and in a few seconds a numbering water |
tower drew up at the Avenue and Elev- |
enth street
Patrol Wagon on Scene.
A detail Of policemen from the First |
precinct station, under Lieut. Sprinkle !
jumped from a patrol wagon. and began !
clearing sidewalks Of a throng Of hun
dreds Of persons. who were impeding the |
dremen and getting in each others way |
Then five or six fire ladies" started 4
inside the theater, determined to beat the /
blaze or die in the attempt. They ran l
at full speed down the corridor. and l
burst through the lobby into the audi !
forum. A babel arose, and Fire. |
Firel"' was heard on every side The /
intrepid six took a course down an aisle |
and pounced to the stage like steepIe- /
cnasers clearing q jump.
They looked before, behind. on each
side, and above, but neither smoke nor /
FIRE could they see. and then they saw
Fireman Barlow sitting on a soap box /
waiting for the excitement to subside.
where's the ire?" yelled one OF the /
firemen, TO which Barlow slowly an /
swered: There's no fire here. 1 made |
a mistake"
In the half hour of explanation which /
followed Barlow made il plain how he /
accidentally turned in an alarm for fire |
while reporting 90. K" 10 headQuar- /
ters, but he did not tell how the fox ter
rfaH .Na,rgnT ou 10 fwnrhl.