Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-10-09
MYSTERY SURROUNDS ACT


qaard's Cellar in Market
Street Over a Year.
Again the old triangle. which once
summoned people to fires and which
during the last thirty years has pass
ed through some peculiar situations,
has come into the limelight. II was
stolen once more Saturday after
noon. This time from under the
ever watchful eye of Jeppe Sender
gard, who has harbored 1t for the
last three years. It was stolen from
the cellar OF a house he was moving
out OF late Saturday afternoon and
its whereabouts Is unknown except
to those who earted 1t away.
This latest theft OF the eity's for
ner fire alarm was committed be-
tween 8 and o'clock Saturday af-
ternoon while Mr. Sondergaard was
removing from 23 Market street to
93 state street. The york had prac-
tically been completed and the tri-
angle, we'll boxed in wooden case,
was left behind in the cellar at 20
Market street to be taken out later
under cover Of darkness. Mr.. Son
dergaard last saw 1t in the cellar
about s o'clock Saturday afternoon.
When he returned an hour or so
later 1t had disappeared. He does
not know of Its present location but
hopes 1t is in the hands OF some ex-
empt firemen He, himself, belongs
to the Exempt Firemen's Association
and proudly boasts of having had
possession of the relic for so long a
time.
While Mr.. Sondergaard was
changing his place Of residence Sat
urday he thought 1t good plan to
let some other members of the Ex-
empt F'iremen's Association take
possession Of the relic for time, SO
he called up former Chief James M.
Glenn and asked him to harbor 1t.
Mr.. Glenn refused to accept the re-
sponsfbility SO Mr. Sondergaard
planned to take 1t to his new place
OF abode OF 90 State street. He was
both surprised and amused to hnd it
missing.
History of Triangle.
Since the sound of the old steel
triangle ceased to summon the city :
fahefbd IT'S N6sf gab0iiiigs lHsssesss lHsss'ss ussF ussFsh
more or less matter Of mystery
save on gala occasions, when 1t was
unearthed from some burial place OF
pIucked from the darkest corner of q
garret, to appear in parade or pub
lie celebration. Even now its place
of hiding is known to a few men and
no power Of persuasion can induce
them to reveal that spot. For about
three years Jeppe Sondergaard, one
Of the Oldest firemen In the city. was
tho sotS possessor or tt.
The object of mystery Is nothing
more than an ectanguiar shaped
bar, bent In the form of triangle,
such as may be seen suspended be-
tween two poles In almost any little
country place large enough to main
tain a fire department but with no
need of mechanically sounded
alarm. Some villages have even less
than that, using q rim of loeomo-
tive wheel stuck up on a pole.
But this was a triangle, presented
to the city by the Lehigh Valley
railroad 1t has been stolen In the
dead of night by local fire compa-
nies, buried in cellars, and even al
lowed to repose under the waters of
the Raritan river for months, when
one of the companies was conducting
q special search for 1t.
Dates Back from 1881.
It's history dates back from 1881,
when the fire department was in
extinguished with buckets of water
by almost everyone who happened to
be In the vicinity. All ach1pped In
and worked like beavers to avert the
spread OF small blaze. When a
big fire occurred The whole city turn
ed out to man. Realizing the need
OF q fire department, handful OF
men banded together and formed q
company Then the Lehigh Valley
railroad presented the city with the
triangle and 1t was placed ON the
site now occupied by the present
alarm. For ten years it remained
suspended between two poles. sery-
Ing as the announcer of all fires
Then the mechanical alarm was in
stalled and the old one taken down
Loaned to Tottenville.
But firemen were 10th to abandon
the old alarm. now nothing more
than a relic. 1t was preserved IN
this city until Tottenville company
learned of the sentimentalities con-
nected with It. and one dark night
they crossed the water and made
away with it. For long time It's
whereabouts were unknown. Then,
Just before Protection Hook and
Ladder Company held a fair, one of
the members learned that the old
bsli was la Tottenyilie. The story
is still going the rounds of how one
OF the TettenviIle firemen was CO.
creed into fmbibing more than
agreed with him, and as he tipsily
aycwed that everyone from Perth
Ainboy was a Jolly good fellow" !"
the good fellows made of with the
treasure.
Duplicate Is Mades
IT was feared that the Tottenvill@
company would return and pursue
the same tactics. Accordingly, q
cast iron triangle similar In appear
ance but not In sound to the original
alarm WAS made at Patrick White 9
foundry, and every night the origi-
nal was steaIthily removed from the
fair and tho bogus one substituted.
But TottenvilIe apparently waived
ali claim, for they never made an
other attempt to secure possession OF
It.