Middletown transcript., 1912-01-13
A BIG FIRE
That Might Have Been a Very Seri-
Gus CONFEDERATION

About two O'Clock last Monday morn
ing Mrs. Thomas Pyle, whose home i:
just west OF Mr.. I. T. Wilson's on West
Lake street, was awakened out of sleep by
a cracking sound, and looking out of her
window, discovered that her neighbors,
house was on fire. She aroused her hus.
band and he and others rushed to the
hose house to sound the alarm and after
pounding on the locked door and yelling
like go many Comanche Indians for about
20 minUtes, they gained admittance and
the fire whistle was bIown-three success
sive alarms being finally sent out.
Central at the telephone station was
called up and the faithful young lady in
stantly responded aud called Mr.. Foraker
at the pump house to sound the alarm
and kept calling for over Is minutes.
Finally the fire department. came with
their apparata, and did most admirable
work in preventing the spread of a bad
hre-lndeed kept it from completely de-
stroying the house itself-and all this.
too, despite the horrible delay of 10 or 20
minutes, in sounding the alarm, and get
ting their apparatus ready.
Another thing to be said in praise of
the fire department and of the outside vol
unteers who also rendered valuable ser.
vice; the furniture, some of it glass and
the like, was removed without any dam.
age whatsoever, as the family themselves
assert. This shows that sane and orderly
methods and cool judgment prevailed.
Had the fire gotten the upper hand it
would probably have cleaned out that
whole street to Broad, at least on the
south side, so powerful was the wind.
The house was badly burned on the upper
floors especially and the furniture injured
by the water, the bedding in particular.
The house loss is fully covered by in
surance, though not the furniture. The |
fire was caused by some defect in the
chimney or fue and must have been
some time before breaking
out. MIR. and Mrs. Isaac 7. Wilson were
asleep while the fire was bur Mug the
beams and laths right over their heads, al.
most ready to let the ceiling fall down
upon them in their bed. But for the
tiuely discovery by Mrs. Pyle it is highly
probable that one or bulh Il hem would
have been suffocated in tie room; as it
was, Mrs. Wilson found it impossible to
descend the front stairway and had to 90
back into her bedroom again and escape
Oy back stairway. Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson
are loud in their praises of the efficient
md careful services rendered them by tht
ire department and others, and furnished
not coffee and food for the tired and wet
irefghters.
But this delay of 10 or 20 minutes be.
ore the fire alarm could be sounded II
he fire station has to be burglarized be-
o-e anybody can gain admittance TO let
he citizens know that the town is burn
ng up, why then something had better
)e done about it.
We now learn from Mr.. Whitlock that
he lock has been taken off the fire
tation door and large annuciator so
ixed as to give notice every time the door
5 opened, 80 that hereafter it will not
equire delay of many valuable minutes
o sound the fire alarm.
The damage done the large double
rouse amounts to about $500, fully in
ured.
Right here we wish to speak an appre-
iative word in praise of Miss Mary Ma :
1ney, the night central" This young
ady can be found at her post wide awake
t any hour ofthe night. The TRANSCRIPT
Dr. one entirely appreciates this fidelity j
nd takes this public means of saying so. g