Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-21
4FAKE ALARMS,
3 REAL BLAZES
False Calls Keep Firemen
Busy in Kensington
District
FLAMES DAMAGE MILL
Christmas Toys and Novelties
Destroyed in Germantown
Store-Home Burns
FLAMES DAMAGE MILL

Four false alarms kept firemen in
KcnsIngton on the go up to a late hour
this morning.
When the firemen and horses we're
almost exhausted from answering fake
calls an alarm summoned them to a real
fire at 6:15 o'clock this morning.
The blaze was discovered on the third
floor of the plant of Robert Beatty &
Co, yarn manufacturers, at Coral and
Lettcrly streets
1t was at this spot that thirty years
ago one Of the most disastrous fires in
the history of Kensington started and
destroyed an entire block, burning for
almost two days.
This morning the fire-lghters we're
given hard two-hour battle before they
got the flames under control, They
managed to confine the flames to the
third floor of the six-story building, but
the two lower floors and basement were
badly damaged by water.
Called to Fire Second Time
The fremen had hardly reached the
fire houses after fighting the flames In
the Beatty & Company yarn mills when
when fire started there n second time.
The second alarm was turned In short
ly after 8 o'clock. A quantity of yarn
caught fire from some sparks Tho
blaze was extinguIshed without much
difficulty.
The Fensington fremen were routed
out for the first of the series of false
alarms at 1890 o'clock last night It
was sent in from box at Cedar and
Ann streets.
Three other fake alarms followed
3 AS a. M, Emerald and Westmoreland
streets 4:30 a. m, Cambria street and
Trenton avenue: 9 a. m, Trenton and
Lehigh avenues.
Several thousand dollars worth OF
Christmas toys. novelties. and Christ
mas tree ornaments were destroyed
when fire swept through the store OF
A. Swanfeld. 5427 Germantown avenue
The Swanfeld store occupies the
ground floor of the Masonic temple
building On the ground floor In the
rear of the store Is the sweater manu-
featuring plant of Appel and Hail. The
Masonic assembly rooms are on the Sec
ond floor of the structure.
Waste and Boxes Isnited
A small driveway runs along one side
of the building. Packing boxes and piles
of waste in the driveway caught fire
The flames communicated to the shut
ters of the Swanfeld store and darted
into the interior, finding plenty of high
ly infammable material to feed upon.
The flames raced through the Christ
mas stock, reducing much OF 1t to ashes.
and reached the Office of Appel & Hall.
Desks and other fixtures were attacked
by the flames and partly destroyed be-
fore firemen conquered the blaze.
The flames also reached the Masonic
assembly rooms, burning a huge hole
in the second floor of the building.
Leads Family to Safety
A William Fields. treasurer of the
Elite Laundry Company brought his wife
and two children into an adjoining house
when he discovered a fire under the
flooring in the kitchen of his home, 1924
McCallum street.
Fields was awakened by an odor OF
smoke. He traced the odor to the kit
chen and found flames eating through
the flooring He telephoned an alarm
and ran upstairs and aroused his wife
and children, They dressed partly and
then were guided into an adjoining
house.
Firemen kept the flames confined to
the kitchen. Fields was unable to ac-
count for the blaze. There had been no
fire in the kitchen range for several
weeks, he said.