Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-28
CALLS STATE FREMEN
TOCAPTURE FTREBUGS
Judge Bonniwell Urges 15O,-
900 Volunteers to Guard
Against Treachery

The alarming increase of inCcndarism,
causing loss of more than 100000, 600
worth Of property, food and munitions
IN tho last ninc months and believed to
be due in large part to the activity
of German agents in this country, has
caused Judge Eugene g. Bonniwoll. pres
idcnt of the Fircmcus Association Of
Pennsylvania. to issu" "a special appeal
to the 10000 firemeu Of Pennsylvania
to exert every energy TO the prevention
aud detection Of mcendiary fires aud
to constitute themselves "the keystone
of the state defense against trcachery
and destruction
The state has been divided into seven
teen districts 10y Judge Bonniwell. aud
chairmcn appointed in every district
as the nucelus of an effective organiza-
tion to combat the iircbug. The seven
teen rhairmen are to constitute the
state Fircmeu's Committee of Public
Safety
4 full list of committee appointments
and county vice presidents was named
by Judge Bonniwcll, ON the law and
legislation committee senator william
g. Sproul. candidate for Governor. was
named. city solicitor John l.. connolly.
of Philadelphia. was again named
solicitor for the organization. John T.
Young. former battalion chief Of Phila-
dephia. Is on the executive committed
Fire, which ragged nearly all day long
and which gave rise to strong suspicious
of iucendiarism Yesterday, destroyed
several buildings of the bisStpn estate
at the corner Of Front and Laurel streets
and did damage estimated at Sg5O.0OO
Among the establishments wrecked by
the flames were the Union Ribbon and
Carbon Company, manufacturers of
, typcwritcr ribbons and carbon paper /;
Raugnow & Hall, Inc, manufacturers
of trunks; the he witt II. Henry Com
rany, confcCtioners, and the LcnoX Shoe
/ Company.
owing TO the severe cold and the
driving snow the fire was AN especially
hard one to- fight Dense clouds of
smoke caused by the burning of guam
titles of carbon paper added to the dit'i-
cultics of the 'ircmcu. The bursting Of
an ammonia tank in the yard at the
back IF the buildings imperiled the lives
Of the men in its vicinity and Il number
Of frcmeu were compelled to jump out
Of windows to places of safety.
The proximity to the scene of the fire
Of a number of pattern shops and fac
tories doing war work led to the sus-
piciun that the fire was the work Of n
German SPY. and II Gordon of poltI'
was thrown around the buildings To- pre-
! vent lnt fS'blf OF ANY SNiS'lNl'hH 'i'hl
/ aCtcrs. Later IL was said that no evil
d.nce had been discovered To show that
/ the fire was Of iucendiHry origin.
/ The nearby buildings wcr" coated
with lee from the water thrown over
them to protect them from tn" llamcs
Coffee aud sandwiches were served It
the nrcmcu by residents of the neigh
bOorhood.
/ \ thrilling rescue of six small childrcr
and AN aged woman was the feature
of fire at the home of benjamin solo
mon. 1910 South Fifth street TIL,
building and its contents were de
| Stroycd.
The first floor was occupied as {
store and the front portion of the secUnt
floor as a residence by the family al
| solomon. The only persons in the build
ing at the time of the fire were the si'
= children of solomon and their grand
mother, Mrs. Bcckic Wolf, seventy year.
old
Th" fire was discovered by Police
man ,io"hlc. Of the M"yamcnSing ave
nuc and Dickinson street station. VIII,
turned in the alarm. TIL" escape 4"
Mrs. Wolf aud the children was "a
of by dense smoke, and Goehle, to
gethcr with Max Lehman. Of l3tn Icith
gov street, and Joseph liChteman, u
40 Wharton street, CROPPED their wa,
through the SNAKE and carried the WON
an and children to safety