Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-27
Euet1tt1g Glrat

equipped with fire hose that has The
same sized couplings and there is
such diversity that State fire pre-
vention authorities have taken up
the matter in an effort to secure
uniformity. Owing to complaints
winch had arisen because of com ~
munities being called upon to render
hre service to others and the dis
covery that the couplings did not fit.
a survey was made by men of the
state Fire Marshal's Department.
now the State Bureau of Fire Pre-
Venuon, and data prepared from re-
ports obtained from 7S2 of the mu-
inequalities of Pennsylvania having
hre departments showed such a di-
Verslty of sizes of coupling that the
situation is declared to be Serious
owing to the varied assortment in ac-
tice service" In the report following
the survey it is stated that the ques-
ton of coupling quite as important
as securing of modern apparatus
tor which many of the cities and
boroughs are now spending large
sums OF money. A systematic effort
IS TO be made to call the results of
the survey to councils and organi-
latlons of firemen. Some of the re-
suits showed that the thread per
nch on couples varied from three
'Hu nan TO twenty, the bulk being
,etWeen SIX and ten, while the in
nae diameter varied from two and
quarter to four and quarter
nches, not many having the same
!zes In this respect, while the out
lde diameter had all sorts of small
iltterences between two and five
nches. Many of the latter varied
n such small measurements as tbir-
.y-second and sixty-fourths of an
men and towns which are not far
part had half of three-quarter-inch
arlations. This is the first time the
state has undertaken such n survey
'ndIthe officials say that the results
explain why calls for help from
!arlous places could not be satis-
tactorily carried through after ar
wal OF hremen on the scene of the
lfe. The State authorities will call
tttentlon to the Importance of adop-
tion of a standard that will enable
companies to go anywhere and rem
der service.
y series of soldier experiences Mt
christmas time during the war. an
bearing in The Telegraph of Tues
Jay, attracted more than ordinary
attention, but one of the most in
teresting was not included and it is
worth telling here. Col. Edward II.
Schell, recently elected head of the
American Legion in Harrisburg, was
one OF those who participated. 1t
was Christmas 1918 at Neufchateau.
france, where the Colonel was sta
Lloned. After the inspection at $40
o'clock the officers and enlisted men
marched with shining boots and
carefully brushed uniforms to the
Red Cross hut in the rear of tba
own. Here they were met by the
Red Gross workers, who presented
each man with a pair of wooden
stockings filled with o. d. Handker-
chiefs, toothbrushes, toilet articles in
general pipes, tobacco and o-her
articles. Later the officers bought
dozens of turkeys from the French
at $3.50 pound and gave the en-
listed men great Christmas feast.
and were in turn entertained at
vaudeville. But the crowning event
OF the day was the Christmas tree
which the men prepared for four
little French children whose father
was in hospital and their mother
working to support them. They
gathered the little folks together. ali
togged out in their best bib and
tucker and presented them with gifts
OF candy, food, warm clothing and
money, not to mention all the TOYS
that could be gathered together.
Then the officers sent for the bashful
mother to witness the joy of her lit
ties ones and when she arrived she
broke down and wept for joy. The
officers pronounced it a lovely
Christmas, even if they were far
from their own dear ones and home
sick for them.
The Harrisburg Assemblies, which
were revived last night after an in
terruption due to the war and the
absence of many young people in
Army or Navy or other war duties.
have had an interesting social his-y
tory. Over 100 years ago there were
dances given here at the homes of
prominent citizens which were called
Assemblies, taking the name from
dancing class that used to be held
every now and then at Captain
Lees" as one of the old newspapers
puts it. Captain Lee was the land
lord of the Washington House.
which was the Penn-Harris of before
1900 in Harrisburg. In the fifties
there were dances held under the
name of the Assemblies and the
names of the committeeman included
families which had been active in
the earlier dances The Assemblies,
which have just been recommended,
were held in an almost unbroken line
from shortly after the Civil War,
so that they have a history that is
fairly continuous for about SO years.
Combination of winter weather
and new sleds and skates have
caused Harrisburg police authorities
some cogitation the last few days
because of the dangers of coasting
and skating on streets. The slopes
off "The Ridge" and the Allison Hill
streets have just been pre-empted by
the youngsters with their new sleds
and the motormen have been ask
ing the policemen what they are
going to do about it. The average
policeman was a boy once himself,
but most of them have children, and
it is rather difficult to adjust mat
ters. In some parts of town the
, authorities have left it to the boys
who have posted pickets to warn of
approach of cars and to make motor
lists slow up. Incidentally. automo-
bile drivers can help by staying away
from the coasting sections when