The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-16
FIRE CLOWN HERE
Harry Rogers Talks to Chill
dren in Schools.
Teaching Them the Dangers of
Fire Hazards.
SPEAKS TO 6,4OO PUPILS
Calls From other Cities Pre-
vent Longer Visit.
Buy Only Matches With Two
Color Heads.

To reduce the fire hazards in To-
peka is the plan of Joseph Hanlon'
Topeka fire chief.
Believing that the education Of the
boys and girls/of today is the best
way to avoid fires, Chief Hanlon has
started campaign among the school
children to educate them along fire
prevention lines.
He has brought to Topeka, Harry
Rogers. fire chief OF Marion, KAN,
who is known as the fire clown OF the
United States, and by means of com
edy stunts he is teaching the children
some of the dangers of fires. now TO
prevent them, what TO do when they
catch on fire. how to turn IN IRE
alarm and other such information
that will lead to tho prevention OF
fires in the future.
It is believed that when the children
grow to be men and women, citizens
Of Topeka and of other cities these
preventive. measures they now are
learning thru the instruction OF the
fire clown will greatly eliminate many
of the fires which now are started as
q result of carelessness.
Visiting the schools.
Fire Clown Rogers Is here for three
days, and this morning visited three
schools. He will visit three others
this afternoon, and in the next three
days he will visit fourteen others
In three schools Branner, Lincoln
and Lafayette. 1909 pupils probably
know more about fires, how they are
caused, what to do when they see a
fire. and things which result In fires
than they did before the clown visited
the schools this morning.
BY the close of the three days edu-
cation Wednesday night, nearly 6,400
school children of all ages will have
been given instruction about fires. 1t
is the plan to carry this instruction
into eighteen of the schools of the
city. The fact that the fire clown Is
receiving calls from all parts of the
country necessitate cutting down the
school list.
The methods of Chief Rogers are
unique in that he dons a clown suit,
paints his face, and does antics that
amhse the children, gets. their atten-
ton. then in an interesting manner
tells them how to prevent fires.
He had the undivided attention of
every child in the three schools he
visited this morning. and all the chill
drcn agreed to remember and do the
things he told them they should in
order to prevent fires.
Never Play With Fire.
He told the children there is a fire
every minute in the United States. He
told them always to buy only those
matches which have two colored
heads as they are the only ones which
are safe The reason for this, he ex-
panincd; is because the others explode
in such a way that fires may result.
He told the children never to play
with fire nor to carry matches, but IL
they do have occasion to carry
matches never to strike match
toward them, but away so their cloth
ing may not catch fire He told them
a gallon of gasoline is as dangerous
as eighty-seven sticks of dynamite.
He told them how to report fire over
the telephone and by using the station
fire boxes.
His method of presentation is above
the average, and is meeting with great
success in other cities. In some cities
he is sending out questionnaires
which have resulted in the finding of
several fire hazards which cities
otherwise would have known nothing
about.