Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1915 — Fire “Fan" in Chicago Is Host at His Own Blaze [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Fire “Fan" in Chicago Is Host at His Own Blaze

CHICAGO. —William P. Stewart is a fire fan. So is his wife. A big fire brings them out almost as surely as it brings the engines. There being no fires of importance to occupy their attention, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart

motored to the Stratford one night recently with a party of dancing friends. When they left the hotel and piled into Mr. Stewart’s machine the early morning air was filled with familiar, stirring sounds—whistles, wallings, puffings, and pantingn. “Fire!’' announced Mr. Stewart genially. "And In the loop, too. What luck! We go?" "Of course we’ll go,” chorused the guests in the tonneau. Mr. Stewart

Jerked a lever and up Michigan avenue fled the touring car, hood and hood with a motor Are truck. At Randolph street the truck slowed and turned west In front of a building opposite the public library it stopped, Joining a fleet of other apparatus. With rather more than his usual interest in such proceedings Mr. Stew* art watched the plpemen while they hooked up a line of hose and carried it Into the building. Then he turned to his guests. “I came to look on,” he said, “but it looks as if I were going to be part of the show. That's my buildings that’s burning—7o East Randolph street.” A “4-11" and several special calls for more apparatus were sent in, but It was hours before the blaze was under control. Mr. Stewart made some hasty calculations and announced that the building had been damaged to the extent of about f 175,000. “I am sorry it had to be my building,” remarked Mr. Stewart to his fellow fans as. he turned the motor homeward. “But—didn’t it make & dandy lire!”