Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1916 — TOOK FIRE ALARM FOR CLOCK [ARTICLE]

TOOK FIRE ALARM FOR CLOCK

Johnßarlevcorn Punched the Wrong Box on New York Wharf and „ ~ —s^rfea"yT > anic. ———- Here’s a warning to watchmen. It the 'fife alarm is near tne time clock . don’t take too many eyeopeners before you punch tne clock at 7 o’clock in the morning, advised the New York Herald. The old idea of not being able to find the keyhole after a night with Bacchus has been relegated to the scrap heap with Joe Miller’s quips, but watchmen had better watch out, because something happened recently on the War< line pier, East River, which only, goes to prove that watchmen can't find the keyhole and are subjected to this form of malady in particular. The Morro Castle of the Ward line is lying in its berth at Pier 13.- Recently there have been several pier fires, all of which have been attributed to friends of the kaiser. On a recent morning, about the hour that the ink factories open up for the swinging doors, one of the watchmen on the Ward line piers sauntered over to one of the emporiums and ordered liquor in deep sea voice. He got it. And then he got more, and gradually the bottom of a quart bottle made its ap.pearance. Said watchman was deep in his cups when he suddenly remembered that 7 o'clock was the time to slip his key into the time clock and be marked present. It’s well to remember for these things—but wait! On the pier the fire alarm box and the time clock are close enough together to shake hands. The watchman, arriving with a list to port, found the fire alarm first and punched it. Result—many fire engines and the fire boat New Yorker. South street was in an uproar, and officials of the line were notified of a fire on the Morro Castle. There wasn’t anybody more surprised than the watchman when the fire fighters arrived. He helped look for the blaze, stoutly protesting tfiat no fire could occur with him on the job. He would have got away with the bluff, only he forgot to ring in on the time clock. Later the tape showed him as absent at seven o’clock and he had then recovered sufficiently to confess. He still has his job, because, it was argued, if a watchman really prevents fires he has the right to ring in a little alarm himself once in a while.