Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1915 — A Near Disastrous Blaze in the G. E. Murray Store. [ARTICLE]

A Near Disastrous Blaze in the G. E. Murray Store.

The fire alarm was sounded about 0:30 Saturday evening and through mistake in transmitting the fire plug number to the light plant, the wrong signal was given—forty-five instead of twenty-five. The fire w T as in the grocery department of the G. E. Murray Co.’s store, and started among some papers in under the counter about midlength of the room. It is supposed that it was caused by matches being carried there by rats or mice. Fortunately the store was supplied with a hand chemical extinguisher and the blaze was put out with slight damage and before the fire company reached the scene, the latter having gone to plug 45, which is on the corner of -Weston “and Angelica streets, near the Fred Tyler property, now occupied by V6rn Robinson. When the mistake was discovered and the fire company had reached the Murray store, the blaze had been extinguished. Had this blaze occurred any other night than Saturday night, it might have caused considerable damage as the store closes 6 o’clock except on Saturday nights. People should be very careful in sending in fire alarms to the telephone office, and give the numbers distinctly, two, five, instead of twen-ty-five, and also designate the place where the fire is. This precaution will greatly facilitate the promptness of the fire company in reaching the scene. During the usual excitement which a fire occasions, people are apt to jumble the numbers together and it is difficult for the telephone operator to understand them distinctly.