FALSE ALARMS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17720, 23 March 1923, Page 9

FALSE ALARMS.

A FIRE THERE WAS—! j "Where there's nmoke, there's fire" was an adage implicitly .believed 1 by our grandfathers, but last night it was proved to be ariother ''lfoary old lie." Volumes of smoke, and even sparks began, W belch out of a little shop oft the corner of Durham street aftd Eilmore street at b quarter to 11 o'clock Inst night, according to two young men of the city, -who'claimed to see the) outbreak. With the backwardness of youth, they consulted two elderly gentlemen before- giving the olai'm. A direct result of tile conference was that the fire alarm was rung. , In three minutes two fire-engines and. a small crowd was on the scene, but the smoke had disappeared as mysteriously as toothache when the sufferer ls F 1 ■VoOOibly fastened in the dentists chair. A burly policeman who arrived a few. minutes later conducted an enquiry. A plump and middle-aged man in evening dress was the first witness. Yes, he had seen the P r\re, or at least the emoke; but, ho! he had not given the alarm. Who had? Why, probably one of the young men who had discovered it. The constables Where is he? The impromptu witness (looking round the crowd): I don't know. The constable: Whore is the iireP Witness (in dumb amazement): 1 don't know 1 ~■*,, By this time the two engines hnd left, and spectators had diminished to a bare doieli. "On© or two other people volunteered the information that they had! seen "smoke." ~.■,, The shop was completely in darkness, and there was not even an acrid smell of burning ill the vicinity. Two sergeants of police tod© up on bicvcles and enquired officiously, "tfhere was the fire?" The constable reported the facta he had gleaned : mainly that the Brigade had been called out, and that nobody knew who rang the bell. "Look's like a false alarm,"' said the tall sergeant as he rode off.