FOUR .. OCEAN CITY SENTINEL. OCEAN CITY. N. J., THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1922 * v -A. ______

Ocean City Sentinel Printed nnd Pnblished Ertry Tho radar OCEAN CITY PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO. P. J. EVANS. Editor LEWIS L. BAKRETT. Onrrml BmImb. . M« wr Thll Conpanr liwmit the rirht to reject may odvertitine ot edverti.^ti^dopr mu« be mt thl. office not Uter than Tuenlar noon. «hU THURSDAY", JUNE 8, 1922 "AN ACT OF GOD" Since the beginning of the present yew, three small, but thickly popu_^fttetl and prospehous towns, one located in a western state, the other in the north, and the tfcird located in the heart of the New England territory, have been partially destroyed by fire. - Hundreds of families -fat Die aggregate were made homeless, property to the value of millions of dollars went up in smoke, several lives perished, and in one case a very valuable and historic collection of Indian relics were destroyed by fire. * Commenting upon an incident which occurred during the French Rcvolu- ' tion, Thomas Carlyle wrote, "Tear off the mask on the face of tragedy, and find behind the smirking visage of comedy." Carlyle obviously borrowed the similitude from the Grecian theatre, where the mimes and actors were accustomed . to wear masks upon their faces, portraying visually the parts they impersonated in the play. Frequently an actor wore two masks at the same time, one of which he quickly and surreptitiously removed, when a change in the character he represented demanded it. The comedy, or perhaps it had been better said, the ironic humor in the tragic circumstances associated with the western fire, was manifested a few days later at an inquest held over the bodies of three of the victims. A host of witnesses were examined and interrogated ad infinitum, with ! the view of seeking to discover the origin of the conflagration. Finally, however, the jury brought in the verdict, that the unfortunate i victims had met their death by? "an act of God." The practice of returning such a verdict, when no tangible cause or : motive can be assigned to account for a death, still obtains in the middle : western states, as it obtains in England, whence it came with the puritans. I As an apology for ignorance, or, as is more frequently the case, as an ' effective means of evading the truth, and bringing home the blame to the I blameworthy, the verdict cannot be improved. A more accommodating way of disavowing onr culpability, and wilful | neglsct of duty and obligation, and of refraining from hurting "the susceptibilities of our friends, could not be deyiaed than of saddling the Beneficent ' Creator with the consequences of our sihs and follies; for as San Jones used to say, "The Almighty lives a long way dff, and does not answer back." If a loose slate fell from a roof and injured a pedestrain, it was, "an act of God." The verdict absolved the owner of the house from making monetary reparation to the injured, and concealed under the euphemism of legal phrase, the palpable neglect of the owner in keeping his property in repair. Plagues and fevers were all "acts of God." During the terrible scourge of black cholera which ravaged the city of London, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, the House of Lords met in special session to discuss ways and means ef combating the evil. One after another of the members addressed the House, all advocating the setting apqrt of a certain day as a "day of penitence and prayer." Whereupon bluff old Lord Brougham leaped to his feet and thundered out, "Day of penitence be damned. Clean the sewers, then pray. Clean the sewers and kill vermin, then pray." It is recorded that a distinguished prelate in the visitors' gallery, was horrified, by the unbecoming display of vulgarity and profanity, in so august a chamber as the House of Lords. Lord Brougham did in truth make use of a profame expletive; notwithstanding his words were the quintessence of common sense, an anticipation of the later discoveries of science, and infinitely more complimentary and reverent towards the Almighty God, than the canting unctuous affected piety of his compeers, who, in order to cover their criminal neglect of duty as statesmen and legislators, were seemingly content to blaspheme the name of the Creator, and clothe Him with attributes of character more cruel, vindictive, repulsiva and formidable than the gods of heathenism. Reverting back to the fire ,the origin of which a coroner's jury attributed to "an act of God," as if the Creator brought human beings into existence, for the sole purpose of torturing and slaying them, gloating meanwhile over the demonstration of his power, the representatives of the various insurance companies upon the scene of the disaster, offered quite another solution. They marshalled their evidence, supported with a deadly battery of facts and figures, which went to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the fire had originated through "certain conditions which the civic authorities could and should have prevented, if the people had not the sense and decency to do so upon their own initiative. Now, these facts were revived in memory, and some notes were resurrected out of the file:'-, within the last two weeks, by a visit paid by the representatives of two insurance companies, one of whom by the way was an inspector, to the office of the editor. The first gentleman came ostensibly and purposely to interview the scribe, with a lengthy statement of certain conditions as he had found them in different parts of the city, which in the picturesque and expressive language he spoke, he described as "fire traps," fire hazahls" and "disaster courting dumps." Some of the conditions and facta we have been able to verify in person, finding nothing had been mis-stated and nothing exaggerated. One condition which he described as a "disaster courting dump" and strongly emphasized as a fire hazard, was an accumulation of packing cases of wood and cardboard, paper and excelsior, behind certain business premises in various sections of the city. In the center of two of the main business streets, surrounded by buildings of frame construction, crowded together, there we found an accumulation of guch materials sufficient for an Armistice bonfire of moderate dimensions. It is of course, impossible to prevent such materials from accumulating at certain periods, particularly when there is a large renewal of stock. And it may be argued that the owner of the premises, is perfectly within his or her rights, moral and legal, in permitting the accumulation to remain in the back yard, for in that case the risk from fires is very much reduced. When, however, such accumulations are permitted near an alley or lhne, where men and women pass continually to and fro during the day, and where children congregate to play, it is no less than inviting disaster, or in the language of an earlier day, tempting providence. A lighted match, the end of a cigarette or cigar, thoughtlessly thrown without malice intent, might start a blaze, wipe out half, the city, and it would not be "an act of God." Now, the question arises is there not a city ordinance, which prohibits the accumulation of aqj&higMy inflammable material, in places as described, constituting a distinct fire hazard? - _j So far as we have been able to learn, the one power which capbl possibly take action would be the health authorities, providing it could bo^ proved that the accumulation of sueh material is a menace to health. Opinions are very divided, however, among legal authorities, whether in the strict legal interpretation of the word, it could be considered a health , I

Honors Memory of Edith Gwrtfl /^■SK "After King George and Qn tip Mary of England left ' thi i grave oi the murdered nurse, Edith Cavelf in Brussels last week, theft remained at the foot of the menjorial erected to the immortal ' I B ory of the great martyr, shot to death by the Germans. Mile. Ulh guerite .Blauckaert, who waa tenfenced to death with the Britub nurse, but whose sentence was C9inmuted. Mile. Blauckaert is pjMlographed as sbe is placing her silent tribute on the grave oi her friend. mmJjk As pv \ IVflL 1 "V7 \ AwwAstEi p —============================== 1 j menace, and come under the jurisdiction of the health authorities, unless I it is allowed to remain long enough to rot and putrefaction sets in. k j ( i This, of course .very very seldom takes place. Exigency of space makes ! IT it imperative on the part of the oumer of the permises, to have it removed * periodically or destroyed. As a matter of fact from one place to which our ■ attention was directed, it has since been removed. The situation therefore, j i resolves itself into this, such accumulations never, or very seldom, are al- j ] lowed to remain Ion* enough to become a menace to health in the logo! in- | , i terpretation of the term, hut are allowed to remain long enough to be a i : ! fire menace of a highly dangerous character. 1 Every day it is allowed to stand If is a fire hazard. I ; Now, there are factors which contribute to make an accumulation of . such materials, as described, more dangerous in this city than it would h* it , | in hundreds of other locnlitie^ ( 1 1 The first is the flat, open unsheltered character of the island. In the ' case of a fire a small wind blowing is equivalent to a gale in a more sheltered t locality, in fact more to be feared than a blizzard blowing. j In the second place the majority of the buildings are constructed en- | , tirely of wood, few having fire-proof partitions, and fewer still with a fire- , resisting roof. ( If our information, therefore, is correct that there is no ordinance in 1 5 the city legal code, by the authority of which the police could prohibit 1 , these accumulations of inflammable materials to remain, longer than neces- 1 ' sary to have them removed or destroyed, then on^ should be added as soon j as possible. If, on the other hand the legal authorities have the legal machinery ; at hand, it should be immediately put into operation, thereby removing , the necessity of an insurance inspector, seeking the aid of the press in giving publicity to the conditions, s The responsibility and the culpability, however, does not rest or end , t with the civic authorities. . , I In point of fart the greater responsibility rests upon each individual - hi the community. It is humanly impossible for the authorities or the i police, to be cognisant of everything transpiring in back lanes and alleys I every day of the week. f If the rubbish is allowed to remain for a considerable length of time R its existence naturally does come within the knowledge of The authorities. 8 But ns pointed out it seldom is so allowed to remain, and is logically a greater • fire risk and menace the fresher and drier it is. The fact that shouM be emphasized is, that every day is a tremendous 1 risk, and a criminal trifling with danger. In the ease of one of the fire: fore mentioned,} in the general consensus r of opinion, the fire originated in a heap of straw, exoelsior, paper and cardf board cartons, in an alley behind a department store, received with a large consignment of crockery and glass ware. f Upon enquiry it was further discovered .that tlie consignment had been R unpacked, just FORTY'-EIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT. ^ There may be in that particular borough an ordinance dealing with such matters, yet taking into consideration the fact that the accumulation of the fire menace, was only *>f forty-eight hours duration, the borough administra- j e i tion could not be charged with incompetency or neglect of duty in having I failed to discover Its existence, and enforcing the ordinance. The responsibility rested with the store owner. To be daily informed ' e of everything occuring in back lanes and alleys, would require a police de- „ j partment at the least .equivalent in numbers to a tenth of the population. e It seems beyofid all comprehension that it requires the .strong arm of the r ■ law to prevent people from hazarding their lives, the lives of their family (and their property. J Y'et, the history of the human race, and the story behind every dis- ■ i aster proves it does, hence the necessity of legal authority and power. <1 Granting with the school of extreme individualism in ethics, and with ! s 1 Schopenhauer, that a person has a perfect right to do what he or she will 1 a | with personal life and property, they have not the vestige of a moral right to j endanger the life and property of another. The person guilty of such an . | offense, is as much a criminal as he or she who attempts the life of another , n I with gun or knife. The moral is obvious We way wax righteously indignant and, as the g editor did, experience some resentment that a stranger through an insurance , ! expert, should come In and point out our failings, but indignation will not n i prevent or extinguish a fire. n None can deny that a heap of dry and highly inflammable material is a 1. 1 positive invitation to fire; consequently the wiser course is to pocket our >, j injured dignity and pride, and learn our duty both as civic rulers and private , e i individuals. e 1 The authorities should see that they have the legal machinery to compel , • : the risky from taking risks; if there is sufficient machinery* it should be n ! enforced. it Meanwhile let evfcry individual in the community immediately remove, i and in future prevent the existence of fire hazards of the nature. a) Like the ghost in Hamlet, up springs the old 'question again, have 9e I, I fn Ocean City a sufficient supply of water and fire-fighting equipment in , the event of a big fire. d It is eminently gratifying to know, the civic authorities |re through its e | officials engaged in an investigation. For obvious reasons, wc are not in a position to determine with authority, , t j whether or not the city has a sufficient supply of water. This, however, the h j civic powers, in justice to themselves should know. There are many, many, • ■

| who claim they speak w ith knowledge and authority, declares the city has , not a sufficient supply" of water. The sources of their information we Jiave^not been able to learn; hut i it is plainly intimated that the sources are official: - . The insurance representative stated he had been officially informed to!, the same effect. 1 I Naturally he would not disclose the identy of his informant; .neverthe- I less he reiterated over and over again that the information was official. ' Of course, it may ultimately prove to lie nothing more, than an hnllucinn- * tion of a highly imaginative brain. , It forms the subject of frequent conversation, however, and if only to j . allay fear, and prevent the circulation of rumors abroad, tfic investigation I j should be prosecuted to an end, cost what it will. I We believe we are voicing the sentiments of the entire community, when | we say, we sincerely believe the City Board of Commissioners arc anxious | j to do all that lies in their power, for the good of the community, as evidenced : j by their general attitude on the sewer and water proposal, and the zoning i (problem, . _ « , J "v T — ~~T Personals

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Chandler, of ; j ; Philadelphia, are at their summer res- 1 , idence, 1912 Central avenue, for the t season. I Rev. Thomas F. Blake .has been en- : j tertaining for a few days as his!' guest. City Solicitor J. Burrwood j Daly, of Philadelphia. j " j Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Harris, of 1 (West Philadelphia, are here for the! | season. The family are among the ' ' (best known in the city's summer col-!1 ony, and enthusiatic Ocean City- 1 l j ! i Mr. and Mrs. G. Edward Common, < I of this city, recently entertained the: j former's brother, M. C. Common, of > ] i Seweckley, Pa., and sister, Mrs. L. E. j , I Gant, of Newport, Pa. 1 1 • | Among recent visitors of note lo the j « j city, may be added the name of j I Robert Haight, prominent in Philadel- 1 ( phia journalistic circles. Mr. Haight ji (was here the guest of Assembly- j! 1 1 man James Franklin, of West Phila- 1 1 delphia, at Eleventh street and Ocean j i Mr. Haight is also a leader of con- 1 1 "siderable following and influence in 1 1 the political world, and is the representative of the State Chamber of'1 , Commerce of Pennsylvania. I Assemblyman and Mrs. James Franklin, recently entertained over the holidays, their daughter and her hus- . band, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. F. Phillips, ' of Philadelphia. The president of the Ocean City i Fishing Club, W. W. Tyers, of Phila- i 1 I j delphia, and wife, are at their cottage 1 i for the season. t j- Clarence H. Brush and family have i j arrived in the city for the season. , Among recent guests at the Oceanic, ' i were Mrs. R. J. Maynes and Miss I Florence Maynes ,of Philadelphia, t Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Leigh and famiily ,of Philadelphia, are occupying I apartments at 1107 Wesley avenue. Mrs. Leigh's mother, Mrs. J. L. Kurz, of Philadelphia, is at 623 Wesley s j C. B. White ,of Philadelphia, is an- , other who has opened his cottage in (the city for the season. Dr. Cyrus Fridy, of Philadelphia, lias opened his cottage, on Second • street for the summer. r J. J. Ashman, of Philadelphia, has opened his cottage, 5728 Central aveR . nue, for the season. W. Ellis Groben and family, were among the last week's arrivals in the s city. The Executive Secretary of the 5 Philadelphia Section of the NavyLeague, of the United States, Miss i Elsie Ferguson, has arrived in the ■ city for the season. Miss Ferguson's j cottage is located 825 Fourth street. 6 Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Cole, spent , the holidays in a camp at Mays Land- ~ ing. Mr. Cole's brother, Wilton Cole, f of Camden, and wife, accompanied I them. I Mrs. Harry Morris has returned . from a visit, to Mr. Morris's mother in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Carter, of Wil- : ! mington, Del, are at the Darlington. Among recent visitors at the Raleigh, were Dr. and Mrs. W. C. T.j Bauerle, of Philadelphia. They were accompanied by their son B. Graham i The family are well known I summer residents. 5 George E. Weiss, of German town, i has opened his cottage for the season. Accompanying, arc Mr. and Mrs. ' M. McDowell, and Mrs. Myers ,of eGrmantown. - Mr. and Mrs. James B. Calladay, of e Jenkintown, are here for the season, t Mr. and Mrs. Calladay are owners of the SL James Apartments, Ocean avenue. 1 James D. Y'oung, of the Breakers, r has returned from Wilmington, to 5 which place he was called by the 'death of his nephew. Death came after' 1 j a severe and prolonged illness of sev- j B'eral weeks. ; The Misses Maybe rry hav£ con- j verted the house, 927 Wesley avenue,' which they purchased a few months I ago. Into a splendid two family apartB menu It is said they will occupy one . i of the apartments during the coming winter. The furnishings of the place , leave nothing to be desired. Miss Sadie Mayberry returned recently from , a visit to friends in Philadcl- ' phia. 8 Among recent visitors to the city . William McLaughlin, of Philadel--i e r

' phia. Mr. McLaughlin, who is well in business circles, has n eot1 on Fifth street. When in the city identifies himself actively with the Church, ns he also does , j in the Quaker City. I j Edward Lee Ish, of Philadelphia, (has arrived at 1412" Central avenue. . | Alfred M. Gray, of Philadelphia,: > I has opened his cotage, on Ocean ave- ■ . j nue, for the teasory. Another Phifadelphian, Clafencej Sill, prominent in banking circles, has ( | opened his cottage for the scasom | si Friends of Fergus McCusker, of j r [ Philadelphia, and of this city, will re- ' . | joice to learn that he is rapidly re- 1 gaining health after a severe attack , > j of neuritis. f Dr. John W. Gordon, Mrs. J. W.j - Gordon and their kiddies left Monday I I morning in their car for Clearfield, 1 - 1 Pa, After having spent ten days in -[Ocean City, the guests of Mrs. Gor1 dAt's father, Matt Savage and sister | Mrs. R. Harris McWhinney, who hove . : been permanent residents here since , ! October last, and who reside at 862 . Third street at present. Wc learn that f I qiSte a colony of Clearfield people will | spend the summer here. Dr. Goddon , ! will motor down for a couple of weeks e j this summer. . | Dewees Fryer .another well known | , ! business man, had his cottage on Parir j place for the season. An active member of the Ocean - ! City Y'acht Club, Alex Covillc, Jr., of t ' Philadelphia, has opened his cottage ' for. the season. e| Miss Elizabeth Gascoyne Sands and | her brother Chas. Sands, opened their . summer home, 16 Marine place. I s Mrs. L. Stcgman, of Collingswood.j is located for the summer at 632 Cen- j _ tral avenue. g Mr. and Mrs. Joseph aniP family arc ! down for the summer at Linden, 632: !, Central avenue. y The apartment house owned by Dr.: : H. A. Stout, of Hcnonah, N. J, located - at 982 Ocean avenue, is completed. It n j is said to be one of the most attractive apartment houses in this city. Dr.' ^ i Stout is very well pleased with Hum-! ,1 bcrt Pontiere's work, who was the contractor and builder. " APVERT|SE IN THE SENTINEL c FOR RENT c Large furnished rooms for rent, reasona|)e; by day, deck or season. Ine quire y STEELMAN'S STORE s 831 Asbury Avenue e . s FIRST CLASS , SHOE REPAIRING SHOP All Our Work Guaranteed it You have tried the rest— I. Now try the best L. ROSICA 1139 Asbury Avenue d — : ,1 FOR SALE r Top Soil and Gravel. Delivered. GEORGE BROWN Marmora, N.-J. .1 11 —

| NEW LAWS AFFECTING" NEW JERSEY FIREMEN The New Jersey State Firemen" Association, whose headquarters are at the Proctor Theatre Building, Ncw- ' ark, solicit through its secretary, William Exall, the assistance of the public . in making known the enactment of certain laws of paramount interest I and value to all firemen. By reason of the hazardous naturc of n fireman's, duties, formidable ol>- ' stacjes stood in the way of making i provision, for those. dependent upon him as a wage earner, in the event of injury or death. Recent legislature, however, has ' cleared the way, and the legal heirs ot. I firemen, active or exempt may in the f case of death claim benefits. In view of this, the Executive Committee of the Firemen's Association. K request all firemen to register their name immediately with the chiefs of their respective departments. (Communicated) To the Editor of the Sentinel: ► Dear Sir: 1 We keep so lovingly our family an- . niversaries; my recollections are of a f home where the succeeding months i> each marked a birthday, dear "miles stones they are! The joy that filled them, has now passed into secure ^ clime, as some jt( these have, for this , mortal, "put on immortality. So because of their permanent character we cherish the anniversaries of the ' ! church year. " At the end of Eastertide a fellow traveler asks us in these beautiful p 1 lines to give expression to the deep 8 1 joy we feel: j | "Hail festal day, to endless ages known, I Now, with the Lonl of new and heavenly birth, I His gifts return to grace the spring- ; ing earth. '• He reigns supreme, Who died the * I death of shame; '• And all created things adore His " Name." r Wc have come now to the Rogation e days, or the time of asking for the p increase of seed time and harvest, or 2 as the Gospel- promises, "Whatsoever lt ye shall ask the Father in My Name, II He will give it you." n Rogation s "Holy Spirit, by whose aid. All the heavens and earth were n made, Ir-Arol the deep of ocean laid; beseech Thee, hear us. n All the worlds are in Thy Hands, if Ail revolve at Thy command; e Leader of the starry band; We beseech Thee, hear usf d Thou, who dost the seasons call — ir Winter, summer, spring and fall — i Serving Thee, the Lord of all; j | We beseech Thee, hear us. i-;Let Thine insect life abound, Food for all Thy birds be found, ^ j All the earth lie holy ground; t2 ' Holy Spirit, hear us. | Bless the tree, whose unseen root r I Draws the sap that builds the fruit; ,,1 1 Send Thy life to twig and shoot; lt Holy Spirit, hear us. ,■0 When the Autumn days begin, r.' Help us bring the bnrvest in; i- , Praising God for replenished bin; i- Holy Spirit, hear us. ; Grant the least and great alike* Share what Thou hast given." I_ We meet those who, from one or an- = i other cause, need the "bin replenished," courage, strengthened, hope and joy to spring up to do their gracious work of restoring Eden to Y'our paper comes into our. hands again, on the Feast of the Ascension Like those who' witnessed it we can — only stand gazing into the heavens/ being assure 1 that "He shall come again in like manner as He went into heaven." May the Sentinel iie out voice to remind us of this mystery ! that contents us us we journey by the wayside, and sit in THE PEW. Mr. and Mrs. John Armstrong ,of 608 28rd street, have been entertain- ' ing Rev. and Mrs. Wm. T. Armstrong, j of Scuthfield, Mich.gan, for the past week.

A Satisfied Owner Owns a 2 Family Apartment f TWO FAMILY APARTMENTS are the best kind of investment properties in Ocean City. Right now there are some excellent ' propositions that are offered for sale, un comparable to anything ' similar here in price, terms and location. AH of them are new and offered for sale at prices showing very satisfactory returns on the money invested. TWO FAMILY APARTMENTS, Third and Ocean Avenue, five o rooms and bath each floor, size 22 x 34 feet, tan foot wide porch, . brick foundations, papered throughout and finished inside in rj white and mahogany; will rent for 1900. Price *6,000. TWO FAMILY APARTMENTS, Frist end Atlantic Avenue, six rooms and bath each floor^ize 24 x 44 feet, lot 46 x 76 feet, wide porches, -brick foundations, room for double garage; rents for $1,100. Price $7,600. TWO FAMILY APARTMENT, Atlantic Avenue, between Moors' lyn Terrace and Ninth Street, brick construction throughout, seven rooms and tile bath each floor, built in tubs, inside enF trances to both apartments, large lot The upkeep on this apartment will be almost nothing for several yennt- Provision ^ made to install heating plant Price $13,500. s I For further information apply Any Realtor In Ocean City ' *■