SUSQUEHANNA
Susquehanna Times & The Mount Joy Bulletin
Vol. 78, No. 9, March 1, 1978
Barking dog saves
master in Marietta fire
A fast-burning fire de-
stroyed a home in
Marietta last Monday and
kept six fire and rescue
companies busy for two
hours.
The fire broke out at
just before 10 AM in the
basement of the home of
Walter F. Ellis at 242 West
Walnut Street. Mr. Ellis
was awakened by the
excited barking of his dog,
Tuffy. The dog’s alert may
have saved Mr. Ellis’s life.
(Bystanders said Mrs. Ellis
was out of the house when
the fire started.) Mr. and
Mrs. Ellis and the dog all
escaped serious injury.
Mr. Ellis, who is in his
seventies, tried to put out
the fire with buckets of
water, but it had already
gotten out of hand. The
firemen were summoned,
and the Pioneer Company
arrived in three minutes, to
find the fire already out of
control. They took one look
and radioed Maytown for
assistance.
““It was nothing but
smoke and flames,’’ said
one firefighter who arrived
shortly after the first truck.
During the course of the
blaze, the Columbia #1,
Silver Spring, and Florin
companies all fought the
flames or stood by.
Susquehanna Rescue was
also on the scene.
Altogether about S0 men
took part in the operation.
After escaping the burn-
ing house, Ellis and his
wife were taken in by their
next-door neighbors. The
Red Cross people arrived
and began making arrange-
ments for the Ellis’s
welfare.
County Fire Marshall
Paul Knier and Pioneer
Chief Ken Geesey will
investigate the cause of the
fire after the basement is
pumped clear of water from
the fire hoses. The fire
started in the basement.
MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA.
vy DER
: A TIN 7 0 A0 .
RAL ROA 175
RD. 2 JOY Ph.
1 |
MOU
FIFTEEN CENTS
A fireman sprays water onto the smouldering ruins of Ellis’s house.
The Presbyterian Church
has offered the Ellis family
a place to stay.
Walter Ellis, center, is flanked by Pioneer Fire Chief Ken Geesey, left, and Elliott
Robinson, Director of the Red Cross’s Safety Programs. The photo was taken about
two hours after the fire.
C
A Cardiopulmonary Re-
suscitation (CPR) course for
Mount Joy residents will be
held on March 3rd, 4th,
and Sth. For information or
P
to make a reservation, call
Fred Straub at 653-5481.
CPR is the most valuable
life-saving technique you
R
can learn. The course won’t
cost over about $2, so you
don’t have much excuse
not to know how. The
course is only 12 hours.
Science marches onward at DHS story on page 6
Eric Steinhart with computer biorhythm chart for math whiz Bob Pekarek