Judge — January 12, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Midnight Fire at Yapp's Crossing" This is a humorous illustrated scene depicting chaos at a town center during a nighttime fire. The cartoon shows a busy street with various storefronts (Town Hall, Davis Fish Market, Clement's Department Store, and others) engulfed in smoke and flames on the left side. The satire appears to target small-town emergency response and public panic. Civilians scatter chaotically—some on bicycles and motorcycles, others running or standing confused. The scene mocks both the disorder of firefighting efforts and community reactions to disaster. Without additional context, the specific "Yapp's Crossing" location and whether particular figures represent actual people or events remains unclear. The cartoon likely comments on general small-town inefficiency and hysteria rather than a specific incident.