National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-09-21
From the London Star.
TIE STORY OF HERO.
BY GEORGE MANNVILLE FEM.


And | don't think | ever shall get
to take it as a matter of course. sir
taking it cOolly's out of the ques
ton. Here we are living about as
excited life as man can lead-al-
ways Oh duty. and ready at mo-
ment to have a set-tO with the worst
fire that ever broke out. No: |
shall never get to take it as a matter
of course; for tits all dark, rush and
excitement and | love it, sir. Flash
comes the news to us by telegraph.
most likely out come the horses !:
there's light put to the ready trim
med fire: and then with a train of
sparks flying ont behind us. as the
fire roars. and the steam's getting
up, away gallop the horses. Ay.
it's. Hi hoi hollo" and they clear
the road for us; and away we go
full gallop down the streets. with the
horses hoofs striking fire, the crowd
shouting. and the running mob in
creasing at every step. There 5
something init as warns ones blood:
and as to the danger-well. otcOurse,
its dangerous; but when we feel
that we're doing our duty. and know
what's before us. WI V, somehow we
don't remember the danger, but 90
at it earnest.
Now. there was only last week,
sitting as | was waiting for call
there II was at last. late on in the
night. when the streets were clear ;
and away we tore at something like
pace. Oxford street, Holborn.
down the Hill up Skinner street,
and Newgate strect-whoOp. and
away full gallop. with the horses en-
loving it. bless you, and lashing ont
till it's hard To say whether they
didn't make more sparks than the
fire under the boiler. We want no
more instructions, for there was the
red GLOW on ahead and as we got
nearer we could almost see the
sparks: and at last we did see them
come pouring androllin@ along with
tlIt SllIbiNF- anu p'ltI d itdN,N y H'i
night. hanging like a thick star
Spangled cloud just over our heads
Two engines were there. and as il
happened so late there were not 81
maaN people as might have been cv
pecteG but as soon as | got there
saw as something particular was th'
matter and this is what it was. TIL,
fire was III quite narrow court
where they couldn't get the escapes
and there was people burning t,
death while above the shouting o
the mob and clanking of the engine
hard at work YOU could hear then
awful cries for help.
Now don't suppose that I'm prout
of all this I'm going 10 tell You. be
cause I'm not. Now. if You We're tt
dash in and save any ones life. why
no doubt it would he brave and gal
liant, because you would have don,
it out of true compassion for a sui
tering fellow creature but thel
with me its quite different. l'W pai'
So much Il week to save life and pro
perty from fire; consequently | onl,
do what's my duty to do.
runs up the court axe III hand
and soon secs the state of affairs
One house was in Il blaze from to-
to bottom. and the flames had work
ed through into the next. and wcr
attacking the one opposite. while
with tIreir escape regularly cut of
, there were about half a dozen pee
pie at the upper windows of tn
same house and no way of gcttin
to them. There was no back doc
: to the place. being in one of thoS
crowded city places : while the doc
4 in front and stair ease were no.
fast getting into state of glow, q
u which the water Sputtcrcd an
steamed without making any in
preston.
There was no time for ladders c
anything else but the sheets. an
them were got stretched out for I'll
people To umpinto, but. poor things
G they dared not, and what to do
: could not tell. There was the fiji
bla ing up higher and higher, ligh
inc up two of them old city churc
II es that You see lost down those ol
/ courts. and looking as if they'd bee
f put there ont % the way becau
people didn't have amy use for the
4. now. There they were lit up glo'
= ing, and the pigeons that lived
- there scared and flying round N
i round the fire: there was the I'll,
Il and roar of the wind along the con
, y as it set towards the fire and the
,r were the flames lcaping up. Il
clouds of sparks rising, the clou,
of smoke rolling away, and q
n cracking sputtcr of the states
IL they flew with the heat, and th,
le slid rafting off into the court |
r. meath, smash upon the pavemeI
Y Every now and then came II loud
roar and Il crash ~ rattcr or bea
fell in, and sent the sparks up
|, II whirlwind. And there all tn
~ time were those poor creatures I
III ! tering the widest, piercing shric
~ for help YOU ever heard. Now, L
" heard so much of that sort of thil
y that you'd expect that ] shouldt
10 10 mind il but | do though; and Al
II said about the fires, | don't thinl
p" shall ever get To take 1t rs u matt
of course for there is somethi
n very awful in seeing fellow crcatul
r.. strong and hearty, and vet. dyi