The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-09-21

of the bottom of the ladder, for they sent
the heaviest end up first, and then dragged
1t in at the window, and balancing the
other end up continued to push 1t across and
into the window of the other house across
the court, and so made a SOFT OF bridge, only
it was all askew for the houses were not
quite opposite to one another.
Just as I'd done this, in comes my mate
with two more men, and sets them to work
to hold the ladder while | took hold of the
rope. and then made ready TO crawl across
on the thin bridge I'd rugged up. 1t was
for life and death, or / wouldn't have ven
tured on the Slight bending wood: for
though q ladder set nearly upright may be
strong enough it makes ii a deal weaker to
lay il down level and then go and crawl
a ong it. l knew how il would be, though,
so tied the rope round my body, and made
my mate hitch the other end round big
hook in the wall, used for pnlley, so that
in the event of fall. if the rope held good,
| shouldn't have gone all the way. They
tied one end of the ladder, too, for to keep
ii steady, and then there was scrambling
across, with the ladder bending and CULVER
ing. and the crowd underneath hurraing
and clapping their hands just as if | was
doing bit Of Blondin to please them.
How that ladder did bend; SO that |
thought it must give way, and me 60 crash
into the court; but it didn't; and the next
moment was in the window Of the burning
hou,e, with the trembling women clinging
to me.
"Now, them" l says to one man, "you
can creep across" and pointed to the lad
der.
~ can't leave my wife," he says, hold
ing half fainting woman against the
window, where the smoke wasn't quite SO
dense.
"Iou're trump, you are l thinks;
and then hauls more Of the rope over. and
makes it fast around the poor woman's waist,
and then we laid her on the ladder, and the
three on the other side hauled, and we held
on to the rope this end, and so we got her
half across, when she slipped off the ladder,
and hung right over the court, while there
arose regular shrek Of horror. But there
was people, you see, at each end of the
rope, and We loosened as the other hauled,
and so they soon had her in at the other
window, though the rope was SO tight that
it must have hurt the poor thing terribly.
Then they loosened the rope again, we
sent another woman over, and she was in
sensible with fear, and we got her over all
right, though she, too, slipped off the lad.
der. Then there were two little girls, one
after the other, and it was sad to see how
they trembled and shook-too much fright
ened to cry, as well they might be, for the
heat was awful; aud l knew that another
quarter Of an hour would find the room we
wero in red hot.
We got another over-a young man-and
he was dragged over, too, for he dare not
try to crawl across, and l suppose to man
as amt used to such things, to creep over a
place like that, all those feet over the pave
ment, and when you've been frightened to
death nearly by waking out Of your sleep
to find the next place on fire, is rather try
ing and now there was only that chap
whose wife had been sent over first, and
who had worked all he could to help me
and another terrible cowardly chap, whom
I'd had quite set-to with to keep back, so
as to save women and children first
And now this chap as I've just spoke
about made rush to get at the ladder, and
he was in such horrid fright that don't
believe he'd got over safe, and besides l
knew there was time for us all to get away
if things were done quietly; so, consider
ing as it wasn't his turn, held him back
for the married man to 60 first to his wife,
when the other one almost shrieked out with
rage and fear.
"Let him 60 first" says the married man,
"I'll wait"
"'Ta;n't his turn" says, rather obsti-
nate like. "Over you 60! p and OF such q
time one can't be interfered with, and hav-
ing made my plans so far I didn't want
them altered. So, cover you go. = says.
81 think l can crawl he says, and he
got out on the ladder; but instead Of crawl
ing he sat astride of it and worked himself
along, with the crowd hurrahing and
cheering him tremendous.
And up came the fame and smoke, and
the roar and crackle and falling in of tim
bers was getting terrible. Every place was
light as day, while as to the heat, declared
1t seemed to scorch you fearfully.
"The sooner you're across and me with
you, the better l shall like it, l says, and
then took look round to see how matters
we're, when there came crash and puff,
and in a moment the flames came wreathing
and twirling up from underneath where l
stood, and just as the last chap had his leg
on the window-sill and | was going to tip
the rope round him, he gave yell and fell
back, or rather pulled him back into the
smoky room, and he tainted dead away.
He must have gone down crash into the
court if hadn't have dragged at him; but
there was no time to lose. made the rope
fast and got him on to the ladder, with the
flames darting up through the rounds and
burning his hair; and then shouted to
them to haul, and haul they did, with me
trying to steady him with my end Of thu
rope but before he was quite across some.
thing went snap, and l staggered back il
the room, holding on to the piece Of burnt
through rope, and with my heart sinking a
| felt that my own salvation was partl,
gone.
Just then the flames we're waited on on
side, and saw that they were dragging il
the last Of the seven, and felt now as if
had done good nights work, and it va
time to save myself I'm net ashamed I
own it. I did feel frightened as | thre,
down that piece Of rope, and it must hav
been something like cry Of horror CAV
when got hold of the ladder and felt
burn my hands; and then as tried to bea
upon it, felt it crumble away, and that wa
without way to escape.
Far above the noise of the fire and waite
came the shrek of the crowd as the burne
ladder fell away and hung blazing BY on
end against the opposite house, while Their
came up such rush Of flame past the win
dow that could not look out but directl
after heard the fierce rush Of water, an
could see that four branches were delugin
the window, and all beneath for my mate
knew what danger l was in.
ran to the window, and was beaten bac
by the water, while the smoke that came u
was quite binding. Then tried throuR
the hot vapor in the room to see if coul