The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-11-01
Fire Hero!--A Thrilling Tale.

re it as a matter OF course, Sir--taking
E&oolly IS out of the question. Here we
70 living about as exciting a life as men
"a lead-always on duty, and ready at
moment to have a set-to with the
~brst fire that ever broke out. No; 1
Ill never get to take it as matter OF
nrse for it's dark, rush and excite
ent and l love it, sir. Flash comes
q news to us by telegraph, most likely;
I'll comes the horses; there's light
t to the ready trimmed fire and then
9TH train of sparks flying out behind
II as the fire rears, and the steam's get
Ing up, away gallop the horses. Ay,
|EE g Hi! hio hallo!o and they clear
lie road for us; and away we go full
kal1op down the streets, with the horses
boots striking fire, the crowd shouting,
I'd the running mob increasing at
arms ones blood and as to the
1t when we feel that we are doing our
MY, and know what's before us, why,
mehow we don't remember the danger
ht go at it in earnest.
Now there was only last week, sitting
/ was waiting for call, there it was
last, late in the night, when the
teets were clear; and away we tore at
mething like a pace. Oxford street,
lolborn, down the Hill, up Skinner
Id Newgate street-whoop and away
full gallop, with the horses enjoying
bless you, and lashing out till it's
lrd to say whether they didn't fly
ore sparks than the fire under the
biler. We wanted no more instructions,
h there was the red glow on ahead +;
Id as we got nearer we could almost
e the sparks; and at last we did see
lem come pouring and rolling along
18th the smoke, and being a heavy, hot
ght, hanging like thick star-spangled
bud just over our heads.
Two engines were there and as it hap
ened so late, there was not SO many
eople as might have been expected j;
bit as soon as I got there saw some
ling particular was the matter, and
his is what it was. The fire was in
bite narrow court where they couldn't
let the escapes, and there We're people
hrning to death while above the
bouting of the mob and cianking Of
he engines hard at work, you could
lear their awful cries for help.
4 Now, don't you suppose that Pm
Sroud of all this Pm going to tell you,
ecause I'm not. Now, if you were to
lash in and save any ones life, why no
&oubt it would be brave and gallant,
Because you would have done it out Of
krue compassion for suffering fellow
creature; but then With me it's quite
different. Pm paid SO much a week to
eave life and property from fire; conse-
quently | only do what's my duty to do.
| runs up the court, axe in hand, and
DOon seen the State of affairs. One house
was in Il blaze from top to bottom, and
the flames had worked through into
Ehe next, and were attacking the one
opposite, while, with their escape regu-
Ihrly cut off, there were about half a
dozen people at the upper windows of
khe same house, and no way of getting
In them. There was no back door to
The place, being in one of those crowded
City places; While the door in front and
Staircase were now fast getting into a
State Of glow, off which the water sput-
tered and steamed without making any
There was no time for the ladders or
else but the sheets, and them
I'VE got stretched out for the people to
stump into, but, poor things! they dared
not, and what to do | could not tell
There was the fire blazing up higher
HtIN ulSliCI, anu IiSHtlIS UP WV VI
Them old city churches that you see lost
down these old courts, and looking as if
they'd been put there out O. the way
because people didn't have any use for
Them now. There they were lit up and
glowing, and the pigeons that lived up
there scared and flying round and round
the fire; there was the rush and roar OF
the wind along the court as it set
towards the fire; and there were the
flames leaping up, the clouds OF sparks
rising, the clouds of smoke rolling
away, and the cracking sputter OF the
states as they flew with heat, and then
slid rafting off into the court beneath,
smash upon the pavement. Every now
and then came louder roar and crash
as rafter or beam fell in, and sent up
the sparks in whirlwind. And there
all the time We're these poor creatures
uttering the widest piercing shrieks for
help that you ever heard. Now, I've
heard SO much of that sort of thing that
you'd expect | shouldn't mind it !; but |
do, though and as | said about the
fires, don't think l shall ever get to
take it as matter of course; for there
is something very awful in seeing fellow
creatures strong and hearty, and yet
dying before your eyes, and you not