New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-29
Men Who Face Death.

Men Who Face Death.
Well, there's no mistake about it, but
ours is q dangerous calling, though not
quite SO dangerous, perhaps, as many think.
There's some people as have an idea that
we're regular lot Of fire-eaters- salamand.
ere, as they call 'em. They picture us
always a-rushing through the flames or
woman over one shoulder and a couple of
children over the other. But, lor bless you,
that's the sort Of thing as you only see on
the stage, or about Just at the ito be con-
tinued in our next" part of story, where a
| feller is left in blazing room or hanging
| from third floor window sill for week.
Wen risk our lives freely enough, and do
risk EN- many tine: but for all that we
| don't quite go in for the fire-eating business.
If we did you'd only hear of more tiremen
lost end fewer people saNed.
| vi course, it does happen that after you
are IN house that is on fire flames burst
out somewhere so as to bar your passage
out. and then, seeing that you are in for 1t,
| you know that there is nothing for it but to
rush through, and you act according. You
| lowers your head, so as to make yer fire hat
acc as sort of cutter, and catch as much
OF the blaze as possible, and then drawing
| yer breath and clinching yer teeth, and
with all sorts of thoughts flashing through
| your mind, you make the dash. But no
| fireman would go into room that was
already in flames. Under ordinary cir
cumstances there would be no need
| for him to do so. If there were people in
| the room, and they had got to the window,
| they could be got out with the escape; while
| if they hadn't got to the window, it would
| be fifty chances to one against their being
| alive. The smoke would most likely have
done its work on them before the flames
broke out. So far as human life is con-
| cerned, smoke is more fatal than fire, and
it is, perhaps, well that it is, for sutfocatlon
is a more merciful death than burning
would be. I've had one or two pretty bad
burns, and once was in the smoke till l
dropped insensible, go that know what l
am talking about.
What caused me to stay in the smoke so
long! Well, I'll tell you: The only one
thing that could have made me stay-to
save life. 1t was at my first fire. l had
been IN the company some time, and knew
NY duties as far as instruction and drill
could teach me, but till this night / had
meyer been at an actual fire.
Well, just before twelve o'clock. and
while was on duty, they telegraphed to
us from the next statiOn-you know each
station is generally in direct Geographic
communication with the others-that there
was fire at a big store up their way.
gave the alarm, and in less than minute
my mates were out and buckling to, and in
less than five minutes we were dashing
along. When we got to the place there
were two other engines at work, and q
great crowd cheering and shouting.
Well, l was strong, healthy young fell |
low, and had joined as much from liking
to the work as anything, seeing there was |
dozen other things l could have earned |
the sane money at. The hustle of getting |
to the fire, and the still greater hustle that |
was going on at it stirred my blood, and |
made me feel ready for anything. For that |
mind. wanted chance to do a bit of |
real work, and before l had been on the |
ground couple of minutes got it.
man from one of the other companies |
was brought down the escape regularly |
dead beat, and could just gasp GU: that he |
believed that two of the shop girls were
still in the room that he had just come out
Of: beaten back by the heat and smoke.
That was enough for me; / dips nv
ocket-handkerchief in water, sticks it in nv
belt so as to be handy, mounts the ladder
and creeps into the room. threw myself
fiat, and though it was dreadfully hot.
TO keep pretty well under the
smoke. Opening my eyes just tor an in
slant, l caught q sort Of glimmer Of some
thing white, and wriggling myself to 1t,
found it was one of the girls, who was, of
So 4uitc inscnsiuIc. Rot ROOO nOlO !
Of her, and then, taking suck at my
made my way back and put
her IN the hands of one of my mates.
stepped out for second or two just to get
breath, and then in l went again to try for
The other poor girl.
worked myself across the room without |
ceiling anything, and then, the heat having
got unbearable, began to make my way
pack as fast as could, and had got nearly
thu vripHnxu y,ho I ho,,I |
sirl. gripped her, but found that by this
line l was too weak to work her along w.
ng down, as had done the other; SO hop
ng might be able to stagger over the few
eet to the window, l rose to my feet but
he sulphury smoke aoored me in an in
tant, dropped senseless with her in my
rms, and knew no more till found myself
oming to in the open air.
How had been saved! Well, in this
vay. ! had fastened to the top of the lad.
er lifeline to take in my hand when l I
7ent in among the smoke, so as to guide
lyself back by it. had stuck hard to
bis, and when l went down had given it
UGH a jerk, that the man who was on the 8
adder watching for me guessed pretty well q
ow things had gone, and hauling in stead
y brought us into sight. and then making
dash at us managed to get us on the lad '
er, just in tie nick of time, for the flames i
urst through ceiling-high as he was clear :
.g the window. '
No, that wasn't what have my medal
wen TO me for. 1t was an affair of some t
ling the same sort, though. There was two !
omen in the house that time; but fire 4
atrolman had got one of them ont and
I'D made three attempts to save the other,
efOre l got up. When l did get on the
FOUND he told me how things stood, and 8
} put ladder up to the window, went t
to room and found her, and handed her
1t to him. He had had the brunt of the e
ork, but lockers on thought it was a case e
well done by both, and both got
edals.-Ner York MAIL