Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-20
ATRlp ON A FIRE TRAIN.

fFrom tho Truckce Republican of the 18th. J
Thursday night an alarm was blown
for fire. There is something magical
in the startling effect of iire-whistle;
even the "clanr and crash and roar
of fire bells is eclipsed by the at1right-
ed din of shrieking tirc-Whistlc.
"Thc roof of the Cold stream wood
shed is all ablazc.o Such was the
news brought by the section men who
came flying down on the hand car.
Powell, the wa.chman, discovered the
fire, gave the alarm to ten section men
ut Cold Stream bend. and there three
started at once for Trickee.
a fire train consists of an engine ana
three heavy "water cars together
with any given number of feet of hose.
Thanks to the courtesy OF Mr.. Kicker,
the engineer of the Samson, we were
soon pcrchcd out on the forward por-
ton of the engine, peering anNiously
forward into the darkness. All steam
was up. and the faithful old Sam
son was shooting forward into
the night with speed that
seemed prodigiou>. Nate Webb, the
most faithful. jealous, indet;,tigable
worker we ever saw, the man who is
ever to be found in the snow battles,
in wrecks, or anywhere that the conf
panv's interests are being endangered,
was on the engine. Frank Frates, Jo-
Scph Lindsay, jerome Clarke, and Il
nnmher of our leading railroad men,
were aboard. Every face showed the
deepest anxiety and concern. The
sheds at Cold Stream contain large
quantity of dry pitch pine wood, and
there is not a drop of water within five
hundred wards. No. ) had wooded up
L e.. l.. t.r., III
covered, and probably il spark from
her engine did the mischief. Imagine
IL pine house two or three hun
tlred Yards long. filled with seasoned
pitch wood-wi,h the root ablaze. and
only eight men To check the progress
of the flames, and you have the situa-
.on. Imagine, too. Il pondcrouS en-
.:nc and fire train speeding along
like Il hungry demon. through four
miles of Sierra night scenery. and the
picture is complete. Trees fit by like
phantoms. The headlight sends a
rhoStly giimrncr out over the track,
and the hot breath of the Samson
comes short, quick and laborcd. Last
Spring the wood sheds were buried
III fifteen feet of SNOW, now they are
ON fire. Then, q SNOW -plow and ten
cu.ines couid scarcely force pas
Sa9r through tllt lIOEth HitSS, HON -
nnrk-did the night wind shrek? No!
the Summit fire train is rushing
down the grade across the cannon
with the speed and fury of Il tfun-
derholt To meet us nj the fire. In the
Winter we often saw the SnoM-plow
trains meet here; two fire trains will
come front to front.
\ i'aglian's Ian crn, q dash into the
sheds, Il few hurried commands, and
Webb is standing on Il ladder pouring
Il huge stream Of va'cr on the fire.
rhc section mon, and the Waterman
Powell, have done heroic work.
i'ratcS !n>.ruc.s them to throw earth
oa the blazing roofs, when water can
not be had. and his orders and their
iii,hfuness kept the flames under
suhec,ion. While some ran for water,
Others mounted the roof and for an
hour these brave fellows actually, lit
orally. fought fire. The two grim,
fiery monsters that had drawn the
trains stood With pilots only Il few feet
apart, but it was only necessary for
one set of hose to h0 used. The heavy
pumps of the Samson soon cNtin-
;.ui>hed every spark. Steve Hilc!:er,
the conductor of the Summit fire
train, was ON hand, eager and ready
for The fray, but the sec,ion men had
done the business. As Webb and
Lindsay came down from their work,
fairly drenchcd, the former, with his
characteristic brevity. remarked :
"rhir,y. five thousand dollars SaVcdi''