The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-23

ringers mo- linted-tirce to each tnwcr-frOm
the veterans Or the department, who have been
disabled hy accid>it " exposure In the service,
but arc s'ili fiji for this duty, instead Of taking
u'ru nom tue companies to which the towers
are attached. Iy the present system, his com
r1ny g. always short handed at lci-t on man,
~ ltfcr. Besides, the continuous service Is
uccdle.-ly hard ON the men. Duiy on the tower
docs not relieve u man ir IN IRE guy immedi
uf, Is atirr ANA ihr established hours rwaich go
in The towers are often much extended by the
nrccsNtv Of aifufding rest To relief men who
l. .,e uecn eXh listed bv ardu"us service AT
To- cont anies. ~ the three up town towers. and
the system winch he SUGGESTS would only re-
qurr the addition of eighteen men to- the force,
Wuiln 1t would gre tly increase the efficiency ~
the companies now having tower duty 10 per
form The regular watches on Tue men on the
lookout are from y. NJ. until midnight, md.
nisht 10 o A. W., dog wa'ch from toe a. NJ,
"A. NJ. to l L. Ne, and to UP. VI.
CLOUD or SMOKE.
Suddenly the man on duty matches no tho
{, ld glass anu throwing IN one OF the windows,
g,zes out inicntly. a httle cloud OF smoke ris-
ing over the roofs attracts his attention. Capt.
Drevet takes look AT 10 and DfOnounces 1t " a
chimney on 1re.' before this verdict IA render
ed, however, a whistle has been sent down
through the speaking tube to the engine house
IA a measure of prec utiOn, and Immediately Ia
heard tho loud tranplng OF the horses rus hing
out fiom the stable to their places In front Of
the engine and hose cart.
"where Is it2' comes W in mufllcd tones
stand fast" ia the order from the Captain,
repeated bv the man nj I tube.
In a couple OF minutes announcer Orucr rs sent
down: Unhitch, and send man around on
Thirty-ninth street, between Ninth and Tenth
avenues, to see II there Is a chimney on Drc."
As we subsequently learn. the IN u went
around through 1hrty-ninth and Forticth
streets, saw no fire. smclt burning rags, " only
this and nothing more" and returned.
2:Jg-An alarm comes SHARPLY over the wire
from the Central ONCE, 3, g. Before tho 3
has sounded the horses are again heard chnrg-
ing out TO their stations, their haters having
been slipped ana he stable doors opened by an
automatic contriyancc at the FIRST tap Of the
gong. The alarm. however. Is from the corner
OF South ruth avenue aud Houston street, a
station to which this engine does not run. Tue
six or seven companies ne rest to where Hn
alarm Is given turn out at the hrst u. Then.
If more help Is needed a second call viii tie
| sounded by ten successive strokes, followed by
more companies. A third cal fl twelve success
siye strok = and the station numoer Will DIing
! ono o'clock-A great lurid Hight springs up.
| seemingly IN an instant lar over ON the jersey
/ shore. somewhere ne r the Erie depot, Cart.
4 prc,et thinks. Ii rrows aud spreads with great
/ iaVidity. sending forth huge volumes II thick,
/ black smoke. Again and again tue gong peals
! from some tower whence the red light In the
ky has been deserted without the observer be-
! iug able to see IT'S cause. Answering back come
two taps from several towers In succession. the
! reply OF each. which means, NO danger in
sight here. But the hshs continues and IN
creases, aud the lookout alarm comes re-
| pcatedly from some excited watcher, VINO will
not be satisied with the t.leerAphic AIS
WE'LL until nnailN the Central once sends In all
| dt, ctiuns a series Of quick strokes, which. be.
| ing interpreted, sisuif, "shut up, Will your and
let me alone" Tue ire, which Is In fun View
/ ftom where we stand, seems nerce as ever, ut
| tho iracti-cd eye Of capt. Drevet not, ia to,
whitening OF the smoke a sign that engines ne
| at work upOn II. and gradually getting u under
| CONTROL Finally 1t goes down. II has been
short, but furious having been led b' some
/ very combustihe material A 5 sh factory wa
/ burned, the next day pa. ers stated.
| by thtl time the moon has ARISEN high IN ia,
heaNeh anu ID snllihH WIN .rrNt u.llah y
Buildings and spires stand out IN harp, BLACK
relief against the sky, while nere ana the
broad roofs SHINE In the moon cams ike nnr
nished met Il. The river, placid aud unrunlct
BY the wind or even single moNin- hee lies
Ike a sea Of gl.,s IN the silveD h.ht. Very
strangely. all ones ideas Of distance are set al
naught 10y he manner In which outlined prom
inent Ioinis are seemingly equally lar III. Hal
"A dozen blocks nearer or fut,ner away make ~
perccpuhle diHsreuce To the unframed eye, thu
general error being in favor OF an undo: fatne
tnan an over estimate. H. locating Tres this IT.
especially noticeable, nut the pracused watch
ers are familiar with the share ~ every spir'
aid dome and tail edihce within th'ir range e.
vision. and so are enabled to approximate veri
closely.
Two o'clock.-The street nchis are sin al
Aclow but those H. the windows are generally
extnsuished. Here and there patient watche
sun Is up, but darkness and silence are every
where. Even the rumollng OF the street car
and from the tunnels OF the locomotives stu
moving about between us and the river, II
straigh: plunes II smoke and steam asst -n'
above the house top, aud move slJwy AOn
like gigantic phantoms.
bleak or DAY.
About half pnst o'clock the noisy rafting O
the milkmen's cant. rises to uur ears An ou
later. and sim IltaneOn,ly little columns q
smoke II 'At iazily up fipm Thousand chimney
/ in al directions. A lfrEe proportion OF the ten
cmeut-house HE Of New York Is At tins monen
yawniu9 aud getting It's oredhfa-s rcddy. Dur
Ing the next hour the sky grows lighter an
lighter, and the sounds OF the street increase
! h lttling carts numbering wagons. tinklng stree
car tells ana factory whistles miAg.c IN the ca |
mornln. din. The day Cawns slowly, and wit
cold, gray. cherries lisht. but Al the hrs
glow OF tue sun, ligAt aud leanty spin
into being az II bN mage. Thousands a.
windows flash back his dazzling rays, the glass
river turns to molten X Id. ana the mons cry
hugh uu On Jcrsey's heights, spdrkles from n
window pancs ana gilled ornaments upon IL
roof Ike great gemmed TOY.