The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-10-04
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: FIRE ALAttu ~ NKw XOHK
4 loud-sonndng bell breaks the 81.
lcnce with several imperative strokes FOL.
lowing each other in quick and startling
Succession The cause an electric current
the effect ike The crack OF doom In lin.
tied area. The tlremeu spring out Of
their beds simultaneously, without los
ing the tenth of a second In hesitation o.
surprise; ten pairs Of legs are simullane.
ously thrust into the trousers 10y the bed
side, snd two bitches pail on both lrou-
sers and boots. The trousers close upon
the hips, 50 that no time is lost with sus-
penders or belts, and the miraculous
toilet ia complete, while stand confused
by the distressing suddeuness OF things,
The noise 10 the lower room is as though
the foundation of the building were be-
Ing blasted by dynamite. The bell Is
still striking, repeating the signal five
times over, aud the last fireman Is half
way down stairs before recover myself
and hastily follow him. Below stairs
horses are hitched TO the engine, the
driver Is on the box, the furnace is light
ed, The men have taken their precsrlous
positions on the tender, the doors leading
to the street are wide open, and one min
ute has not yet expired since the tlrst
stroke of the belll The engineer taps
me on the shoulder, aud orders me into a
place on the narrow platform behind the
engine. Hold on for your lifel The adj
vice is scarcely in my ear when the horses
plunge forward, and the machine rolls of
tho smooth floor of the station on to the
cobble-stones OF the street, which seem TO
fly out OF their beds In the rebound Of the
wheels. The excitement bewlders; the
stores and houses along the route are in
distinct for moment our feet are
shaken from under MS as we sharply turn
u corner; then great ease in motion tells
us that we have left the cobble.stones or
Belgian payements for asphalt or maoa-
dam the tremulous finger OF the steam
guage indicates high and higher pres
sure the furnace bl0zes with increasing
vehemcnce, and the smoke.stack emils
dense wreaths OF smoke aud sparks,
which are blown back upon us, aud in-
close us in their suffJcating backuess
The experience is thrilling beyond meas.
ure to novice, and the absorbed express
zion OF the men who have been used TO
the thing for years shows that il also has
some effect upon them. The engine stops
abruptly IN front OF building out OF
which some smoke is drifting; the hose
is uncoiled from the tender, hydrant is
tapped and in less than five minutes after
the first stroke OF the alarm at the station
stream of water ia thrown upon the fire
by the engine, which gasps for breath,
apparently, at the haste. Within those
tiYe minutes twelve or thirteen men have
been aroused from sound sleep and
dressed themselves, three horses have
been taken out of stable and attached to
vehicles aud men have travelled five
blocks. But if one should speak to the
men about it, they would deprecate adj
miration. DUring the first visit of the
Grand Duke Alexis to New York, an
alarm of fire was sounded at the Claren-
don Hotel in Fourth Avenue, and q
stream Of water was turned upon the
building by an engine within two min
utes and thirty.fge seconds, the engine
having been manned aud brought four
blocks in the meantime IL is not un-
usual for the engine to be out Of the
house aud on IFS way to fifo within for.
! Is seconds OF the moment when the bell
/ first strikes.
We will not remlin with the men at tho
fire, which may do little damage, and 0c-
cupy them for an hour, or reduce millions
Of dollar worth Of property aud oecupy
/ them for Il whole night
AS soon a. lheY return 10 the hlhllobi
no matter how tired they iaay be, the cn-
pine is restored to its original condition
Of bfillaacy, the horses are er9oned the
harness washed IN CASTLE soap, the hose
/ is readinsled on the tender, ~ Il hn hUui
lafterward, or less, the company Is iaii,
prepared TO answer another alarm Eacl
man places his hat aud coat in bis seat on
the tender, and puts them on after be ha,
started for the fire be also has parlicu
LAT place aud particular duty assigned
to him III hiiching up the horses, which
il done by electric snaps, and IN getting
the engine out Of The house, tho entire
performance often consuming no more
tran ten seconds.