The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-02
= r. =
They not only watched, but hoped and

the stairs; and Notwithstanding, the
flames were steadily making headway!
And the brave boy. What of him
1t was soon ascertained that he was a
"printers devil" and that his name was
julius Franklin.
That was sufficient just then for the
terribly excited throng of on-lookers.
And Franklin! His subsequent story
was nearly as follows:
"When | got upon the lower stairs !
found that the flames were all around
me; but that the steps were yet strong
enough to bear me up, and that if /
hastened I might succeed in getting
down them with safety.
"At the first landing dense cloud of
smoke swept down upon and nearly
choked me. There was no flame in it,
however,; l Immediately fell upon my
face and with my mouth to the hot
boards l crawled to the next fight of
stairs. Up these succeeded in getting,
with much trouble. At the second land
ing there was a window, thisl burst open
and gasped for air. 1t was for mouth
full on'y that l struggled, when had
that made another effort, and, although
l found that everything touched was
as hot as if just taken out of an oven, l
struggled on. don't suppose | could
how honp fbon r,inr1to in tho
house, up to this time, but it really
seemed to have been at least full half
hour; and as no water had, as yet, been
thrown in the direction Of the stairs, !
concluded that the assistant engineer
thought was fool, and had made up
his mind to let me. perish in the flames
for my presumption. This made me
feel awful, l tell you. But there was no
turning back the little girl should be
saved, or perish with her.
"When l made up my mind to this, l
became as cool as cucumber; l had no
more fear, rushed up the next fight,
and just as I was turning to mount the
last one piece of rafter fell upon me.
It was all afame. 1t struck me on the
head and then dropped on the floor.
| knew, then, that cold water. had
been poured uponit. l kicked the stick
out of the way, and the next minute 1
was at the door where | felt sure the
child was, l burst it open, and was, again
struck in the face by dense volume of
smoke. felt as if the girl must have
been smothered.
"Just as 1 again crawled forward to find
the bed whereon l had supposed the
little one had been lying, | caught hold
Of a little foot, drew it toward me,
lrew it and the body attached to it out
on the landing 1t was that of the child,
Lottie Wilson. was quite certain she
vas dead; but took her in my arms and
attempted the descent. Now, if the as
Sistant engineer had not oraai ed the
pipes to be turned on the stairs, | do be-
iieve it would have been better for US both
Lottie and |.
"rhe water as it struck in great
volumes upon the stairs and into the
passages, had the effect of driving the
smoke toward US.
81 had to stand on the upper landing
with the flames constantly and persistent
" undermining me, until the clouds Of
smoke had been driven past me.
"When at last I saw my way down th'
@ terrible passage, inyoluntarily offered
- prayer for safety. At almost every stel
t the flames would start up, and once O.
n twice, as I descended, the steps brok
: in two, because they We're nearly burn
: apart by the licking, eating fire. |
d seemed an eternity to me before fnall.
reached the last stairway. 1t was tremb
l. ling and would presently fall That
: saw at glance. Then, after so mucl
n was to perish where stood, with Lot
d tie Wilson's body in my arms9
Suddenly there was crash. ,.
e 81 looked to see the stairs fall-fc
y when they went, I thought my doom wa
1t forever sealed. Iwas becoming, fel
It exhausted.
le "But there was something else ga5
Ii way at that moment.
The upper part of tall ladder W
4 driven through window within a fo
i # where was standing; and then, ju
as felt my consciousness going fro
y me. | heard in hoarse voice the sing
word.
to "Savedr'
ID "Then there was great roar, and,
he knew nothing more, except that thoug
= was falling into deep, dark pit.
as "fThey told me week LATER co
IN tinued Franklin, sat the hospital that
had been seen with little Lottie' standi
be at the head of the stairs, and that the
was only one way-as the stairs We
I'd succumbing to the flames, and wor
,ls nrasantlv fall-to save me, and that v