Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-06-12
NO. 1873.
Gales and Sketthes.
THE FIREMAN'S PRAYER.
by RUSSELL II. CoNwELL.

The following true story was read at
the recent anniversary celebration of the
Tremon Temple Sunday School, and at
/ traeted the more interest because three of
| The children of the hero are members of
| that school:
1t was in the gray of the early morning.
| IN the season OF Lent. Broad street, from
Fort Hill to State street, was crowded with
fastening worshippers, attendants on ear
| y mass. Maidens, matrons, boys and
men jostled and hurried on toward the
churches. some with countenances sim
cerely sad, others with apparent attempts
to appear in accord with sombre season;
while many thoughtless and careless ones
| loked and chatted, laughed and scuffled
along in the hurrying multitude. Sudden
iy passerby noticed tiny wreaths and
pulls of smoke starting from the shin
| giles OF the roof upon large ware
house. The great structure stood upon
the corner, silent. bolted and tenantless:
and all the windows, save small round
light in the upper story, were closely and
securely covered with heavy shutters.
Scarcely had the smoke been seen by one,
when others OF the crowed looked up in
the same direction, and detected the un-
usual occurance. Then others Joined
them, and still others followed until a
swelling multitude gazed upward to the
roof over which the smoke soon hung like
"A fog, while from caves and shutter of the
| upper story little Jets of black smoke
burst suddenly out into the clear morning
air. Then came flash, like the light
ning's lare, through the little gable win
dow, and then another. brighter, ghastier
and more prolonged. Fire I" Fire :"
screamed the throng, as moved by sin
gle impulse. they pointed with excited
gestures toward the window. Quicker
Than the time it takes to tell. the cry
| reached the corner, and was flashed on
messenger wires to tower and steeple. en-
| gine and hose house. over the then half
| sleeping city. Great bells with ponderous
tongues repeated the cry with logy
strokes, little bells with sharp and spite
iul clicks recited the news, while half
conscious firemen. watching through the
long night, leaped upon engines and hose
carriages and ratified into the streets.
Soon the roof of the burning warehouse
was drenched with floods of water, poured
upon it from the hose of many engines,
while the surging multitude in Broad
street had grown to thousands of excited
spectators. The engines pulled and hoot-
ed. the engineers shouted. the hook and
ladder boys clambered upon roof and cor
nice, shattered the shutters and burs, in
the doors. making way for the rescuers of
merchandise and for the surging nozzles
of available hose-pipes. But the wooden
structure was a see;hing furnace through
out all its upper portion. while water and
ventilation seemed only to increase its
power and fury.
| 81 bou-u Cnpo OH hat
roof" Come out of that building,"
shouted an excited man in the crowd,
struggling with all his power in the mesh
es of the solid mass of men, women and
children in the street. Come down
For Gods sake. come down The rear
store is filled with barrels of powder -
Powder Powder r. screamed the en-
gineer through his trumpet! Powder"
shouted the hoseman. Powder. !" called
the brave boys on roof and cornice.
l"Powder ~ answered the trumpet of the
chief, Powder! Powder! Powderr
echoed the men in the burning pile; and
from ladder, easement. window roof and
cornice, leaped terrified fremen. with
pale faces and terror stricken limbs.
Push back the crowd r'shouted the en-
gneer. run for your lives. Run Run
Run !" roared the trumpets of the eng-
lneers.
But, alas the crowd was so dense, and
spread so far through cross streets and
alleys, that away on the outskirts, through
the shouts of men, the whistling of the
lengines and the roar of the heaven pierre
ing flames the orders could not be heard.
| The frantic beings in 'front.' understanding
their danger, pressed wildly back; the
fIemen pushed their engines and their
1, 80
but the throng moved not. So densely
packed was street and square, and so varl-
Gus and deatening the noises, that the ar
my of excited spectators in the rear still
lpressed forward with irresistible force,
unconscious of danger, and regarding
any oGtcry as mere ruse to disperse
them for convenience sake. The great
mass swayed and heaved like the waves
of the sea but, beyond the terrible surg
ing of these in front, whose heartrending
screams half drowned the whistles, there
was no sign OF retreat. As far as one
could see, the streets were crowded with
living human flesh and blood.
MY God My God ~ said the engineer
in dispair. What can be done Lord
have mercy on us all What can be done ?"
What can be donep I'll tell you what
can be done" said one OF 8ostons fire.
men whose hair was not yet sprinkled
with gray. Yes, bring out that powder!
and I'm the man to do it. Better one man
perish than all. Follow me with the
water, and if God !gts me live long enough
| I'll have it out.
Perhaps, as the hero rushed into the
burning pile, into darkness of smoke
and whitening heat, he thought of the
wife and children at home-ot the cheeks
he had kissed in the evening, of the good
bye of the prattling ones and the laugh
as he gave the last tag" For, as he
rushed from the hoseman who tied the
handkerchief over his mouth, he multered
"God care for my little ones when | am
gone" Away up through smoke and
flame and cloud to the heights OF heavens
throne. ascended that prayer. "God care
for my little ones when am gone" and
the mighty Father and the loving Son
heard the firemans petition.
Into the flame OF the rear store rushed