The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1878-12-20
VOL. ".

Quer the names thal were leapih8 CoWafus
them, scorching and eating into them.
The excitement though Subdued, was
terrlbIe-fearfully intense.
Every one was on the lookout, and now
and again some person, whose nerves
we're oyerwrought, would cry:
"There! There he is y
But the aching multitude Of men and
woman, whose eyes never left the entrance
to the fated house, knew better.
They not only watched, but hoped and
prayed.
Even The voice Of the unhappy mother
was hushed with expectation.
All this while, moments seemed hours,
the firemen played in the direction Of the
stairs; and nothwithstan ling, the flames
were steadily making headway.
And the brave boy. What Of him
1t was soon ascertained that he was
s.printers devil, and that his name was
Julius Franklin.
That was sufficient just then for the ter
tibly excited throng Of on-lookers.
And Franklin! His subsequent story
vas nearly AS follows:
"Wheu | got upon the lower stairs
touad that the flames were all around me-
out that the steps we're yet strong enough
% bear me mp, and that if FASTENED !
might succeed in getting down them in
safety.
cat the first landing dense cloud Of
smoke swepvdown upon and nearly choked
me. There was no fame in it, however,
ard I Immediately fell upon my face and
with nv mouth close to the hot boards !
crawled to the next flight of stairs Up
these I succeeded in getting with much
rouble. At the second landing tn re was
! window. this burst open and gasped
= for air. II was for mouthful only that
struggled, when had that | made anoth-
er effort, and, although found that every
thing | touched vas as hot as if 1t had
: INST come out of an oven, struggled on
I don't suppose | could have been more
,han minute III the house, up to this
= time, but It really seemed to have been al
least good half hour; and as no water
had, as yet, been thrown in the direction
# the stairs, concluded that the assls
" rant tengineer thought | was a fool, anc
nad made up his mind TO let me perish II
Is the flames for my presumption. Ihl'
" made me feel awful, tell you., But there
y was no turning back, the little girl shoule
= be saved, or perish with her.
..When made up my mind e this,
le nocame IS cool as a cucumber mad nj
at more fear, rushed up the next flight, ans
t, lust as was turning to mount the las
d, one a piece of rafter fell upon me. 1t wa
n al aRame. It struck me on the lread an'
then dropped on the floor l knew, ther
at that cold water had been poured upon !
W kicked the stick out of the way, and tn
st next minute was at the door where | te
es sore the child was, burst it open, an
1r vas again struck in the face by dens
Of volume Of smoke. / felt as il the gl
must have been smothered,
t. Just as again crawed forward to h"
"A the bed vhereon had supposed the llttI
We ole had been lying, caught hold OF
nd little foot, I drew it towards me, drew
and the body attached TO it out CT tt
W landing, 1t was that Of the child, Lott
ed Wilson. was quit certain she was dea
ire out took her in my arms and attemPte
n ehe descent. Now if the assistant eng
lie, neer had not ordered the pipes to
om turned on the stairs, | do believe IT wou
,ave Been better for US both-Lott
ey. and /
j. '.The water as it struck in great V
~ umes upon the stairs and into the pass
- tes had the effect Of driving the smoI
to towards US.
lie Il had to stand on the upper landia
er, With the flames constantly and perslsta'
iy undermining me, until the clouds
NJ smoke had been driven past me-
ing "When at last, saw ny way down
.rs, ,errible passage, inyoIuntarily offered
"a prayer for our safety. At almost eve
step the flames would start ap, and On
- or twice, as descended, the steps bro
..r IN two, because they were nearly burn
,oJ apart BY the licking, eating fire. usee
~ ed an eternity to me before ! finally
III to the last stairway. i was trenoll
IN and would presently fall2 That ! saw
glance Then, after 50 much, was !
:; perish where stood, with Lottie Nllso
Il body III my arms?
Suddenly there was crash.
,ov II looked TO see the stairs fall
when they went, thought my doom ,
to forever sealed. was becoming, !
.od exhausted.