River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-09-19
Bound to Get the Paper ont.

The following interesting account il
taken from the Monck f0ntariol Times
The recent destruction of the Detroi
Free Press office by fire reminds one O
our staff Of an incident which Occurred
while he was working on that paper il
the summer Of 1873 The night was an
comfortable warm, and all the windows
of the composing room in the top stors
] were open, but the numerous gas-lightc
made the temperature of the office several
| degrees warmer than the outside Swarms
of insects from the river flew through
the jets, filled the cases and were ssset up
The click of the type, an occasional
BLESS me- from an unfortunate who had
a galley to correct, the rattle Of the dun
my box whenever the telegraph boy pot
IN special or associated press dispatches,
and au audible II wish / was rich from
Tom w, was all that disturbed the
stiffness of the night, when, at about
eleven o'clock, a cry of fire was heard
from the pavement below, followed by
the patter of feet going in the direction
OF the nearest fire alarm box
Tom put his head outside, and instant
ly withdrew it, and from the cash under
meath his huge moustache issued an un-
earthly "Great guns, boys, the Office is on
tirei" There were few "rushers" a mo-
melt before, but new all were rushers,
and printers and reporters went heIter
SHELTER dawn the stairway, some with
boots in hand, Others, with coats, and one
OF an economical turn took his lunch
along. Self-preservation was the rule,
and all hands worked toward terra firma
ana salvation. 1t was soon ascertained.
however, that il was the adjoining build
ing NOV occupied by the Free Press
that was ON fire, and hint that there was
fat Gu the copy hook upstairs reversed
the order of march, and the printers IN
few minutes were soon at their cases. In
the meantime the city hall bell had peal
ed out the alarm, and soon followed u
general alarm, as the fire had got under
great Roadway. A paper box factory in
the third story was all in flames. In the
basement was paint and oil store, and
the celler was filled with the most infam-
mable and explosive stock.
Mr.. Harmon, foreman of the Free Press,
one OF the shrewdest and kindest typos
III the city, and on this night the coolest,
was determined that the paper should
come out if possible, and took the chances,
fire. escape for an emergency
and keeping posted on the progress of the
fire. A breeze springing up, stray masses
of smoke would eddy through the corner
at one end OF the composiuQ
room, while sheets of flame swept past
the other end, still twenty-five printers
worked on, and editors and reporters
piled their pencils in the next room, with
only a brick wall between them and the
bulk of flame, and were really under fire,
as the office root was frequently in blaze.
Below Yves little sea OF upturned faces,
and half dozen steamers pounding away,
and splitting out fire, which together with
the hoarse shouts of the firemen, giving
orders through their trumpets, the shriIl
whistles of the steamers calling for fuel.
made the scene peculiarly exciting to
those at work in the fourth story, whose
chances of not being blown into eternity
depended upon the success of the fremen
n availing themselves of the fire escape
in season.
BY great exertion the fire was kept
from the basement, and in three hours it
was subdued and the paper was ready
for press. containing an account Of the