Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-04-04

was q couple of blocks or so, that b,
retinue we're there too. To make my
way through the dense mass of sway
ing and surging citizens, and find
place for storage for my luggage, was
percolatiDg movement which I an
proud to say I accomplished withou
tearing off more than q few squar
inches Of my cuticle. and by the time
returned to the hotel the gentlemanly
proprietor was on deck and assured ml
that the hotel was in no more DANCE
than if 1t were sitting at that minute
on the crest of Mont Blanc
must confess that I felt more in
creduious at that moment than I eve
did before in my life. With but thirty
feet between us and the glaring, raging
seething. demon like volume of fire
leaping furiously from its combustibl'
bed and seeming to gIoat in the con
temptation of so much light material
for its consumption, no whistle O.
steam engine. no playing of pumps, nt
electric passing to and fro of buckets
nothing that indicated to my eys
the remOtest conquest of the terrible
enemy-it was hard to believe that there
was safety IN the Virginia House for it.
guests. COnf1dingiy, however. I en-.
tered the door, and making special note
Of the avenues of escape, hastened tt
my apartmeut-nOw illuminated by q
light dszzling In its brilliancv-and
there found Mrs. Whipple, Cnssabi
aDca of her EEK. gazing as com pnsedly
on the broiling Hades opposite as If she
had either beeu born Q salsmander, OF
seized with resistless desire to study q
presentment Of that torrid resort that
she had heard some cynics describe We
the final haven of editors and news
paper correspondents.
AS reached the window beside her
there was y sudden flash of white an of
great arching band of frost, shot from
beneath the porch directly into the
cracking flames, and in a moment
more another from a short distance
above our point Of vision, made foamy
ininrure with he fire aud at once re-
allied from whence sprung the conf
dence of our host These two messen-
gers were the potent commands of the
Staunton fire department. aud more
magical effects were never witnessed
even by those who have beheld the re-
markable workings Of that matchless
ystem of which New York city is so
Justly proud. But few moments had
elapsed after the two vigorous volumes
of water were turned upon tn. fire,
when lis conquest was assured, and lit-
tie by little the kissing turies abated
their 1erceness, contract ed their area,
wiDked and biiDked at intervals through
the hone combed roof, and then gave
up the struggle, leaving behind them
only dense frOwniDg clouds of smoke
to proclaim the reluctance with which
they accepted their defeat.
Subsequent INQUIRY developed the
fact that the only power back of these
tremendous streams of water WAS the
Ordinary pressure in the city water
pipes, supplied rom reservoir several
hundred feet above the basin in which
the bulk of the CITY ies-the pressure
at this point being one hundred aud for
ty pounds to the square inch The force
of water elected through hose having
an inch aud half nozzle must, AZ you
Gay well imagine, be very effective in
its results, but its real power can not be
even approximated until you have been
an eve witness of some such spectacle
as that have lust described. As proof
of its resistlessness let me give you these
facts The first break of water, shoot
ing with incaiculable density aud force
in the direction of the burning build
ings, struck large chimney and swept
it from it site as if it had been nothing
more than a willow basket. Another
stream. discharged from beyond the
blazing rOok cries. skipped the comb of
the roof, and arching over into the
street. swept all the bystanders over in
to duck pond on the farm of Colonel
Peyton, about three-quarters of a mile
distant; aud less you think this an ex
aggeration I will add that yet another
stream of water, partially missing the
object of attack, caromed over into the
Staunton Tindicat0r building, started
the press going. and before Colonel
Morton, its genial editor (who had
gone out to the ruins to light cigar J
conld return, it had printed the whole
Of an extensive issue, folded them, and
laid them upon the roof to be dried by
the heat from the temperature of the
roasted bricks opposite l can testify