Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-16
FIRE CRAZE.

- Comstock, as we 6 one evening Iu
~ bachslor apartments by a roaring
e:a filling the room with clouds of
Lasvv smoke, and toning up our sys-
.".os with an occasional quaff of black
80 cordial. Zeb was an old stager,
~ the expression goes, thorough Bo-
L.nian. who had seen more OF the
.-orld than half the authors who prate
"s their travels and adventures; he
Osonldered his burden of years with a
o,oI matter-of fact complacency, as if
:. was an imperative duty, and would
.alerate no grumbling, and he had en-
aonntered more fires and hao more mar
rov escapes from burning than many
rho had spent the greater part of their
i;rss in the service of the hook and
ladder.
Onr conversation had turned on the
euhiect of fires, that evening, from the
So: that the neighborhood had been re-
cantly visited by slight cOnfiagratioR,
and from some peculiar incident men
,,oned in connection with It. Zeh had
made the above remark. "Yes SIR" he
continued. sits wonderful. l have seen
GOOD MANY fires in my day and 1 don't
,emember of ever having been pres
ent AT blaze yet that didn't See one
ar more fellows making jackasse5 of
themselves by letting their excitement
oet the best of them. People seem to
GET crazy the minute they smell smoke
or see a blaze and rush around as if
mad. doing all manner of senseless
tninos which would cause them to laugh
at themselves If they We're to stop and
take a rational thought. If people
would endeavor to retain their presence
of mind aud act coolly, the death list of
the world from burning would not be of
sach gigantic proportions AS at present.
"Durlnp fire III New York city few
wears ago. at which 1 was present, a
Gamble of fellows who wanted to be of
some assistance III saving property
rushed into a photograph gallery and
proceeded to throw cameras, costly
pictures, frames and other breakabies
through the windows to the street below,
and after cleaning out the room came
down the stairs carrying wash boiler
filled with ashes as tenderly as If it WAS
nitro-glycerine and taking IL across the
street deposited carefully on the side
walk, and stood by their charge with a
proud look on their faces, as ii they had
performed feat deserving worldly
praise.
II happened to be in Boston during
the great fire and witnessed many laugh
abls sights, one of which think | shall
never forget. | was standing on --
street, watching the tiremen as they
lifted their ladders and were bringing
their streams to bear on a magnificent
dwelling house that was in danger of
burning, when my attention was at
tracted by fellow rushing out of the
front door, hatess and coatless, with a
large cut glass Ice pitcher IN each hand.
As he rushed into the street one of the
pitchers struck the wheel of a hose cart,
theDther the projecting end of "A ladder,
shatterlng both glass articles into a
thousand pieces, but the fellow bore the
handles triumphantly across the street,
laid them carefully down on an Oppo-
site doorstep, and ran back to save no1e
Of the goods.
ut was in the year of 1856 happened
in New York when a large five story
fist near the East river WAS burned.
The building was occupied by more than
8handred families whose all consisted
Of their household furniture, and the
fire had gained such headway that it
was impossible to check ii. Luckily no
lives We're lost, but many of tho occ u
was captured III Central Park, wander
ing aimlessly about, his coat on back in
front, and the knee of "A stove-pipe over
his shoulder. He clung to the stove
pipe with desperate tenacity, and only
gave it up when absolutely compelled
TO.
81 was wandering around the interior
Of England In the summer of '63, dis
posing of my time by visiting the pretty
hamleIs scattered throughout that
country and making a hasty study of
the people and their customs. just as
had retired one night, i'll the village of
l., an alarm of fire was given, and
as never like to miss one of these en-
tertainments, l hastily dressed myself
and walked over to the scene Of the con-
hagration, which proved to be the resi-
dence OF wealthy manufacturer. The
owner was busy endeavoring to save II
portion Of his household goods, and
exhibited his clear headedness by pitch
ing flne plate glass mirrors, washboxls,
pitchers and furniture out of the win
dows and bringing feather beds down
and deposlting them beyond the reach
OF the ilre as if they were parcels of
eggs.
During the burning of hotel in w,
massachusetts,, a few years ago, an Irish
employee of the establishment got the
nre craze and flew to the parlor to save
Wnat he could before the flames should
reach that part of tho building. On
one side OF the room stood Il tall pier
mirror which the poor crazed Hibernian
MS sxcltment mistook for a window,
snd no proceeded to throw various arti-
olesas the mirror, thinking he was throw
aug tnem through the window into the
court below, and he didn't notice his
miStake until the fire drove him from
Az the burning of the Hotel de Amez,
Laris, IN 1853, happered to be in the
o.Iy and remember peculiar circum-
csance In connection with the fire.
tnere were an American couple recent
married and stopping at the house,
aau wnen they We're aroused from their
sIumoers by the fire, the husband gal
lontiy kissed his bride and bidding her
sDa-oy, Jumped out of the window and
s.' lis wife to burn. She was, howev-
~, eventually saved, and after consider
os search her bemuddled lord was
.ounu IN neighboring cafe, in semi
'ame, oemoaning the loss of gold
Ssscn which he had left under his pillow.
~. On the same occasion noticed cul-
ssa1eu uIiy-of-the-valley looking young
s. so.nan, who was apparently a mother,
s.xo toddling, are-headed youngsters
49, SnS 10 her skirts as she made her way
;.ough the crowd, convulsiveiy press
SaI, S . curly, dirty looking poodle to her
@ c;a pare bosom; her attention was
s.sen to her canine pet; her children
Sefe unnoticed,
ouflng the burning of dwelling in
s,o New Hampshire. n woman sprang
eioal h aer bed, and grasping her sealskin
~sSi oHA, tnrew II over her shoulders and
tsa tsAeu bare footed two blocks through
sh;,s MI sn1w to shelter, leaving an Invalid
M Maa lying In crib by her bedside.
Srsuniio oniio was saved, however, by the
During the burning of steamer Mar
! assett sNntt on Long Island Sound in 1880,
vst tIhaoy, hy who apparently was 10th to
fnll, 40 eiothes, arrayed himself as care
Dr.. as II he was about TO attend full
vsr party, and strapping a life preser-
II tound his feet, jumped overheard.
o,aS,. ,neeoiess TO say that the law of
6saa asserted itself, aud the fellows
a Az ~ changed place with his feet as soon
fsno Ls struck the water. Two younc