Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-20

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| ness, wi ich forbade even sympathy on
| q subject so sacred. He endeavored to
4 put on q careless manner when he
Joined Us all in wishing Wei
stead good lack at midday on the Sat
urday preceding the Monday on
which the wedding was to take place.
We expected then that We should not
sec our fellow. clerk again until be ap'
reared in the character OF bridegroom.
| How did we guess the catastrophe
| which was impendingi rs
remember that Saturday evening
\ well. IL was In January, and clear
wiIitIy sly, with q suspicion OF an au-
roTa In its northern quarter, spread
ever the great city. There was slight
| frost In the air, and the ground clinked
eheerily under foot. One Of my fellow
clerhs-Dullan-and had kept by lit.
| tie Smith all day, for there was a wild
| Loo K about his eyes which made US
think il might be unsafe to leave him TO
his own devices. We dined ut y res
taurant, and afterward dropped into a
theatre, where JOe's CHASTITY face in the
stalls had q very depressing effect upon
The pautOmime. We were walking
slowly homeward after supper, 1t being
then betwse Ell 10 and | when We saw
great crimson glow upon the heavens,
such a. aurora never threw, and fire
engine dashed past US with a whistle
and clang, the big-boned, shaggy
horses whirling il along at such rate
that we only caught glimpse of flash
of lights and cluster OF bearded, hell
melted heads suspended, a. 1t were, in
the darkness.
| always had weakness for fires.
There is something grand and ennobllng
in the irresistible sweep of great VOL
ume of flame. could mOraliZe over a
conflagration a. Chateaubriand did over
Niagara. Dullan is of the same bent Of
mind, and the Gentleman was ready To
| turn anywhere from his own thoughts.
We all began running in the direction
of the blaze.
At first we ran iauguidly, Jogging
along with many other people who
were nurrying toward the same goal.
Then, as we came into quarter of the
town which we knew well, We almost
| inYoluntarily quickencd our pace, until,
| tearing round u familiar corner at rae.
ing speed, we pulled up and gazed
silently into each others pale faces.
| There, not a hundred yards from us,
stood the high house of Eldon street
! the house under whose hOSpitable roof
We had spent SO many happy hours
with the red flames licking around the
whole lower story and squirting out of
every chink and Crevice, while dense
pail of smoke Obscured the upper win
dows and the roof
We dashed through the crowd to-
! gether, and fought our way TO the clear
q II, D
| Meeting their hose. As We reached them
| a half naked man, bar"fOOted and dis
| heveled, was pleading with the super.
intendcnt, clutching franticaily at his
arm, and pointing upto the dark clouds
! above him, already rent with Jagged
streaks of ascending flame.
"TCo shor,w he screamed, In voice
| Which we were Mortified to recognize as
| that Of Mr.. NewsOme. at can't bet
mustn't be. There are more escapes
than ore. On, man, man, she il burn-
| lug choking suilCcating. DO some.
ihirg. Save her. My child-my beau-
| tiful child-the only one have"
In the agOny of fear, he fell at the
6renans feet, and lmplOred his assist
aHcc. / was pardlyZcd 10y the horror
Of the hing. The situation was appar-
sl:t at a glance. There, seen dlmly
| through the smoke, was ClsSy New
some's window, while beneath 1t, separ-
ated by broad expanse ef wall, was
the head Of the fire escape. II was too
short by y good twelve feet. The whole
lower story was one seethlng mass OF
fire, so that there seemed no possibility
Of approach from that direction. A
horrible feeling of impotence came over
me. There was no sign Of movement
at the young lady'S window, though
crawling trails Of flame had climbed up
| 10 it and festOoned il round with their
red garlands. | remember hoping in
| my heart that she had been sutfOCdted
in her sleep, and Lad never awoke to
the dreadful reality.
have said that We were para'yZed
for the moment. The spell was rapidly
broked. This way, lads" cried reso-
lutte voice, and Charlie Weistead broke
in among Us with fireman's Ratchet
in his hand. We pnshed after him as
he rushed around to the rear OF the
house, where there was n door usually
used by the servants. 1t was locked,
Tut a couple of blows shattered it to
pieces. We hurried up the stone kitch-
IN stairs, with the plaster falling in
strips all around us, and the flags so hot
that they burned into the soles of our
boots. At the head of the stairs there
was u second door, thicker and stronger
than the first, but nearly charred
through by the fire.
Give inc rOom," gasped Welstead,
swinging round his ak.
Don't do il, sir" cried stalwart
fireman, Selling him by the wrist;
there's flames on the other side Of that
door"
"I.et me co." reared Charley.
"We're dead men il you break it,
Let Inc CO."
"Drop it, sir; drop it,"
There was brief struggle, and the ax
claItered down upon the stone steps. IL
had hardly time to fall before some one
caught il up. could not see who for
the dense blue smoke. \ man dashed
past the fireman, there was the crash
Of parting lock, and great lick OF
| flame, like hound unlcaShed, shot out
and envelOped us. l felt its hot scar as
| it cOiled around my face, and remPm-
bored nothing more until found my
| self leaning against the d0Or.pOSt,
breathing in the fresh, sweet ar of
| night, while Welstead, terribly burned,
struggled furiously with the firemen
who held him back to prevent him
from reaScending the staircase, which
was now solid sheet of fire.
"HOld back, sirw | heard the honest
fellow growl; "ain't one life thrOwa
away enough? That little cove-him
with the gaiteIS-the same that broke
the door-he's gone. seen him jump
right slap into the middle of it. He
won't never come back no more"
Together We led Welstcad round to
the front once more, all three stagger-
ing like drunken men. The flames
were higher than before, but the upper
story and the roof still rose above them
like a black island in sea Of fire.
There was Miss Cissy's window dark
and unopened, though the woodwork
around it was in a glow. There was no
sign OF the iiutter of the female dress.
How terrible it was to stand and wait
for the end, powerless to stretch out a
saving hand. Poor WelStesi' leaned
against me EObbing like "A child. 4