Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-05-24

l have always had weakness fol
fires. There is something grand and
ennobling in the irresistible sweep of 8
great volume of flame. Icould moral.
ize over confiagration as Chateaubri.
and 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 languidly, Jogging
along with many other people who were
hurrying toward the same goal Then
as we came into a quarter of the town
which we. knew well, we almost invol.
UNFAIRLY quickened our pace, until,
tearing round familiar corner at racing
speed, we pulled up and gazed silently
into each others pale faces. There, moi
hundred yards from us, stood the
high house of Eldon street.-the house
under whose hospitable roof we had
spent 80 many happy, hours-with the
red flames licking round the whole low
er story and squirting out Of every chink
and creyice, viii lie q dense pail of smoke
obseurea thesupper windows and the
roof. Ass|
We dashed through the crowd to-
gether and fought our way to the clear
space on which the firemen were con-
Meeting their hose. AS we reached them,
half-naked man, bare-footed and dis
heveled, was pleading with the superin-
tendeht, clutching frantically at his arm,
andPointingup to the dark clouds above
Ainf,s already rent with tagged streaks of
ascefding flame. 8 Il
. 'sToosshoftrshe screamed in voice
whiGh Ne were Mortified to recognize as
that Mr.. Newsome. ''fr can't bet
mustn't be! There are more escapes
than one. Oh, man, man, she is burn
observation-disclosures! Do some
thingh Save her! MXchld- my beau
tifufchiltl-the'enly one Lhave!''
In the agony OF his fear, he fell at the
frenihns feet ana impfored his assist
anfs e.. y = - &, - 49,. o. 49,
thing. The 81 tuation was apparent at a
glance, Thee, seen dimly through the
smoke, was Gbsy Newsorle's window,
while beneath it, separated by broad
expanse of wall, was the head of the fire
escape. It was too short by a good
twelve feet. The whole lower story was
ONE seething mass Of fife, SO that there
seemed no possibility Of approach from
that direction. A horrible : feeling of
impotence came over me. There was
no sigh of movement at the young lady's
window, though crawling trails of flame
had climbed up to it and festooned it
round with. their ped garlands. I re-
member hoping insmy heart that she
had been suffocated in her sleep, and
had never awoke to the dreadful reality.
have said that we were paralyzed for
the moment. The spell was rapidly
broken. This way, lads!'' cried reso-
lutte voice, and Charlie Welstead broke
his hands. We pushed after him as he
rushed round to the rear. of the house,
where there was a door usually used by
the servants. It was locked, but a
couple of blows shatteredit to pieces. We
hurried UP The stone kitchen stairs,
with the plaster falling in strips all
around US; and the flags so hot that they
burned into the tsoles, of our boots. At
thehead of the stairs there was second
door, thicker and stronger than the first,
but nearly .charred through by the fire.
F'.Give5 me roomH's gasped Welstead,
swim eing round his ak. :
Don't do it, SIR cried a stalwart
fireman, seizingf him by the wrist;
ssthere's flames on the other side of that
door,
KsLet me,gor' roared Charley.
: f'We'redead men if33you break it!''
''Let me go!'
"Drop it, sir; drop it!''
There was momentary struggle, and
the AK clattered down upon the stone
steps. 1t had hardly time to fall before
some one caught it up. aIcould not see
who for the depse sblae reek of smoke.
A manHa shsd Hast the fireman, there
was bthe crash of /. a parting lock,
and great lick Of flame, like
hound unleashed, shot out and envel-
oped- us T felt it's hot scar as it coiled
round my face, and remember moth
ing more until I found myself leaning
against the door-post, breathing in the
fresh am of night, while Welstead, ter
riHy burned, Struggled furiously with
the fireman who held him back to pre-
vent him from reascending the stair
case, which was now solid sheet of
fire. 4
stH6ld back, STRIP 4 heard the honest
fellow, growl; 'ain't one life thrown
away ehoug hp' That little cove-him
with the gaiters-the same that broke
the aoorshe's gone. I seed him Jump
right slap into the middle of it. He
won't never come back no morer'
: Together we led Welstead round to
the front once more, all three stagger-
ing like dunken men. The flames were
higher than before, but the upper story
and the roof still rose above them like
a black island in a sea of fire. There
was Miss Cissy's window, dark and I'M
opened, though the woodwork around
it was in aglow. There was no sign
ofthe futter ofa female dress. How
terriblSit &as tostand and wait for the
end, powerless to stretch out a saving
hand. Poor Welstead leaned against
ne sobbing like q child. A ghastly
longing came into my heart that might
I'm Ahat room, that might
know it to be all over. and her pain and
trouble at an ehds a Then I heard the
crash of glass falling. outward, and I
bent my head to avoid seeing the very
thing that had wished for; and then
there broke upon my ear a shout from
ten thousand voices, SO wildly exultant
and madly- jubilant that l never hope to