The Indianapolis journal., 1885-03-01
CRESCENT CirY ODDITIES.
a Very Leisureiy Way OF distinguishing Fires
in New Orleans.
New Orleans Special.

New Orleans Special.
There was considerable excitement in upper
St Charles avenue at. o'clock this afternoon,
which illustrated the workings of the New Or
leans fire department The fires are taken care
OF by volunteers, who are not unlike the old
New York fire laddles as far rs influence and
pull is concerned, but behind them in snap and
grit They go to the scene of the confiagration
at a fast walk, and come home with their arms
over one another's shoulders singing aluscally.
Every man is a boss, and if the fire is danger
Gus one, the men keep right on singing and stand
resolutely out of harms way.
The system of conveying news of FIRE strikes
an observer at first blush as being full, rounded
and complete. When fire breaks out all citi-
zen has TO do is to go and telephone to a bell
tower, the alarm is then given. and preparations
by the fremen to attend the scene of the confla-
grafton ensue.
This afternoon the people lettering near st.
Andrews street. on St Charles avenue-which
is the Fifth avenue of New Orleans-had their
attention attracted to big white house by
crowd of negroes who were looking over the fence
at smoking chimney on an extension
Mus be a hah, remarked red whiskered
man, pensively.
It'll make mighty purity fiah eft burns tn
hull haouse," answered his neighbor, with an air
OF shrewd prediction. as he partook of half
paper of tobacco, and leaned more comfortably
against the house Time wore on the crowd in
creased in numbers, and flames appeared coyly
at the base of the chimney, and began to ad-
vance toward the ridge pole. 1t was o curious
crowd. One-half was made up of lazy negroes
and open-mouthed children, and the other of
round -shouldered, hollow checked, and dull-eye6
men. All wore scraggy boards, and were in
variably i'll kempt and slovenly.
After the fire had been burning some time
longer the man with the red beard. who seemed
to be the most vigorous and bustng citizen of
them ALL opened his mouth several times with
the palpable intention OF saying something.
The prospect OF going to so much trouble
discouraged him three times, and then he
drawled
Seems time as how III people in tn haouse
might be told Nv that there fiah. eh?'
This suggestion did not meet with much en-
couragement and the redwhskered man re-
lapsed into permanent silence. moment later
a tall, dark-eyed and willowy young woman
dashed out OF the house, ana appealed excitedly
to the crowd:
''The house is a burnin up. Gentlemen, won't
some cf yo' go an give the alarm. an please
come liz and help US put it out!"
Not man moved. She was very much excited
and, leaving the crowd of stolid men, she ran
down the street and started fatcbeeked young
man at the telephone. He yelled "Hel-Looo-o"
and the girl left him still at il. The girl hurried
back, and found that MIN BILE young negro who
bore the somewhat unexpected name of Haggerty,
was on the roof of the extension pouring water
on the flames After ten inmates work the fire
all extinguished; but the crowd Of sombre
men stood there for nearly All hour thereafter
saying and doing absolutely nothing. Eventually
boy was sent down to relieve the fat checked
enthusiast who had bawled at the telephone
disk until his voice had become husky cross be-
tween a sough and cough.
Before the last traces of the event had dsap-
peared whitc-faced policeman arrived. He was
smoking q brown paper cigarette and carried
big green umbrella under his arm. He looked
sad. and dragged his rather ample feet after him
slowly. After borrowing bit of pencil from a
small boy and piece of paper from the red
whiskered man, he leaned against the post and
drawled mournfully: III jis' wait heah until
some comes out O de haouse an then make q
report"
An hour later on he was still waiting.