St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-04-04
FIREs IN NEW ORLEANS.

The Very LefsureIy way They Have in
the Crescent City of Distinguishing
Fires.
There was considerable excitement in
upper St. Charles avenue at four O. clock
this afternoon, which illustrated the
workings of the New Orleans Fire De-
partment, The fires are taken care of
Nv volunteers, who are not unlike the
old New York fire laddies as far as in
Guence and pull is concerned, but be-
hind 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 sing
ing unsteady. Every man is a boss,
e<!d if the fire is a dangerous one the
men keep right on singing and stand
resolutely out of harms way.
The system of conveying news of a
fire strikes an observer at first blush as
being full, rounded and complete
When fire breaks out all a citizen has
to do is to 90 and telephone to a bell
tower, the alarm is then given, and
preparations by the firemen to attend
the scene of the confiagration 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 at
tracted to big white house by a crowd
of negroes who were looking over the
fence at a smoking chimney on an ex-
tension.
s'Mus' be a fab, Y remarked red
whiskered man. pensively.
It'll make a mighty purity fiah eft
buns tn hull haouse. answered his
neighbor, with an air of shreWd predic-
ton, as he partook of half a paper of
tobacco, and leaned more comfortably
against the house. Time wore on, the
crowd increased in numbers, and flames
appeared coyly at the base of the CHM
ney, and began to advance toward the
ridge pole. Tt was curious crowd.
One-half was made up Of lazy negroes
and open-mouthed children and the
other of round-shouldered, hollow
checked and dull-eyed men. All wore
scraggy boards, and were invariably
ill-kempt and sloYenly.
After the fire had been burning some
time longer the man with thered beard,
who seemed to be the most vigorous and
bustling 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 tine as how TIL people in tn
haouse might be told Nv that thare fab,
ehP''
This suggestion did not meet with
whiskered man relapsed into permanent
silence. A moment later a tall, dark
eyed and Willowy young woman dashed
out of the house and appealed excitedly
to the crowd:
THE house is burnin' up! Gentle
men, won some of yo' go an give the
alarm, an please come in and help us
put it outp'
Not man moved. She was very
much excited, and, leaving the crowd
of stolid men, she ran down the street and |
started a fat-cheeked young man at the
telephone. He yelled "Hel-l-o-o-o-o''
twenty-six times before he caught his
breath, and the girl left him still at it.
The girl hurried back, and found that
nimble young negro. who bore the
somewhat unexpected name of Hagger-
ty, was on the roof of the extension
pouring water on the flames. After ten
minutes work the fire was all extin-
guished; but the crowd of sombre men
stood there for nearly an hour there
after, saying and doing absolutely
nothing. Eventually a boy was sent
down to relieve the fat-cheeked en-
thusiast who had baWled at the tele-
phone disk until his voice had become
q husky cross between q sough and a
cough.
Before the last traces ofthe event had
Whitehead policeman
arrived. He was smoking a 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 small boy and
piece of paper from the ed-whiskered
man, he leaned against the post and
drawled mournfully. ..Tll iis' wait
heap until some IN comes out o. de
haouse an then make report"
An hour later on he was still waiting.
~ O. Cor. N Y Sun.