The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-12
"eu. 1t makes my head swim. Ny! What

shut 1t makes nay head swim. My! What
uss thstfn
1t locked like red streak IN tho air.
II Waa the crimson-bodied buggy of this
fire chief tearing by, with the bay horse
ut dssd run and every muscle in his
clean body working Ike an electrical
engine.
SAINT The street is blockade. The po-
lice are marking out the hre lines, ard
the mob presses them hard. A black
fog, pungent with the odor of soft GOAL
s1d Burning wood, hangs over the street.
Out of the window of big iron building
fiips . slender and Yicious-lookins
tongue of fame. A roar breaks from
the crowd, and the engines of which We
can only see the furnace-holes blinking
through the smoke, com mence to ham
Easr and thump, like giants in bondage
striving to repd their chains. A white
streak cuts the smoke-fog, like long
stsel blade, aud the crowd yells "Hur-
rahiH
As II the frat touch of water mad
deaed it, tho fire bursts from dozen
windows, blowing q shower OF broken
glass before it. The air above the house.
top begins to redden. The windows Of
adjoining houses take on sullen and
angry color, such ss one may note in the
eyes OF wild beast crouching in Its
cage A cataract of water is washing the
iron front and beating the flame into
writing Fragments. There is-s heavy
crash and an eruption OF ire spoutS
above the house-top and fans cloud of
sparks high into the air. The roof has
besn blown apart. The crowd catches
ita breath and says "AhP
Against the roaring blaze black figures
are EilhoUetted, perched upon adjoining
walls. One man, standing on the metal
cornice, wields an axe with great, strong
strokes. A stealthy streak OF fame
slinks up toward his feet, withdrsws,
slinks up sgain, and once more drawS
back. The axe falls steadily. In Gn in
slant there is big coiling leap Of fire at
him, the coruice crumbles under his feet
like paper-and strong arms are hauling
him up to safety, while he still clutches
tho axe.
a plump, elderly gentleman, who has
! been forgetting all about his bank, where
the board meeting is waiting for its pres
ident, throws up his hand and shouts
| "HurrahI" The mob repeals the cry in
q wild, gusty roar. The engines seem to
| take it up with their whir and clatter lost
| in smoke, and even the crash of the
| falling cornlce is almost lost in 1T.
while it is still lingering among the
noises of the scene, snouG or laughter
buries it. The crowd opens into circle,
| in the middle OF which C bursted hose
| spouts fountain of freezing water in
half Q dozen jets. No one has noticed
how cold it Is until now, yet the ioicles
| hang in huge festoons among the flames
| and the spray of the mounting streams
of water falls like hail.
any," says the pretty girl In the
plush raglan, who is scarcely less pretty
| with her nose as red as her lips should
| be, and her lips Us blue as her eyes, ~
| pity those poor fellows"
4 Young man, with . fancy ~neok-tis
and diamond pin, remarks that they
are used to 1t, and elicitS the open dis
approval OF the by-standsrs. 1t is not 6
| iudicious moment to depreciate the fire
man and his trade. fortunately for tbs
| young man, more gongs announce re-
! inforcement of engines and apparatus
The policeman guarding the line tells US
| that 1'the three skies" have been sem
out, and ofiers to wager his saccharint
existence against some alternative ht
fails to mention that the fire Is good fol
two millions, if it's good for cent"
An excited young man comes running
| up and lodges unuer the policeman's
| warming arm. Before the menacins
club can fall, he shows, under the lappe
of his coat, an embossed metal badge,
at the sight of which the representative
Of civic order lowers the staff OF office
grum bling, however, something to tht
effect that 'you'se fellows is nuisances.
The crowd views the interlude with al
| admiration not uumiXed with respec
and envy, and a red-noSed man, whit
has twice tried to wheedle passage be
yond the forbidden boundary, makes
third attempt, and gets well punched II
the ribs with the officer club for hi
persistency. Other reporters come VI
and plunge into the smoke. 80 do mel
who do not look like reporters, bat Sh'
vakF Aas Hsnas ha6EaA Aasa - eAss