The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-12

the policeman salutes with great respect
"Tis a good FIRE, Mr.. Moloney," says
he.
"wslI, Dsnnis," responds dr. 40
loney affEblJ, out of his frieze ulster,
ATS . good day for good fire."
The crowd snickers at this original
sbullition of Celtic wit, and you learn
from your neighbor that this is the
famous Mickey Moloney, who is sup
posed to carry the whole Fourth Ward in
his trousers pocket. Mr.. Moloney, who
has no badge, or at least shows none,
marches unchsllenged into the gloom,
and the policeman wrangles for nVe
minutes with a nervous little reporter,
fresh from q country college, with
brand-new silver badge, who carries q
notebook and pencil, and who gets so
exlted that he commences to cry, where
upon he is commanded to go in aud
drown the ERE out, which order he pro-
eesds in part, at least, 70 obey, amid the
ieers of the mob.
The engines are now fighting . wall
of fire. The air is heavy with cipders,
which sting our faces as they drive be
fore the bitter blast. In the flooded
streets you can see the ice growing in
films. The bsr-room, at our elbow,
drives tremendous trade. The counter
Is lined two deep, and we have to reach
between arms to clutch our anttdote foI
pneumonia, preparatory TO dodge
through the hre-lines. The red-nosed
man, who has brought several men
whom he does not know from Adam in
TO treat them, is making them pay for
his hospitality by retailing his griev-
ance against the police in maudlin
voice. Men in various stages of ine-
{ briefly are discussing the fires they have
seen, and competing vigorously in their
lurid and sensational descriptions of
their alleged terrors. A iremen, who
+ comes in dripping, with scales OF ios all
over his wooden shirt, and bleeding from
q cut in his head. Is Immediately sur
rounded. II be had the capacity of q
cask it might be taxed free of expense
to himself.
sI'm obliged, gents" he saysj tall
want issome whisky and some hst bull
lon."
When he gets these he calmly drinks
the bouillon and washes his wound with
the spirits, and Is oil before the blbu-
lous rabbls has recovered from the
/ shock.
Now wea are in for it. Every breath Is
an effort. Our bodies freeze and our
faces scorch. Smoke, smell, the tumuli
of clanking machinery, and the furious
growing of the unseen oont1agratton put
an embargo on words. The shouts we
hear are dim and incoherent, as COM
uands issued on the quarterback in 9
hurricane. The faces that tiit by us arr
black, as with battle-grime, and full Of
the frenzied excitement that marks thos,
of soldiers in charge. Il only needs {
discharge of artillery to complete the u
lusion, and -.
! 4 wall down!
For brief moment the windy eddy
from the crashing stone and metal ripi
the fog apart. Then we see man going
up ladder to a window within which
the fire ia seething with awful splendor
"Sone one in there?"
"Yes," says the engineer
HWho3"
"Why, can't we see the cat on the win
dow ledger"
Then the cloud CLOSES In again, but ",
know by the mad scclAmstion of the in
visible audience that poor puss Is saved
We tread pavement inches deep IL
oinders, and strewn with broken brick
and fragments of stone. There is con
stant fusilade of these projectiles tha
keeps US lodging and makes as en- v,
the firemen their leather hats. The plat
glass windows behind us split in tn
, heat, with reports like pistol shots.
In the stores the gas-jets are all nghte,
and the electric lights are afiame, an
among the shop people we see the un
derwriters' men in their uniforms GOV
ering goods with tarpaulins and rubbe
; cloths. In one place the statesmen sr
drinking champagne with the air of me-
whose Insurance. policies are all right
In another, a wild-eyed person Is shoot
ing to and fro in the agitation of despair
\ 1t would, proDably, not be safe TO as
him II he is fully insured.
There Ia q tangle of telegraph wires al
around in the cutters. A fiery snak
, Kisses at cur feet and q new commotiol
D breaks o1L The electrie-hSht wires ar
, AoWn, 1Sxh Ih2hs Gansh Apaf3iAa kRan