Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-07
HIS NARROWEST ESCAPE,
An Incident In the Life OF Alexander II
Of Russia.

Of Russia.
Especial Correspondencel
New YORK, Sept. 5.-"Pojar! pojar!"
"a fire, fireD
"Gday on?' (where Is itO
"Lieuteranskaya tserkov, bliz Morska-
vo kanala" Qhe Lutheran church, near
the Marine canaD.
And the excited crowd tore past me at
full speed, their hoarse voices and
trampling feet echoing weirdly through
the ghostly silence of the clear, frosty
night.
The clang of the alarm bells through
the still air and the signal lanterns that
cleaned against the dark sky from one
of those tall watch towers which abound
in st. Petersburg (as in every other Rus
sian city were not needed to warn me
that another great fire had broken out;
for the red glare which rose above the
snow covered roofs of the tall shadowy
houses, waxing and waning by turns
like the flame of some vast lamp, told its
own story. In another moment l was
running as fast as could toward the
scene of action.
BY the time reached II large crowd
was gathered around the spot, and one
glance showed me that the flames had
already made formidable progress. The
lower part Of the Lutheran church-a
good sized building of brick and painted
timber, standing on the bank of one of
those great canals which run like veins
through the whole extent Of the Russian
capital-was completely wrapped in
flames, which were coiling around the
wooden spire, and darting like snakes in
and. out of the doors and windows.
Beneath that internal splendor the
gloomy canal looked like stream of
blood, and the countless upturned faces
seemed wan and CHASTITY as corpses, while
through tho rolling smoke the massive
towers of the churches on the opposite
bank looked dim and vast, like threaten
ing giants. And now the fire engines
came rattling up, and the helmeted fig
ures surging to and fro in the glare of
the flames, together with the thunder Of
hoofs and wheels, the billowy smoke,
the shadowy crowd in the background,
and the crash of falling stones and blaz-
ing timbers, gave to the whole scene
quite the effect of siege or battle.
This effect was suddenly and pictur-
esquely heightened by a very unexpect-
ed incident. Unseen by the crowd three
of the tiremen had planted ladder
against the burning building, and as the
rising wind whirled aside the thickening
smoke for one moment they could be
seen on the roof, beating in the skylight
with their axes to make an opening for
the nozzle Of the fire hose, which they
had dragged up along with them.
The countless spectators held their
breath to watch the fate of this daring
attempt. But all at once mighty shout
broke forth amid the sudden silence az
three horsemen came Gathering up to
the spot and sprang from their saddles
in the midst Of an open space which
seemed to clear itself all Of a sudden, as
it by magic, in the very thickest of the
throng.
In the foremost of the three / recog-
nized the tall figure, strong, harsh feat
ures and rich uniform of Gen. Trepof,
the minister of police. The second-a
fine looking man in the prime of hIe,
dressed as an officer Of the Imperial
guard-was Enthusiastically the Grand
Duke Nicholas, the emperor's younger
broth i, who held the double rank of
commandments of the Russian army
and head Of the Imperial Fire brigade.
The handsome face and thick grayish
brown mustache, that showed themselves
beneath the gold laced military cap of
the third man, would have told any by
stander (even without the profound re-
spect shown to him by all around) that
he was no other than the car, Alexan-
der ii of Russia.
The arrival of these distinguished spec
tators, and the energetic action of the
Grand Duke Nicholas-who pressed at
once to the front in virtue of his position
as commander Of the fire brigade
spurred on the firamen to fresh exertons,
and they buckled to their work like
heroes. The emperor himself kept en-
couraging the brave fellows with voice
and gesture, and in doing SO ventured
somewhat closer to the blazing walls than
seemed altogether safe to the minister of
police, whom could hear making urgent
remonStrances, to which the czar, in his
excitement, paid no attention whatever.
And now for time it really seemed as
If the fire would be mastered after all.
Fortunately, the church stood by itself
in the midst of broad, open space,
ilanked by the canal, and thus, the near
est houses being too Ear off to run any
risk of catching fire, the men were able
to concentrate their whole attention upon
the burning building itself.
Presently dull rumble, thrice repeat
then the spire itself was seen to shake
and totter.
Look out! roared hundred voices
at once, "the towers falling!"
There came a crash like the discharge
of dozen cannon and spout of fire
shot up into the very sky, while a hail
of sparks and pieces of burning wood
came pelting down upon the crowd amid