Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21

| for was in their direction. though somewhat at
| an angle and awav from the pass. We lost
sight of him as he climbed through the chap
arral that covered the activity, and just got a
glimpse Of his form as il appeared amid some
| bushes on the summit, though concealed from
| the view of the savages. This we saw as we
made desperate haste along the path toward the
rocky gorge, dragging the women with Us and
carrying the smaller children in our arms
But escape still seemed impossible; the Apaches
were too close upon US. When suddenly Just
| as they passed beneath the hill that Wilkins
had stationed himself upon q number OF rife
shots rang out from the summit followed by
discharge of small arms. The Indians. evil
IDENTIFY imagining themselves ambushed lost no
time in seeking shelter; but soon finding that
the fire did not continue they made their way
up the hill in cautious spiral until we lost
sight of them. as We looked over our Shout
ders, altogether. Then we heard more firing
followed by yeils in the distance and all was
still.
wilkins was killed, of course He had sac
rifced himself to save the lives of the rest of
US, and he accomplished his object. For,
through the distracting of the Apaches atten-
ton. we were enabled to reach the gorge, get
through II safely and arrive at the fort beyond
force of United States soldiers was at once
sent out to pursue the Indians, a fight ensued
and more than half the predatory band were
Killed. wilkins corpse was found on top of
the hill where he had fought so bravely, and
from certain evidence unmistakable it APP
peared that the savages had skinned him
alive"
MIR. Peabody's Recollection of Christi
mas Fire.
"You know in some of the engine houses. !"
said Mr.. J. J. Peabody of the veteran fire.
mems association, speaking of the experiences
in the old volunteer fire department. 1.-THE
men, especially the single ones, took turns at
bunking, SO as to be on hand in case of an
alarm. Some of these would start the bells TO
ringing before day on Christmas. while others
would explode a few crackers and then go at
will for the day, making calls on friends and
partaklng OF egg-nogg, Tom and Jerry or
whisky straight, the latter being the favorite.
False alarms and slight fires usually caused one
or more runs during the day. 1t seems singu-
lar that, Notwithstanding the rivalry and bad
companies, when they we're brought together
about holiday times 10 rows . &C.
Cured l do not reccllect in my
experience from 1915 to 1864 of anything
that might be called row taking place at that
season among the fire boys. And it is equally
surprising that in that period cannot recall
but one serious fire on Christmas day and that
was, believe, Christmas morning in 1850, near
the Fourth Street NJ. Z. church, in which a COL
ored family of four or five were burned TO death.
The closest fire of any extent coming to Christ
mas was that of the Capitol library Oh the morn
ing of December "A, 1851. That was a pretty
tough fire. Bakers hotel, at the northeast
corner of Sth and d streets, had burned at an
early hour that morning. There were several
inches Of snow on the ground and the weather
was intensely cold, the mercury, l believe,
standing degrees above zero. Much of the
hose had frozen stiff at Bakers fire. When the
alarm was given for the library fire the fremen
scarcely believed that it was the Capitol, for
the popular impression was that it was fire
proof. The fire department. however. found
not only that the building was fire but also
that it was an obstinate fire, and many OF the
men who had not been to bed, having
come from the Baker hotel fire, saw before
them some tough work. The Columbia suction
was carried bodily up the steps on the east
front and rolled into the rotunda and the Ana
costa engine was taken to the east portico,
while the Franklin, Perseverance, Northern
Liberty and Union apparatus drew and forced
water from the fish pond then on the site now
occupied by the Washington statue. 1t required
about 100 men to pull our engine, the Northern
Liberty, up the hill over the frozen snow, and
i guess other companies had the same expo
rience. l tell you it was hard work. but we
worked with will, getting the fire all ont
about the middle Of the day. This is about as
near Christmas as we ever had any serious fire. ~