Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
FIGHTING FIRE WITH ICE.
Marvellous Resources Exhibited by q Member
of the Ananias Club.
Indianapolis News.

indianapolis News.
Patrolman James is a new member OF
the Ananias club. After eight years OF
service in the fire department he grad
uated to the department of public safety
The other night he related a few Incl
dents of his life as a f1re-fighter.
ga fireman. don't mean a man who
shovels coal into a furnaces in con-
slant danger. Even when sitting around
headquarters ne Is liable to fall off a
chair and break his leg. At a fire he
may be killed at any time. 1 have been
crushed to pulp by falling walls several
times-in fact, this is my third time on
earth. NV first experience was in B0s-
ton, where joined the fire department
aud for thIrty-two years held various
positions with honor to myself and
credit to the department. will not soon
forget my first fire. 1t was Z a
very cold night in the winter of IS5S-59.
The wind howled fiercely and the snow
was falling in fakes as large as q palms
leaf fan. The thermometer just outside
the door showed the mercury So degrees
below zero, and this you understand is
cold even for Boston. 1 was about TO
turn in when the bell struck. Before
we got out of the house ten strokes had
struck-a general alarm-and away we
wen tearing down the street. Our
engines were the old-fashioned man
killer hand pumps, and ours was
the best in the world of its kind =.
1t required 200 men TO work it, threw
eleven streams 1000 feet. 1t was hauled
by twenty-four big horses. driven
abreast, and as we went toward the fire
that night the few people on the streets
~ d.,
But it was anything but circus for US.
We made the run Of four miles in less
than four minutes, and found the fire in
building of stone, brick and iron fifteen
stories high. Strangers ofteen mistook it
for the Bunker Hill monument. The fire
seemed to have started near the roof,
and was gradually burning nearly three
hours before discovered. and by the
time we reached the scene the flames
were under good Roadway, The sky
was Illuminated for miles around, and
huge sparks, like rockets, were flying
through the air. A gust of wind would
strike the high walls and bend them
back and forth like huge slabs of rubber,
and there was no telling when they
might fall over and bury the entire
ward. The iron girders ran in a molten
stream to the second story, where they
frOZe and the sudden contraction would
cause the metal to bread off and fall to
the ground with e crash. One piece of
iron weighing two tons was buried eight
feet in the ground.
"Bricks heated red-hot would be
picked up by the wind ane carried
through the air until they had collided
with flake of snow. Then they would
burst into a thousand pieces with Il re-
port like a six-pOuud cannon. Huge
stones, coming in con tact with the snow,
caused q shower of water that would
haqe deluged the neighborhood had not
the voter concealed before reaching the
ground.
"You can see, gentlemen, that our
situation was an extremely dangerous
one. But went bravely to work, I'M
limbered our machine, laid out every
food of hose and manned the pumps.
The bumpers worked like Trojans, and
slowly the water was forced through the
hose aimed at the burnIn8 building.
Each line had seven-inCh nozzle, and
was handled by thirteen pipemen. st
appeared to be growing colder all the
time, and the words of the chief were
frozen hard before they were six inches
from his mouth. The water froZe at the
MOBILES, but the ice thus formed was
pushed forward until an icicle 1900 feet
long was hanging to each line of hose.
"NOt a drop of water had been thrown
on the building by the engines, but the
melting snow kept the flames from get
ting entirely beyond our control for a
time. But it looked as if the building
was doomed. There was only one thing
to do. Shouting to the men to give her
I aaiza6 stood
by. Slowly the huge columnt of ice
raised upward the red, bright sky. The
pipemen held to their nOzzles like he
roes. In ten minutes time the pillars of
ice were highe. than the building. Then
was the time for action. Slowly the
MOBILES were lowered until the ice hung
far over the building. With the
rapidity of lightning 1 out the ice
away at the noZzles. The huge
icicles fell with dull thud
on the burning house. There was a great
spluttering, popping and kissing. Huge
clouds Of steam rolled up, followed by
pillows of black smoke. The other fire
who had been standing idly
around, gave hearty cheer. They saw
that the problem was solved and went to
work with a will. AS fast as the ice was
formed at the proper height it was cut
loose and allowed to fall on the flames.
this was kept up for two hours, and at
the end of that time the flames were put
out and a good portion of the building
saved.
'The next morning the Boston papers
were full of the wonderful exploit. A
public reception was given me and a
purse of $40, 900 was made up by the
business men. I divided the money
among the boys of the company, but l
still have thes solid gold medal, set with
that received as memento
of the event and a reward for my sa-
gacity.'