Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

pace, the hoarse shouts of the firemen,
and worse than all, the piercing, ago.
nizing shrieks of the inmates of the
doomed house, aroSsed in the dead of
night face TO face with terrible
death, are things one can never forget.
The flames spread with fearful rapidi-
ty, and the lur.d glare made very OBJ
ject Visible.
GA terrible scene! Heroes are al
ready climbing the escapes and bearing
TO safety the panic-stricken, half-clad
wre;ches clinging to the window
frames. The men worked as if in
spired with the courage and strength
of superhuman beings. Volumes of
water poured into the building, but
apparently to no purpose. One by
one the shrieking men, women, and
children were removed from their
dangerous positions, at a fearful risk
to the noble fellows straining every
nerve and muscle for their salvation.
Presently cheer arose from the dense
crowd as it was murmured around that
call were out Almost the whole
of the building was now mass of fire
and storm of ruddy flakes and daz-
Zlirg sparks whirled and eddied in the
air. Great tongues of flame leaped
from room to room, lighting up the in
terror with fearful brilliancy. Then
came terrible cry, which froze the
blood in the veins of tho assembled
thousands. a, pale face appeared at
an upper window, and slight, girlish
form was seen clinging to the sill.
No one present will forget that cry or
that wall OF agony that issued from a
thousand Threats. At the same mo-
ment man burst through into
the space pt clear for the
workers, and at glance j
recognized my friend G.. Great God!
had not looked at his card, and had
been standing watching the house
which held all that was dearest 10 him
consumed by the demon Fire! The
thought drove me frantic. But was
spell-bound by what followed. Again
an escape was run up to the upper
stories. But by this time the fire
belched forth from the lower windows
and enveloped it in flames. Then for
few moments there was hush in the
crowd, more solemn ana impressive
than any language could describe. G.
had bounded up the escape, and, heed
less of the great lambent flames pour
ing fast around him, rose higher and
higher until he had reached the win
COW where the clinging white figure
was visible TO all. Springing from the
ladder, poor G. disappeared from the
sight of those in the street. i, how
ever, could look from my window
into the room, and l saw my friend
clasp his fainting bride in his arms and
make for the window. He reached
for the ladder, and wild hope surges
into the hearts of the spectators as they
catch a glimpse of him, whcn-a crash!
that cuts our breath short, and the
ladder around which the flames have
been wrapping themselves in a fiery
embrace, gives way and topples over
into the street.
1.-The frantic agony of the thousands
of helpless on-lookers in the street be-
comes fearful. Luckily they are
spared the sight which those gathered
at a higher position arc doomed TO
witness. We are powerless to resist.
Our eyes are riveted on that room.
The whole building is vast furnace,
and we can see the flames bursting
through the inner doors and the two
poor doomed creatures stand clasped
in the embrace of death. That specta-
Gle is scorched into my brain.
"Suddenly G. makes a"movement;
once again the two cling together-this
time forever on earth. We see him
take something from his pocket. There
is CLEAN of pistol report;
then another, and the two fall lifeless,
as the floor, its supports eaten away by
the raging fire beneath, crashes down
with golden rain of sparks, into the
surging sea CT flame.