The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-05
TT WAS NO JOKE.
THE FIRE AT THE ENGINE
HOUSE QUITE SERIOUS.
BUT ON With THE May DANCE
Al the Rail- Last Night Pretty Girls
and Gallant Beanx-A Bright Scene
Tho Fire Works Attract Crowd.
Almost a Fire.

One of the most beautiful displays
and what turned out to be one of the
most thrilling displays of fire works
ever witnessed in this city was that
which occurred from the summit of
the engine house last night. While
thousands were admiring the grand-
eur of the scene, those in the tower in
charge of the fire works were expeI-
fencing one OF the most horrible o.
deals of their lives, and they narrowly
escaped death. Messrs. Joe Engleby,
Thomas Engleby, Frank Moore an |
John McDermitt were the tiremen on
the tower. The circumstances are
these: They had taken fireworks
there for the occasion and placed
them in large box. After these ger
tlemen had entered the. tower, they
had for convenience placed the box
with it's contents, weighing over 300
pounds over the trap door, thereby
out all means of exit. AS
fate would have it, skyrocket set OF!
from some locality near by, alighted
in the box and ignited its entire con-
tents. Such terrific explosions as fol-
lowed, and such dense smoke Of
powder cannot be recalled by the old
eat soldier. Such terrific grandeu'
brought forth the greatest applause
from below, and the cry of fire from,
these Inflated firemen was taken up
in jest by the throng below until the
whole locality resoupded with thai
terrible word. The distance from the
tower to the roof was ove-
thirty feet. and a jump which would
naturally be postponed to the last mo
ment. In the meantime, the firemeI
in the tower continued to Shout
fire." and beg that the hose be-
turned on, and were rapidly being
overcome by suffocation and heat.
Finally it dawned upon the firemer
beneath what had occurred, and
turning n stream of water into the
tower, soon extinguished the fire. In
the noise and turmoil, the appeals of
the endangered MEN had not been
heard, and had they neglected t.,
have thrown the water two minutes
longer, there is no telling what tho
consequences would have beeen. As
1t was these tiremen escaped with
only few burnt garments, but they
do not hesitate to say that it was
the most precarious position they
were ever in before, and consider thai
they very narrowly escaped suffoca-
ton.
nv
The ball at the vigilant Firemen's
hall last night was largely attended
and was one of the most enjoyable"
events of the season. An excellent
band was in attendance, and the'rev
elry did not discontinue until the
early hours Of dawn.
Nv
AS a matter of course some had to
use stimulants in order to get up to %
proper degree of. enthusiasm, and a.
a result, Mayor Evans is assured of &
few cases this morning.
~
a great many took advantage o.
the excursion to Natural Bridge, anf
did lot get back until late; they were.
fully repaid for their trip
by what they saw there.
Nv
The Junior hose company serenaded
a number of places last night with the
city band. The music was grand and
their generosity was highly appreci-
ated.
x"x
The colored man and the coloreG
women put on their Sunday buds, and
turned out in such numbers as t."
threaten watermelon famine. The
lemonade vendors and the stree.
fakirs we're on every street corner,
and did profitable business.
wv
In addition to the demonstration OF
fireworks by the Viglauts last night,
it seemed that everybody who could
raise money enough to buy a squib,
bought one and promptly set it of.
Sky-rock cts and Roman candles liter
allv filled and illuminated the atmos-
phere.
wv
The only fight yesterday of any
Importance was that between very
imputent negro and one of the fire.
men. in which the negro came ou1
considerably the worse off. 1t oc-
Cured on Railroad avenue, and o.
course created a great deal of excite
ment for the time being.
#*x
A most enjoyable picnic was held in
the woods near Vinton yesterday
which was attended and highly en-
joyed by number of young people
from this city. They took baskets OF
delicacies and substantials with them,
which were spread upon the ground
and devoured by the happy jewellers
with greedy appetites. Otherwise thu
day was spent in various ways,
such as roaming through the woods,
plucking wild flowers, ETC., etc.
**x
A horse on Railroad avenue, de-
corated all over with little United
States flags, took up a horrible idea
of the fire crackers, and when one
exploded near him he made one long,
sonorous snort, two lunges and in
an instant was catering down Rail
road avenue at rate of speed which
suggested death and destruction. The
driver held on manfully, however, to
the reins, and succeeded in stopping
him before any damage was done.
e
For a debilitated or nervous condi-
ton, A. B. C. Tonic fights to win.