Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03
The Ladies' Of the Gay French Cap.
ital Never Get in Hurry.
NO BIG BLAzES TO DEAL WITH.
An American Confagration Would Para
lyze the Whole Force.
BED TAPE IN OBTAINING PASSES
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.J

nifty of watching the whole modus operandi.
First must remark the promptitude with
which the 'fpomplers" put in an appear
ance-fully a half an hour after the fire
broke out. I shudder to think what would
be the fate of an American city if intrusted
to the Paris fire brigade. Like everything
else in Europe, they partake of the general
slowness, and think it .undignifed, I sup
pose, to be in hurry.
The fire broke out in the upper story Of an
apartment" house, and when noticed it
When the pompiers arrived the whole
apartment was gutted. I suppose every
body knows that in France an apartment
means a suite of rooms. They have
no fire alarms in any of the houses
or hotels here; there is q curious affair at
certain distances in the streets which, to the
uninitiated, is difficult Of comprehension.
At length the iremen arrived and hauled a
feeble squirt up six flight of stairs. There
was a yard underneath from which an
American hose could have put out the whole
business in five minutes. One thing, how
ever can be said in favor of the Paris fire
brigade. In America the whole house
would be drenched with water, whereas in
France they take scrupulous care not to
waste any Of the precious liquid.
NOT USED TO BIG FIRES.
I never saw such CONSERVATION in the
neighborhood even at such a small fire.
Evidently they never saw big confagra-
ton such as the United States treats its citi-
zens to. have been in Paris year and
going across the street to see. I am sure, if
you will pardon the seeming wickedness,
one of your big blazes will be treat to me
when return to the land of the Stars and
Stripes.
The spectators seemed to have more to do
in ordering the fremen around than their
captain. During a lull in the fremen's
struggles one old lady halloed out to the
fremen not to relax their efforts as the fire
was still burning. There was a stoneyard
not very close by where there was nothing
to burn up but headstones and an old wagon,
and it was most ludicrous TO watch several
frightened individuals move that wagon in
nervous haste, an inch or so every few sec
onds. The whole affair was 80 comic-the
prehistoric fremen, the waillng old ladies
and the individuals among the monuments
that my companion, who was an American,
which scandallzed the whole neighborhoo6
During lulls in the fire the fremen amused
themselves by squirting water at one another.
They evidently were not used to hard work,
as they were all blowing like porpoises, and
must have had big sense of their own iln-
portance judging by the way they carried
themselves. In the eyes of the hero-loving
French people they were no doubt big heroes.
When the confagration was nearly over
policeman stuck his head out of the window
of one of the gutted rooms. took compre-
hensive glance around and then withdrew.
Unlike those of America, Paris police
man is sure to be around when anything is
going on.
RUSHING TO THE FIRE.
The Paris pompiers came to the fire pref
ty leisurely as compared with the American
fremen. They moved almost as slowly as
the Dordrecht fire brigade, so happily de-
scribed in Baughton and Abbey's sketching
rambles through Holland. They were
seated in a long, red vehicle very much like
an American hay wagon. They blew
feeble bugle with peculiar squeak during
their progress. The fire-escape ladder was
hauled to the fire by hand power. The fire
brigade is a corps of the army and is en-
listed under the same conditions as the
troops. Its uniform, which is not as fine as
the American uniform, consists of blue PAN
falcons very wide at the hips and narrow at
the shoe; a tight fitting skirtless dark tunic,
brass helmet and brass chain epaulets.
They carry leather belt at the waist from
which depends bayonet.
Verify this is the land of red tape.
wanted to see the grand review of $4,000 OF
the French troops at Longchamps on July
24-the national holiday. I betook myself
to the bureau de Requirement" (Recruit-
ing Bureau) at the Place Vendome and
asked the sentry in charge. He gave me a
military salute. Showing him my creden-
tials and stating my wants, he told me that
the official whose duty it was to attend to
such matters was engaged otherwise, and
that would have to 20 to the Presidential
palace.
PLENTY OF RED TAPE.
In front of the palace there were about
half q dozen foot sentries with guns and
fixed bayonets, sprinkling of officers and
several members of the Presidents house.
hold, all in uniform. made up to one of
the sentinels and stated my business. He 1
gave me military salute, the same as got
before, and then sent me to the concierge
This individual who was dressed in long
tailed blue coat with myriads of buttons,
white pantaloons and a hat a la Napoleon,
sent me to another officials Office at the fur
ther end of q big graveled court yard 1
waited here half an hour. At last I
was admitted into an endless looking corri-
dor by a huge pompous lackey, who must
have weighed about 200 pounds aud was
fully six feet and half. He was dressed |
in black, and, as usual, wore lots of buttons
and big silver, or imitation silver, chain |
around his neck. There were some half a
dozen under lackeys also in uniform who
danced attendance on him. The silver |
chained individual pompously informed me |
that would have to call around in two |
hours time, and then was allowed to es- |
cape from so much dignity. Well, ap- |
peared punctually at the appointed time. |
I found many there on the same errand as
myself. At length my turn came, and 1 |
had to fill out a form with my name, age, |
address, occupation, where 1 came from,
what journals I represented, etc. Then I |
was given in charge of the Garcon de Bureau,
who, carrying this form and my credentials
IN his hand, escorted me through intermin-
sble passages until we came to another
yraveled courtyard. Telling me to wait
outside, where there were already about
half dozen uncovered individuals, the Gar.
,on de Bureau disappeared into an Office.
After long argument with the official, to
whom was shortly introduced, got my
passes. DE WOLFE SCANLAN.
Crushed but Not Broken.