The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-14
A RACE OF FIRE.

firm friends as we'll They were poor, and
| suspect that fact had much to do with
their friendship. for opportunities were
always turning up for helping one another;
and | have often noticed that when near
neghbo are we'll off and have no need for
mutual help, there is very seldom any
| friendship between them There is more
apt to be jealousy and competition.
Our parents being such good friends, it
naturally resulted that Mollie and / fol-
lowed their example. We went to school
together, read together, played together,
and somehow, when Mollie was eighteen
and twenty, we agreed to travel together
all our lives, and were very happy IN that
arrangement. In fact, no other would
/ have seemed right or natural, either to US
! or our parents.
From the earliest days of my boyhood
! had a fondness for the water, haunting
the palatial steamboats, that hoated on the
! great Mississippi river, on whose banks
nestled the city in which we dwell and at
the period to which am about to refer,
had just secured a position as pilot on a
small freight steamer
1t was not much of position, to be sure,
nor was there much of a salary attached
to it; but, small as it was, Mollie and
! decided that we could make it answer for
! two people, neither of them extravagaut
or unreasonable; besides which had hopes
| of better times to come, as | had received
words of commentator from my employ
! ers, and promises of speedy promotion.
| So early one bright morning, having OBJ
tanned days leave of absence, Mollie and
were married, and stepping into a car
! rage had hired for the occasion we start
| ed off, having decided on days excursion
to celebrated cave near by, this being all
the wedding trip we could allow ourselves.
Not that we cared in the least, however;
we were too happy to be disturbed by any
shortcomings of time or purse.
| We had scarcely driven beyond our own
street when we were brought to halt. A
messenger whom recognized as belonging
to our steamboat company hailed me,
Here is a note for you from the super
| intendent."
Thus it ran:
"Am sorry to have to recall your leave
| for today, but you must Immediately go
on board the Mobilia, which is ready to
start up the river. The pilot is too i'll to
attend to duty, and you are appointed to
take his place for the present"
"There goes our wedding trip all to
smashl" said /, as Molle read the order.
"Why SOP" she asked.
you see, must go into the pilot house
of the Mobilia."
Every we'll, she replied; "we will just
go up the river instead of to the cave.
Drive on, Rob; let us go down to the wharf
in state"
But you cannot go into the pilot house
with me, little goose"
"Of course not; but can sit on the deck
outside" laughed Mollie, land we can cast
languishing glances at each other"
And so it came to pass that ! took pos
session of the Mobilia's pilot house, my
heart glowing with love and pride. With
love, for there, just below me- on the little
forward deck, sat my sweet bride With
pride, because the Mobila was one of the
finest of the beautiful floating palaces of
the Mississippi, and to pilot such one
had for years been the height of my ambi-
ton.
The steamer was fitted up with a double
cabin, one above the Other-the upper one
opening upon a small deck, re- ching out
toward the bow, near the cent of which,
on a raised platform, was placed the pilot
house. This deck was alway occupied by
passengers, and this morning it was par
ticularly crowded. for the boat was heavily
laden with people taking advantage of the
beautiful weather to make an excursion up
the river.
Some rough fellows jostled against Mol
lies chair after awhile, and she rose and
passed down into the lower cabin, ito get
a drink of water" she whispered to me as
she passed, but l suspect it was really to
prevent the bursting of the thundercloud
she saw gathering on my brow.
| saw that the insolent fellows made no
attempt to follow my dear one, so l gave
myself up to my own happy thoughts, and
looking upon the far distant, peaceful
shores of the great river over whose placid
bosom we were moving so swiftly, there
rose from my heart a glad. silent hymn of
rejoicing.
But suddenly cry broke forth from the
cabin behind me that effectually changed
the current of my thoughts.
"Firel firel fire!" A horrible cry at all
time, but most horLbl of all when it
rings forth in the midst of gay, unsuspi-
cious hundreds floating in fancied security
in the midst of the waters.
An instant'S aweStruck silence succeeded
that awful cry, and then 300 voices of men,
women and children united in fearful.
heartrending shrieks for help.
"FireI fire! firep'
Ave! there was no mistake about it, no
false alarm. No one could tell how it had
commenced, but there it was, creeping
along the roof of the upper cabin, with the
deadly flames greedily tapping up every
scrap of awning and curtain they could
find on their way, ever and anon darling
loose tongues Of fame down ia the floor to
clasp the light chairs and tables and set
tees in their fiery embrace.
AS well seek with a sieve to scoop up the
waters on the great river on which the
Mobilia foated as 10 try to subdue the
roaring, devouring enemy that had seized
upon the i'll fated steamer.
The people iarted down from the blazing
upper cabin TO the forward deck below,
where as yet the foe had made but little
Roadway, and there our brave captain-wbo
was that rara avis, "the right man in the
right place"-succeeded in partially quell
ing the panic.
Keep quiet" he ordered, keep quiet
and stay just where you are or l will not
answer for the lives of any Of YOU The
steward will provide every one Of you with
life preservers but there is 10 reason for
any person TO 60 overheard; yet awhile
at any rate, unless suicide is desired. Keep
quiet, sayi Pilot, head her straight for
the land, half mile aheadF' I'VE were at
least twice that distance from the main
land on either shore.l Engineer, put on
ali steam-crowd her enl We will run a
race with the foul fend who has boarded
the Mobiha."
There WAS an instant's pause, and then,
with grosn and a surge, with simbers