Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-19

StinclVely l Stroye To cling to the side
of the veSSel-there was nothing to
hold one by, and l reeled back to the
little spot of level footing in the bot
tom, conscious, for the first time, that
| was in trap, out of which there was
no escape. l had no time for reflection.
for 4 shower of rubbish. pattering on
the head of the vessel. and filling in
through its mouth, drove ne again to
seek for shelter at one side. How |
chung SO long l cannot tell, but l did
succeed i'll fastening myself to the
ovcrllnging cOncava, until a consider
able quantity Of bricks and mortar had
fallen III. Immediately after. the main
wall of the burning building-the only
barrier between the space Immediately
above me and the fiameS--Save crack.
and tumbled over to the other side.
causing such conclusion as made the
mortar leap off the floor, and threw UP
cloud of dust, that, for 4 time, Oh
scured everything abound me. Expect
ing each moment to be my last. with
he instinct of one who waits Il blow
which he cannot avoid. l shut my eyes
and stopped my head, shrinking to-
gether. us may we'll be imagined, and
trembling i'll every limb. The first
thing that reused me was the glare of
light from the flames, which row. I'M
confined by any partition, rolled over
head. tapping and laboring in the air
with such breadth and intensity that
their reflection made the whole concave
in which | stood as bright as the in
side of gilt cup. | gave myself up to
despair when | contemplated the fiery
torrent which now Oyer-canOpied me.
Embers were falling from its borders
like flakes Of snow; a sound like the
roaring of hungry lions proceeded from
the midst of it; the heat, when l turned
my flee towards it, was intolerabIe,
and | felt that, to look at the sphere
of FURNISHED metal around me- would
soon melt the eyes out of my heaH
But it was only the first fury Of the
fire, tossed about as it was by the fail
of the gable, that supplied a body Of
flame so huge and intense. and my
presence of mind gradually returned as
l found that it's fury had soon so far
abated as to enable me to bear the
mitigated glare from the metal around
me with comparative fortitude.
l now began to consider some means
of escape. The vessel was Il hollow
sphere of about fourteen feet in dia-
meter, perfectly smooth, except at the
Jennings of the metal plates of which
it WAS composed; but the heads of the
rivets which held these together af-
forded no more hold than just enough
to enable me to get footing Il very little
way up the curve at one side, out of
the immediate glare of the fame that
beat full upon the bottom. The only
aperture, except the Oritice at the top.
was that by which the contents were
intended to be drawn off, but this was
not much wider than the mouth of Il
large tJImbier. To Chamber out without
the assistance Of ladder, or rope fast
ened from above. was impossible. Had
there been ledge on the rim Of the
opening through which / had descended
[ would not have desplired, for the
clothes [ wore would have furnished
ma terial for a rope strong enough to
support my weight, and one of the
loose bricks that lay at my feet would
have given me the means of making
it fast above. [ tried the experiment
with brick-bat attached 10 one of my
suSpenders, but though | easily swung
it over the rim there was no ledge for
it to catch on, and l was forced to give
up all hopes of escaping in that way
[ had now in a great measure recovered
my presence of mind, for I perceived
that there WAS no longer danger 10 be
apprehended from the flame above, and
[ knew that the mass of brickWOrk
which surrounded my prison was stuff
cient to protect me from all effects Of
the burning ruins of the ScatfOld
around. | need scarcely say that |
had already used every effort to make
myself heard by the crowd, both by
shouting at the top of my voice and
beating the sides of my prison; but
such was the noise caused by the
cracking aud roaring Of the flames
which still surrounded me on every
side-fOr the ruins Of the ScaffOlding
burned fiercely where they fell, and
Strewed the whole platform with fire
that either l had failed to make myself
heard. or could not hear the cries Of
those whom [ called to in reply. See
ing, then, that | had no chance Of an
immediate escape, | made up my mind
to compose myself as well IS I could,
and wait till the fire should burn Itself
out and leave a passage for my rescue.
[ had remained in this resigned state
for some time when the thought flashed
across my mind, that perhaps, if l
called trough the aperture Of the stop
cock mentioned above, my voice might
be heard. The opening was in the very
bottom of the vessel, and l had to kneel
down on the rubbish to apply my
mouth to it. My knees did not como
in contact with the metal, and my
hands were defended by thick gloves.
thoroughly wetted, so that till
brought my face close to the aperture
truth that / was now to learn-the cop
[ had no suspicion Of the dreadful
per was so hot that | could not bear
it against my skin. 1 started to my
feet, every pulse flying with consterna-
ton 1 dared not think of my situation.
I rushed desperately up the sides Of my
prison I might as well have tried to
scale the vault Of the sky. l shouted,
/ screamed for aSSiStance-the cracking
growl Of the cOnfiagration was my only