The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-08-16

en- its way down the wooden siding between
the iron chimney and the staff exterior
until the men on the balcony were cut off,
A shout from theassembled thousands told
them of their danger. They had been
Watching the flames above them and dis.
covered those below only when it was too
late.
Chief Murphy himself had led his men on
their perilous climb to the balcony, and
when the fire broke out below he ordered
them to save themselves. They could not
go down as they had come up, for the in
terror of the tower was a roaring crater.
The heavy ladders could not be drawn to
the roof in time to save them. They rushed
TO the south side of the balcony and swarm
ed down the line of hose. Five men slipped
down the smoking tube, and then it gave
way.
The calmness of despair settled on the
men still in the balcony To remain where
they We're meant cremation; to jump meant
to be dashed to pieces. Over, under and all
about them surged the hellish fire. Not q
man lost his head. None shrank back
None cried out When every vestige Of
hope was gone, one by one they dropped
through the sea of flames that surrounded
them to the roof below. Sixteen me1
jumped from the burning balcony, and as
the last one sprang out the tower, com
pletely enveloped in flames, tottered ano
fell with a crash.
But the horror did not end here Three
minutes after the fall of the tower the en-
tire roof was ablaze. One hundred meI
were on it, The only way of escape was
down a single ladder at the north end o.
the building. The deeds of heroism, Of sell
sacrifice and courage performed in the few
minutes that it took to clear the roof viii
never all be told The ablebodied mer
rushed to save their helpless fellows who
lay about with cruelty broken bodies, the
result of the leap from the tower. Every
one who was not buried in the burning
debris gas lowered to the ground by ropes
or in strong arms. Then the blistereC
heroes sought the north ladder About
them surged the fire. Flames curled around
their legs, stabbed at their faces and licked
off their mustaches and eyebrows. Bul
here, as in the tower, there was no outcry
no struggle for precedence, no cowardice.
They took their turns, and one man whC
wore a white helmet stepped back and mo
toned for a fireman to 60 before him. TheI
the man with the white helmet stoopeC
down and seizing the hose that dangleC
from the edge of the roof went whizzinl
down its length and landed as lightly as {
cat on his feet. he was Fire Marshal Muir
ply, and from that moment he was 1
marked man in the eyes of the Thousand
who crowded about the burning building.
Next the crowd saw the man with whit
helmet climbing a ladder on the east sid
of the building Then fireman sprang NJ
the ladder. Another and another followed
until four were going hand over hand afte
the man with the white helmet.
The white helmet disappeared over tn
edge Of the roof along with two black ones
When they reappeared, their wearers wer
struggling beneath limp burden. 1t wa
the body Of Captain Fitzpatrick in IN
arms of Fire Marshal Murphy, Captain
Kennedy and Fireman Hans Rehfeldt
They stood a trio of heroes outlined agains
a background Of fire.