Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-03
He WAS FAST ASLEEP At ATTIRE.
WENT no TURN on THE ALARM,
DuT WAS VERY DRowsy.


New York. Nov. 2.--August Marto-
rell was aroused by yell Of
House Is on tirel Don't pause to
inquire, but go ring the alarm and
save us from harmr'
Martorell rubbed his eyes and looked
up in surprise at the flames that were.
verify, cracking so merrlly; blnked
his optics so misty and muttered;
"sapristil What need to awake me9
For a dog do you take me7 To bed I'll
return. and let the place burnw
But leave him they would not and
slumber he could not; SO with;
"Corpo dl Raccol y plague on their
lack o'due consideration for my sweet
sensation OF drowsy lnaetlon-the med
dlesomc factlonl"
He sleeplly shufiled, with annthemaa
inutllei, downstairs TO the street, nicely
draped in II sheet.
He reached the alarm and stretched
out his arm to catch hold Of the crank
and give 1t yanlS.
But ere he could speed the dread tld-
ings Of need his eyelids just dropped.
and he YEARLY Hoped UP against the
lampost--for he wanted sleep most,
And there he was seen IN q slumeer
serene, his hand on the crank he's neg
lccted to yanS.
August Martorell's achievement Is
without precedent. In hts own peculiar
line he Is without n peer.
The Roman soldier Who during the
devastation OF PompeiL persisted In his
sentry box rather than desert his post
without leave, unconsciously Immortal
lied himself
His grim skeleton, standing at at
tention" amid the ruin OF the past, has
been the theme OF countless edes and
prose culogles,
But II is not doubtful whether even
that remarkable man could have dupli-
Gated the feat Of August Martorell in
falling asleep standing up against the
IRE alarm box. with his fingers CLUTCH
ing the handle and a burning house at
his back.
Martorell lives with his slster-in-law.
Mrs, z. Cortada, who keeps boarders
I ut No. 15l West Fourteenth street He
! returned home rather late last night
| ana had just dropped on to sleep-a
| process that evidently offers no I'M
usual difficulties to him-when the hre
broke out in the basement
Nora Vobln, the cook discovered IL
| first, and raised such n hullAbaloo that
4 every living soul in the house jumped
/ out of bed, with the exception OF Au-
| gust.
The hall was full OF smoke, and the
! Hamss Were already creeping up the
! stairs, SO the frightened borders
about twepty-made FOR the roof and
the fire escapes.
Mrs, Cortada rushed into August's
/ room and tried to wake him by
screaming "fircr In his car. and
shaking him violently
"reo soon flight th'iire," snored Au-
u,h,-, Mo- f,n.traa ,,,,,,,taa Il. ,,t,,hu,,
of water over August and tried to pull
him out OF bed,
'Srainlng, Lemme lone" muttered
August, turning over and pulling the
bedclothes around him.
The smoke had been pouring
through the open door and Just at
that moment August sneozcd,
That woke him,
Run to the corner and ring for the
fremont screamed his sister-ln-law,
pushing him into the hallway.
August stumbled down the stairs and
went TO the IRE alarm box. signal St9,
which Is ON the corner only n few feet
away.
It is q keylesa box, requiring only a
twist OF the handle and a pull on the
hook inside to convey the alarm. Au-
gust lurched up against the box and
reached for the handle mechanically.
His fingers gently closed around II,
his head Tell forward and tired Nature
asserted herself once more.
August snoredl
The first of the borders 10 get down
by way OF the fire escape found him
| there IS the attitude described, where
upon the boarder laid violent hands
upon him, flung him aside and rang
! the alarm.
Even then August showed decided
disposition to 60 TO sleep again, but
was effectually aroused by the clang
and clatter OF the FIRE engines.
The fire was quickly extlnBulshed.
after burning up the cooks pocketbools
| with $40 in II, smother!ng three parrots
and damaging the basement walls
When the flremen went away ana
the boarders were excitedly discussing
the events OF the nlght, August Marto-
rell fell asleep on the stairs, half way
up 10 his bedroom.