The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-19

walls, standing In silhouette against
the background of red that the swirl
ing banks Of cloud revealed as they
rose ever and anon. So seemingly ir-
resistible was the power, so apparently
relentless the venom, of those angry
flames, that the gathering throngs
stood aghast at the possibilities of the
tall walls yielding to the fire
The police cleared the street early.
precaution as wise as 1t should have
been unnecessary, because OF the fur
nacelike glow of everything in the
passageway before the building. One
small party of firemen stood alone be-
! fore it, and they were just as far back
from the menaeed walls, just as far
from the maelstrom of fire as the
pl oper performance of their duty would
let them be.
The water tower arrived within few
minutes, and 1t was stationed in the
alley in the rear of the builling. that
appearing to Chief Jackson the most
advantageous point from which to at
tack the demon in possession Of the
block, from defensive as we'll as Of
fensive considerations. Seva1th street
could we'll take care Of itself. The COM
paratively small buildings across 1t
were protected by a layer of sr,ow on
top, and they were reasonably safe
from the direct force Of the frs. but
on the other side the fire could reach
million dollars without leaping half the
breadth Of street Here hen was the
battle to be, and nobly was it fought.
FIREMEN WE'RE PROMPT.
Company after company ran it's lines
into this crowded arena Others took
commanding positions on the roofs ef
adjoining buildings. while from the
center came the tremendous stream
that issued from the nozzle of that half
human tower searching as it did the
most obscure corners Of the burning
mass. And yet all these agencies of
man were helpless. for the nonce AS
the minutes passed, the victory or the
fighters became more and more appar-
ent in the defense of adjoining prop
erty. The spread OF the fire was stayed
and when this was effected there was
left but the task of watching the work
of destruction on the property il had
reached unmolested
Who looked from the window at $50
and saw that shaft Of fire rising high
above the sleeping city, and at o'clock
locked out again on cloud of smoke
in which appeared now and then an
ember. and below the dull glare of the
dying flames, that man must appre-
ciate to the full the triumph Of the St.
Paul fire department.
No time was lost; no time could be
lost, that was not more plainly that
proverbial lost forever Seconds meant
fortunes. minutes, millions, a dozen OF
them might have meant the wiping out
of. the city, so fierce was the fury Of the
devouring element.
1t is proud feather in the cap of
Chief Jackson. Every machine was
wheeled into it's position with az ev:-
dent a purpose as though it was play
ing a part in drama that had been
rehearsed a dozen times; every man
was at his post, too often in imminent
danger OF death.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE
work of the fire department wos done
in the alley between the hotel proper
and the quarter in which the fire was
making rapid progress. Against what
looked like overwhelming odds the
fight was begun to keep the fire con-
fined to the original limits.
The spread Of the blaze had been re-
markable and almost before anything
could be done, the building was mass
of flames with every floor involved and
the fire shooting ovor against the walls.
Continued pa Fsourth Page.