The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-22
IrOnWood, Mich.

Ironwood, Mich.
What might have been, and for while
locked as if it would be a 100000 fire
was happily averted on Monday by the
heroic efforts of our fire boys. Precisely
at high noon the fire whistle blew an
alarm and in response to it the fire depart
ment went down to the First ward. 1t
was only chimney fire, however, and the
boys were Just in the act of turning back
when a second alarm was sounded. THIS
time the call was for the Chicago & North;
western Railroad yards. When the boys
reached there they found the oil house
near the big round house and the coal
bunkers all in a sheet of flames, and it
looked az though the whole three build
ings were doomed to destruction. The
round house, which is one of the finest Of
the kind in Northern Michigan, and the
coal sheds, which are monsters Of their
kind, were either side Of the burma g
building mot more than 30 feet away. The
wind was blowing veritable hurricane
from the southwest and carried burning
splinters and sheets of flame right over
both the buildings and on no less than
dozen occasions both the coal sheds and
the roalnd-house caught on fire, and al
though the members ct the fire depart
ment and the vast crowd Of spectators
expected every moment to see an explo-
sion of the OIL with which the burning
building was filed, nevertheless they got
right in between the buildings and under
the directions of their iron-nerved chief
Dan G. Shea, kept the streams playing Oh
both the buildings till the oil house came
down with crash and they at once turned
their attention to that as it was NO use
trying it sooner. When the boys came
out from between the coal sheds and
round-house they were greeted with deaf
ering cheers for their daring and danger
GUS feat and the officials of the railway
company are loud in Their praise Of the
Tronwood fire department ann especially
of Chief Shea for the keen Judgment he
used In saving from utter destruction the
vast piles of coal and the splendid round
house, either of which if burned would en-
tail al loss to the company Of thousands of
dollars, and especially the round-house,
as it contained ait the time half a dozen en-
gines which were completely cut off from
removal by the fire. When the boys
reached the fire hall they looked not
little like a crew of shipwrecked Arctic
explorers, being completely covered wi h
thick sheet of ice. and in SPITE of the warn!
quarters they had just left they were I'M
dcubtedly the chill:est lot Of men that
struck town for many day. Fireman
Robinson. whose hat went UP in smoke.
and on whom they had to turn a stream
to prevent his total destruction, was 6
sight to make angels weep His golden
hair was hanging down his back trimmed
with crystal tassels, and. as he moved
around when he reached the hall he look
ed like an animated iceberg. Fireman G.
A. Olson, who was caught with a sealskir'
cap and a spring overcoat, looked like
regular sealskin hunter but had the
spring taken severely out Of the coat
Chas. Morris assured the crowd as he
went around looking for a Battle Axe
plug of tobacco that the water had got
into his patent leather shoes causing al
almost visible GOODNESS under his ingrow-
ing toenails, and Clarence Durhee swore
that the boys himself included never
worked as spontaneously" at a fire. Sc
riously the citizens of OUR burg have
every reason to be proud OF their corps of
fremen, as was evidenced by their al
most superhuman powers of endurance at
Mondays fire.
Judging from the way the medical ex-
aminer of the local division of the A. 0.
H. is working on applications. the lodge
promises to be one of the foremost divis-
ions in Michigan before the end of 1896.
The members, who consider themselves
each, a committee of one to secure the
applications of desirable timber for men,
bership are wing with one another as
to who will do the most towards increas-
ing the membership of the lodge. while
on the other hand, those who are eligible
to membership and who are aware Of the
many advantages to be derived, are
nothing 10th to apply. AS result Of the
work done during the last three weeks,
no less than a dozen young men of the
"Rale Ould Stock" will be instructed in
the solemn and impressive ceremonies Of
A. O. H. initiation at next meeting of the
local order. and number of other appli-
Giants who are anxious of being seen with
the boys in green, are having arrange
ments perfected so they can come out
with the division on their grand parade |
on st. Patrick's day, on which occasion
the local division will have as usual a
grand celebration. Brother Mullen2ihad
better summon the officers together; and
get that mug of his conferes taken !
while it is yet day, and the members of
the group are yet in full possession of !
their CRANBERRY" whiskers.