Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-05-20


people who. through the falling snow,
seemed like small black specks.
Then he ran along the border OF the
roof until he stood directly over Gala,
gher's window. Foreman Fitzgerald
leaned over the end of the landing to
look into the room. Gallagher s face was
no longer there.
"Up with you, boys Up to the roof =
he cried.
One after another the men made the
perilous ascent, Selling the cornice
where Kirk had seized it and helping
each other by pushing and pulling, I'M
til three stood On the roof.
MAY God help Kirk' murmured the
foreman, for Kirk was where no man
could help him.
Falling upon his knees, with his back
to the courtyard, he had slid downward
until his body hung against the side OF
the house, with nothing but his grip on
the cornice to support it, and nothing
but the frail top of loose shutter be-
tween his feet and the stone courtyard
below
With one foot he CROPPED along the top
of this shutter to find the spot that Of
fered the greatest resistance, and finding
this-although the shutter swung and
trembled ightfully-he allowed his
body to sink until it seemed as if he
were holding ON with his fingers ends.
Then with his other foot he kicked in
the window.
His eye caught projecting ridge of
the cornice five or six inches below the
top. Holding himself by one hand-the
ed this with the other, lowered himself
few inches more, kicked in another
pane of glass, and found footing upon
the middle sash of the window.
He looked up and saw the anxious
faces of his comrades. He looked down
and saw the upturned faces of an enor-
nous crowd. Then, God save mel" he
whispered and dropped.
A mighty roar burst from the crowd.
He had seized the top of the shutter and,
almost before it could tremble, had
thrust his leg into the opening he had
made in the window and climbed into
the room. AT that moment volume of
smoke burst through the opening, and
Fireman Kirk was lost to view.
A rope was lowered, and in less than
ten seconds the arm of Kirk was extend
ed through the smoke, grasped the rope
and drew it into the room. A few Sec
onds later the gray head of Gallagher
appeared at the window, then his Shout
ders, then his whole body, and the men
ON the oof-strong, heavy men-pulled
away at the rope until Gallagher, blink
ing and suffering from the effects Of
the smoke, lay at their feet.
The rope was hastily unfastened and
lowered again, and moment later
Fireman Kirk swung out of the window
and-how cheerfully those men drew
their burden up--was raised to the roof.
"Kirk, old boy" cried the foreman,
"you 've"-
The words died ON his lips. Kirk had
fallen like log and lay motionless at
his feet. They rubbed him and chaffed
his skin, poured whisky down his throat
and had almost begun to fear that he
had inhaled fire and was dead, when he
opened his eyes. After looking around
at the faces of his comrades he asked
family:
sis the old mani
'Thank Godp' said the foreman,
whose face was white.
And now, what wonderful thing is
discipline Kirk was safe, but the house
was burning. Foreman Fitzgerald, a
trained fireman, had load Of response
bility upon his shoulders, and in a
twinkling all sentiment was forgotten.
Down, boys!" cried the foreman.
"Hustle now '
By this time ladders had been raised
to the roof upon every side, and it was
an easy task to convey old man Gala
CHER to the roof of the adjoining house
and from there to the street, where there
was an ambulance i'll waiting, which
took him to the hospital
Within half an hour after the engines
arrived the fire was extinguished and
the crowd dispersed.
Then Fireman Kirk climbed to his
place ON Truck No. 3 little more SLOW
ly than usual, and rode back to his sta
ton. And there he remained until s
p. M, when his relief came and he was
allowed to go home and rest until a.
M, when he must report for duty again.
For, whatever happens, the discipline
and the routine of the fire department
must be maintained.
A tall, broad shouldered man of
heavy build-to be exact, he weighs 181
pounds-with youthful, smooth shay
en- countenance, massive chin, high
forehead and sensitive lips and mod
est disposition-there you have Henry
Kirk.-New York World.