The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-15
Fun AT PARIS FIRES,
a,,,ht sketch orTypIeal Scene In Frances
Sn.Ita,-Ths DToll Parts FiTemsH.

tar ocean, aH cam N'''NN - ~" AS'h
INV tells as follows, some OF the hui
,,or5us happenings which mingle With
inc tragedies Of Partisan fires ana
,,,gos it an occasion TO praise the
,merlcan fire departments, which, ne
saws. are unequaled throughout the
void,
Late one afternoon In September the
,,sIrg room OF an American banking
S,r.p in the Boulevard Haussman was
",6w1ei with travellers, Suddenly there
or5s, from tie street pandemonlun Of
o5riaE. Everybody ran to the balcony,
,,1on which the four windows gave
Among the Americans who took up his
sand on the balcony was stately old
nan "A fire." he said. and Immediate
4, took out his watch. Nobody knew
Mat he did that for until afterward,
several persons who craned ,thelr
rccks over the balcony saw little
,bread of smoke coming from the door
nav Of the shop directly beneath the
bankIng house, which occupied the sec
and door. The place was o lamp shop,
Three converglng streets form a trl-
angle IN front W AAe otNu VI eAAN aeh''
sb6p on one side OF the triangle Is the
rearofthe opera house,and theopen space
AZ the well-paved street covers about
quarter OF an acre. The police had this
space and oil the streets leading 10 II
cleared within Ave minutes. The alarm
md been sounded from two boxes In
,be neIghbochood, and everything was
ready for the firemen
The engine house nearest to the scene
NJ the fire Is distant Just about seven
hundred meters, which Is a little fur
her than four short city blocks, As
lime PASSED and no engine came In
view. the Americans on the balcony be-
came impatient, ald some OF them
made sarcastic remarks.
At last there was peculiar footing,
mike ANYTHING else In the way OF
sounds, In the distance. 1t was an en-
zine Two minutes atterward the people
an the balcony saw the engine, toy In
American eyes. coming up the street.
The horses were at smart trot only
there was nothing OF the Wild gallop by
which fire engine horse Is distinguish
el from q dray horse in America.
seventeen minutes ten seconds" an
rounced the old man with the open
watch, solemnly, when the engine drew
IN In the cleared space below. They've
beaten the record over a minute to-
day."
A hose car, supply wagon, and an
other wagon full OF flremen had come
up IN the wake OF the engine, but when
they were all on the ground there was
s.lll delay. The men scrambled out, and
were drawn IN In military line by an
under officer Then they waited. Pres
emily an open cab was driven furlously
no the street. II contained an officer
gorgeous e. behold. lie was only lieu-
tenant % sappers and miners, but when
he dsmountcd he looked like u general
a, least. His uniform was spotless; he
wore patent leather shoes, with spurs,
white dog-skin gloves, and carried a
sword at his side and a monocic in his
eve. The monocle proclaimed him to
be nobleman. He was young. but he
had on his breast two medals The
crease in his trousers was perfect, and
It seemed for the next hour or SO as II
that were a strong point with him,
When this lieutenant arrived he took
charge OF the fire. There was some trou-
bic in finding water, because there are
no tire-plugs In Paris; the things when
take the place of fire plugs are lttle
springs flush with the sidewalk which
are mainly used 70, washing out the
cutters; they are consequently, not con-
splcuous. and the fremen have TO hunt
Tor them When they finally found one.
a block away. a most serious state or
affairs was discovered The fire In the
engine, lighted automatically In the en-
CINE house IT the time OF leaving hau
gone out. Rather. 1t had not gone OUT.
the engineer explained. but the door OF
the firebox had joggled loose on the way
to the lirc. and It had flown out
So the lieutenant gave orders to at
tach the hose to the spring direct, hut
instead of a beautiful. strong stream
coming out of the nozzle when the ire
men hraced themselves To hold II. now
ever. the water merely trickled. OGSial'
liz, the water In that quarter OF Paris
has n pressure OF two ntmosphcres'
That day, apparently, there was some
thing the matter with 1t, for 1t certain
IL did not have tie pressure of half an
atmosphere. Do all they could with 1t,
tho stream declined to put on enough
force to get Into the shop; II only Hood
Cd the pavement.
The lieutenant was still more veXed.
He started toward the tiretnen nj the
c1d Of the hose. but when he got to tue
flooded pavement he stopped and dellb
rrately caught TIE legs OF his creased
trousers hetwcen his two whlte-gloved
thumbs ana forcfngers, holsted them
an inch. and pursued his way through
die slop on the high heels OF his boots
exactly rs some women cross muddy
street At this maneuver every one OF
the Americans on the balcony, girls and
nil. hurst into roar Of laughter. inc
lieutenant looked up Instantly. ana got
very red when he saw the pretty girls
After fifteen minutes two more en-.
u,nes arrived \ rope was now ueu
around one Of the firemen and he en-
tered the smoky shop 60 explore In a
few minutes he came back with tne
Information that there was no IRE IN
The shop. but that there was niue
blaze In the cellar and a great deal vi
smoke. AT that there was great INDUS
tp The hose was soon attached 70 the
two ablc-bolled engines, and "a last
there was water Tor the tire, During
these operations one OF the licuIe aaAs
was swlpcd across the stomach by a
section OF wet hose, and the two ilre'
men who were manipulating II were
Immediately put under arrest ana re-
moved from the scene.
Al this time the Americans on the
balcony were enjoying themselves
hugely. When they were not shtieKing
with laughter they were talking away
ut ono another as II they had been
friends all their lives The eagles wings
UsHs ayrco II ,art,. eide and he did moth