The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-05-21
SAVE CAMP FROM FIRE
MERIcANTROOPS PROVE
THEMSELVES HEROES.
Ninth Cavalry Fights Flames Sweeping on
Them-Many are Burned and Nearly
Overcome, But not q Man of the 900
Flinches. They Show Their Mettle.

TAMPA, Fla, May 15.-!The bitter senti.
ment that exists here against treating the
negro on anything like an equality with the
white man has been shown in all its strength
in the dealings of the people of the state of
Florida with the black troops of Uncle Sans
| army, notwithstanding remonstrances from
| General Wade that these men were United
States soldiers, and wore a uniform trat
should entitle them to respect.
The citizens of Tampa have gone out Of
their way to cast sights Of all kinds upon
them. The Ninth cavalry has come in par
ticularly for this kind Of treatment, and mem
bers of It's rank and file have chafed for sew
eral days at being relegated to NEGRO bars"
negro cars and negro eating houses"
Today, however, the Fifth had an opportu-
nifty to show that it was entitled to better
| treatment than this, and the whole regiment,
working till every man was almost ready to
drop, torestalled a calamity that would have
caused the destruction of thousands OF tents
and many IONS of army stores and ammuni-
ton.
At IL o'clock this morning big clouds Of
smoke were seen rolling along the Port Tampa
peninsula, where several regiments of
cavalry, artillery, and infantry are en-
camped. The dense forest and thick growth
OF shrub pa!mettos was on fire, and after the
absence of rain for several months 1t was al
most as dry as finder, making the easiest
kind of fuel for the flames. Very little at
tention was at first paid to the fire, as the
wind was driving it toward the gulf and away
from the camps
sudden change, however, came about
and before the soldiers could realize what had
happened the whole mass Of flame, three
quarters OF mile wide, was sweeping rapidly
toward them. The Ninth was camped nearest
to the blaze, and an order was given the
buglers to sound the fire CALL This was done
and the regiment, though totally unprepared
Tor an order OF the kind, made magnificent
showing.
Nine hundred men, with wet blankets
bundled on their horses necks, were in the
saddle and ready for the command to leave
inside Of two minutes from the first call.
This feat was accomplished too, in the face
OF the fact that when the fire call was sounded
not a. single horse was within fifty yards OF
the camp, and every blanket was rolled and
strapped inside the tents. Captain Powell
gave the forward command and the regi-
ment started out at quick trot in two per-
feet lines, though the ground over which
they We're passing was uneven and badly
broken up.
AS they approached the rapidly advancing
flames the heat became terrific, but they
Kept on as far as twas possible to go, and
then, rapidly dismounting, took out their
sabers and began to tear up strip of ground
a mile long and twenty feet wide, clearing it
rapidly of all vegetation and leaving only
upturned sod for the fire to feed on.
The flames quickly reached the place.
scorching and badly blistering the faces Of
many OF the men, but neither they nor their
horses retreated an inch. The heat grew SO
great that the blankets were thoroughly dried
out before they had been working more than
few minutes, and half the regiment was
sent back to camp at full speed to soak them
over again. quick gallop brought them
quickly to the fire lines once more and the
flames met the patch Of earth and burned
little more slowly, enabling the whole 800
to beat it out.with blankets. ...-.t...',-
After working nearly an hour, with the
perspiration streaming down their faces, and
many of them burned ard in pain from terri
BILE heat, they subdued the fire, saving the
camp from what looked like certain destruc.
ton. ~.-f
The whole scene was wonderful exhibition
Of pluck and steadiness, and showed to what
proficiency these troops, black though they
be, have been brought. The commanding gen.
eral tonight personally thanked the officers
for the service rendered, and expressed his
great appreciation Of the action of the regi-
ment. .--. IT,. ..s- H.. ...
Nearly all the men were QUILTED with new
blankets tonight by the quartermaster's de-
partment, most of those used in putting out
the fire having been burned through. -