Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1899-01-18

u6ntiy uappeu III lne Dels room. III
only window opened toward the flames
its only stairway was on fire.
e As the men CROPPED in the dens
smoke they could feel the hot breath C
the furnace under them. In five min
utes or less hey kneS that the roo
: would 90 down, carrying everything
| with it.
"Axesl" shouted the hoarse voice O
twenty's lieutenant.
Instantly Christianson, Scanlon
Geenman and the others lined up be
side him.
"Cut down that wallW
Scanlon struck terrible blow on tn,
SpriDgy pine boards that formed tn,
north side OF the rom. Giles follow
ell. Their axes rebounded as if they
were striking stone wall. But they
never paused for an instant. In ter
seconds the wall was down. Outside
| of it the plates Of sheet iron still held
firm.
"Stand frm!" shouted Wendt.
| The truckmen leaped back. Wendt's
big body drew itself up to its full height,
his axe swung high, and then crashed
against the iron. The handle snapped
| short, but the head was driven through.
Wendt's big boot finished the work.
Ten half suffocated men crawled out
on the main roof of the elevator.
Far be.ow, blurring together into one
yisio n of white, thousand anxious,
upturned faces gazed at them. A
faint shout of relief came up. In one
swift glance the fromen cav the fire.
tugs, the pride of the department.:
coughing and grunting in the river be-
low; they saw twenty's leads cooling
freight ears on the siding; they saw the
tops Of the streams OF water that came
almost up to them, then opened like
white blossoms and fell back in spray.
They could hear the shrill squealing Of
the engines for coal, the rush and roar
of the fire, then the shouts OF the mar
shall, borne up to them family above
the din:
Come down come down.
But going down was not such an |
easy matter. At their feet the edge Of |
the slate roof, built somethisg like a
manssrd, pitched on a steep angle
dozen feet downward 10 a narrow ledge
supporting the rain.gutter. Six yards
from the bottom the top Of q four-inch
crooked over the edge of
The roof. -
Down below the marshall wa. call
ng their attention in pantomine to
his pipe. 1t was their only salvation.
They know that well enough.
"Can you do itv asked Wendt. with
'ut culver in his voice.
II tnInk I caD,' was Quirk's ans yer.
'Ifs better than burning.
Qnirk's lips set tight. A fireman is
rained to take chances, but not such
hances as these. He sat down on the
dge ct the roof, with his feet hanging
Yer. He must slide down the steep
late mansard, Low slippery with water
overed with cindsrs, and he must stop
he could. at the gutter legde, which
'as OILY lew inches wide. If he did
OF stop-ths Uttered pl.nks Of the
ourt were hundred feet below.
A fireman may no, think of his wife J
his babies at such q time. He must
Of without tremor and take his
hances.
Qu!rk Sud, His rubber boots struck
le ledge, his body bounded up, for a =.
oment he stood balanced like tight
'pe walker on the gutter ledge, and
I'm he fell back on the slate mansard,
lfe. Below, a thousand men with
encAed bands and bitten lips groaned
eir relief
CHS cams next. Quirk, who had
eadied himself, caught him. Then
les aught Christianson, and Chris
'n.on caught Fuller. It wss Green
ans urn. Greenman WAS blue about
o LIS. He told Scanlon that it was
terrible Iisk to take.
IS eady, now" shouted Wendt,
arsey. Don't look down."
Greenman slid. He looked at the
ne momen', Hi, rubber boot s,rusk
o ledge, eausht-then slipped.
"Im lostl" he shouted, as his body