Evening journal., 1899-02-23
While the Two Sisters"
Burned.
BY Ray Stannard Baker.
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THE 1.-TWO Sisters" were on fire.
Perry, the superintendent, saw
the yellow smudge of smoke crawling
up from the boiler-room and curling
from the doorway into the liberty Of
the open air. And Perry ran, breath
less and hatless, TO turn in the still
alarm.
The Two Sisters stood in the strip Of
Goose island between the Milwaukee
sldings and the Chicago river They
were huge, grim, smoke-blackened
boxes of wheat elevators. Their walls
were Of square timbers built up like a
child's block house, and covered with
thin coating Of corrugated iron. They
stood side by side, their corniees hun
dred feet above the water, and so close
together that n man might step from
the roof OF one TO the roof of the other
Tugmen plying in the river called them
the Two Sisters.
Dy the time the marshal arrived the
Gre had erept half way up the blank
Wall of the building. and the iron sid
Ing was crumpling and crisping like
scorched paper. a moment later there
wns q crash of timbers. n rush Of scorch-
ing air, and from out Of huge hole
gnawed by the fire there poured a yell
low stream Of grain.
where's your ladder?" shouted the
marshal.
Some one bawled an order and truck
| twenty's horses came down at gallop.
Take your men to the top Of the
| north elevator" said the marshal. ave
must sayo II II we can. The south one
is gone"
Wendt, truck twenty's lieutenant
looked up at the nearest window. II
was fully sixty feet from the ground
and close TO the corner nearest the fire,
But he did not question his orders
| Axman Fuller loosened the truck. and
the Bangor ladder crept up the dull red
wall with twenty's whole force strain.
ing at the windlass. The moment Il
touched the window ledge Wendt rar
up like q spider on web.
The other truckmen followed Will
their lanterns and axes. and behind
them toiled and struggled company
fourteen's men with lead Of hose.
Once inside they scurried up q
cramped stairway 10 the beltroom Al
the top. which perched like pigml
house on the broad plain Of the ele
vator roof
Not score OF feet AWAY .blazed thu
south SISTER" and there was smok'
overywhere-the dense. yellow. pun
gent smoke Of burning grain. Trucl
twenty's men choked with Il. But th
walls Of the friendly belt house protect
cd them from the fiercest of the heat.
Wendt drove out the Windows sasl
and nll. with one blow Of his AK. Quirl.
captain of fourteen. thrust the point o
the hose through IL and signaled 70
water. Their orders were to keep tn
main roof and the Fides OF the nortl
building wet so they would resist tn
4 flames. But the water never renche'
the nozzle Of the lead, for at that me
ment the whole roof of the south eleva
.or. a hundred feet square or NOR,
crushed downward with the roar OF
Il -lOunUtA bAAf AANAA NH
crater where it fell flames and cinde-
eaped mountain-high.
The fire now swept lnrestraine
sgainst the north elevator, licking o.
.he iron casing and cornices as If the
had been mere tissue paper. Amomer
later the stairway and ladder were bla;
ing, and the ten fremen were Tight
trapped in the beltroom. It's only VIII
dow opened toward the flames; its onl
stairway was on fire.
As the men CROPPED In the dense smol
(, they could feel the hot breath OF n
! furnace under Them. in five minute
OF less they knew that the roof woul
d 60 down. carrying everything with !
Is "Axes!" shouted the hoarse voice {
o twenty's lieutenant.
Instantly Christianson. Scanlof
II Greenman and the others lined up b
side him.
Z "Cut down that WALL"
ID scanlon struck a terrible blow on II
Il springy pine boards that formed II
north side Of the room. Gies followe
: Their axes rebounded as IL they we
A. striking stone wall. But they new
,e paused for an instant. In ten secon'
n the wall was down. Outside Of IL Il
a. hlates OF sheet IRON still held firm.
tscto,d oefdafu ehoufed TVeudt