The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-24
GOETHE AS AN AMATEUR
FIREMAN.
How He Helped the jews OF Frankfort
Put Out Dangerous Fire.
(From the Jewish Cnroniole.)


In connection with the celebrations Of
the Goeths anniversary which have taken
place in most Of the large cities Of Ger
N any, an incident 10 recorded OF an act
CT kindly heroism ON the part Of Goethe
toward the Jews of Frankfors. His con-
nection with TIE Jewish quarter Of his
native city IL too vii known to all ac-
quAintsd with the details Of his life to
need any relation here; readers OF
Lewes's "Life Of Goethe may find there
the significant fact that the young poet
spent 20 much time In the Judsngasse
that he acquired so full knowledge Of
"Yiddish" as to venture on writing a
short play In the dialect. 1t IL. there
fore, clear that hs must have numbered
many friends In that part of the city, and
1t would afford matter Of no moor slider
able Interest to trace some Of these friend
ships. ~
During the early years of the 18th cen
fury Frankfort was the victim OF several
serious outbreaks of fire, In the course OF
which hundreds OF houses were destroy ed
and many families left destitute. In coz
sequence of the great misfortunes the
city experienced a terrible scare whenever
smoke was seen or smelt, and . custom
arose 20 announce even the smallest
outbreak by blowing of horns. ringing
of bells, beAtipg OF drums, gathering u
fire cars, and all that was available to
attract attention In the dead OF night.
uuite out OF proportion {, the danger.
TIE youthful Goethe received early Inn
pressions Of these records, which sank
dssp into his poetic ard imaginative
brain. But that he was practical az well
a. imaginative the following incident
bears testimony;
On May 30, l774-a Suuday-at Q o'clock
of the might. q fire broke out In the judi
sngasse, BY which 20 houses were de-
stroysd. 1t was the rule to leave the
work Of extinction and assistance to the
common people," but Coo the knew no
rank or creed when human life was In
danger. Notwithstanding or surely for
getting for the time, that he was the son
Of kais,rlicher Rath and himself doc
tor at law. though he wore tine clothes
and silk stockings, he rushed into the
throng and Joined the army of helpers
his superior bearing and position did
good work. He soon managed TO bring
ordsr to the band Of extinguishsrs, who
up to this time had been running In each
others way by bringing the full buckets
and retnrniag with the empty ones
mGds In high wall separating the Ju-
dsngasse from the AlIerheiligsn CASA
Goethe showed them . better and quicker
way through . narrow lane. At once
the poor Jews rushed with their few res
cued possessions along this same lane,
and were greeted by the heartlsss mob
with shoutI of derisien, and the water
which was SO sorely needed TO extinguish
the fire was turned upon them. A few
words from the young Go0the put an end
to all this demeanor.
Gos the's action during the distress
became the talk of the town. and
the jews, who did not even know
his name, spoke in loud praise Of
the "young gentleman protector"
who had saved them from the mob
as we'll rs the Era. One Of these. who In.
habitsd the house "Zum Plug" found
after the fire number Of silver "krsuz-
er," which by reason Of the heat hr d
been melted Into = lump. In memory Of
this q disaster this lump" n which some
BILE, and on which some Of the stamping
could Re traced, became O sort OF heir
loom in the family. 1t was not till
many years afterward that . grandson Of
this old inhabitant Of the Judsngasss,
who happened to be q school fellow OF
Fsrdinskd Hilisrs's, learned frem the
"Diohtuns and wahrheir" who was the
young gentle nan hero to whom his
ancestor owed debt OF gratitude. The
relic Of coins 10 In possession Of the fami-
IL at the present time.