The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-11-16
Condagration Averted
By the Heroic Work of the
Fire Department.
Fire Breaks Out in Mr.. Yea
zey's Barn at 2 O'clock
Thursday Morning.


many Of the townspeople were
asleep, eight nervy young men were
in the second story of Nicholson's
hardware store making as gallant a
struggle against fire as was ever
made by men. The flames ragged
6ercely all around them and the
smoke was extremely suffocating.
In case the worst happened there
was only little narrow stairway for
them to escape with their lives. BY
| the skilful use OF an AK hole was
cut through the ceiling and three
young men holding the nozzle made
their way to the loft while five of
their comrades remained just below
to handle the hose. Mr.. Nicholson,
the proprietor of the place, be-
lieving that any further efforts to
realizing the great danger of the un
dertaking, advised the boys not to
try SO dangerous an experiment.
But the foreman of Fire Company
No. /, Paul CasteI, said they knew
what they were about and that the
building had to be saved. Almost
every one had given up hope, but
this plucky band of fire-fighters had
not. How we'll they fought could
be seen after the fire by the condi-
ton OF the loft Every bit of the
ceiling and rafters was completely
charred. 1t could easily be seen
that the flames were rapidly eating
their way out through the roof and
the weather boarding and a mo-
ment's hesitation ON the part Of the
men would have meant the destruc-
ton Of the large Nicholson building
and an inevitable conf1agration Of
the most disastrous character.
How the men stood the intense
heat and the smoke and the discom-
forts of an occasional bath from the
hose is incomprehensible 1t is
safe to say that no fremen were
ever IN hotter place and escaped
without serious injury.
But they stayed with it and won.
Their names are: Paul Castel, Alley
Sproie, F. E. G,rard, John eraser,
Will eraser. Arthur Leblanc,
Edwin Chargois, Alphonse Peck.
OF course it must not be inferred |
that the other firemen were idle |
hssVr Ii,
The fire had origin a,ed |
IN the large barn recently built by |
Sidney Veazey. The house con
tanned a hundred wagon-loads Of
hay that proved a" easy prey and
lent fury t" the flames which,
famed by the wind, threatened to
spread to the adjacent buildings.
Sparks flew fast and thick and it
really looked like the whole town
would be on fire. A corn crib,
standing a few steps from the
Veazey stable, was enveloped by
the flames and in little time was
reduced to a charred mass of debris.
1t was from this fire that ugly re-
suits were feared. The stable,
filed with hay, pea: and corn,
was only short distance away
Hete is where Home Company
worked hard and struck effective
blows. Only through the hardest
Kind of work it was possible to save
The stable. The men held to their
posts with splendid courage and
despite the hot blasts from the rear
steady stream on the
building. They succeeded in keep
ng the fire off of this building and
hereby averted a great disaster, be-
cause had the fire reached the stable
I is not probable that it could have
been controlled.
After hours Of incessant work the
iremen were rewarded with signal
'ictory--a victory which meant a
great deal, for had the battle been
ost it is appalling to contemplate
he extent of the disaster.
1t is impossible to find out the
origin of the fire. The alarm was
sounded at 2 O'Clock in the morn
ng. The alarm-bell rang, the