The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-07
THE ADVERTISERS # .x 9N
 .x :. DAILY SHORT STORMY
Copy righ. isOe. by Daily Story Pusl,shins c~l

Did the Chief say we must desert the building?"
 Well, not exactly those words, bu,
 he did say 1t was dangerous to stay ur here another minuts.''
 Well, tell the chief when he orders
 us to leave the. building we'll obey. | The Times hasn't dropped an issue since the day 1t started, and hardly | think it will do so now" The fireman walked away and the city editor stopped at the speaking | tube
 Hello! Who is the pressroom?" All of us." came the response. Well, is everything all right? We want to run off the edition within two hours?"
 Everything running, sir; but it's terribly hot down here." Same up here, Jim; but I think they'll have it under control in an hour"
 But one hour and then another pass ed and still the fire ragged. The fire laddies had almost deserted the burn- ing district. turning their efforts to the property that lay in the path of the blaze. The big reportorial room was also deserted Not a pane had weathered the hot blasts that licked
 
 jagged glass and ignited a heap of ex- changes that lay on the spare desk. Dense smoke filled the room and hall- way. The pressroom was a hive of acttv- ity. A score of men busied around the iron monster whose roar would drown even the noise outside. The city |editor superintended the work from a mailing table. And the red liquid in the little thermometer on the wall crawled past 110.
 The last cylinder was in its place. Jim grasped the lever, but his hand relaxed and the poor fellow dropped to the floor.
 Its the heat" cried old Spease, springing down to the floor. "up to
 the air with him!"
 Then it was the old mans hand that grasped the lever.
 The great mass of wheels began to revolve: slowly at first, then increas- ing until the noise was deafening. A bank of moist papers began to collect at one end. The mighty press was speaking. One-.wo-three-fiv
 floor: still the old man held the lever open.
 "Ten thousand copies" the city ed- itor chuckled, ten thousand copies" The men stared at him in admira-
 tion.
 Suddenly, without warning. the wall near the big dynamo began to crum-'
 ble.
 My God. Run for your life-the walls coming in!' they cried, scram- bling up the iron stairway. But the City Editor did not hear their warning; his eyes were riveted on the busy wheels.
 we've never skipped an issue. Ten thousand copies; ten thousand-
 At daybreak the fire was under con- trol. Its path. had been check.d by the sluggish river on one side, and long stretch of boulevard on the other. It was now that the exhausted fire lad dies took turns in devouring the sand
 wiches and steaming coffee that the nearby hotels sent down. The first light in the east brought thousands of spectators stumbling over the debris strewn thoroughfare. A silhouette against the clear morning sky was tie less monument to the fire flend. It
 was the only structure standing with in a block. Times Extra! All about the big
 fre!' cries of the newsboys went ring ing over the smoldering ruins. A man came out of The Times office With a long streamer of black crepe. He be- gan entwining i: among the artistic work over the door. '"Why, who is that for?" inquired q | reporter from The Star. That" and the man spoke with 8 ] trenaor, that Is for the City Ed.scr." Y ', Inv Charles Fsupene Ranks