Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-07-24

ever see," said Hunt, you're the
worst! Dye know who sent that
beer, Murray? 1t was the Young
officer you insulted." But Murray's
only answer at the moment was a
demand that Hunt shut up and let
him go to sleep.
The last thing Stuyvesant remem-
bered before doing off was tha* the
smell Of those journal-boxes was
getting worse. At two in the morn.
ing, in the heart of the desert, the
conductor had made his way through
the train and remarked that, despite
that unpleasant odor, every man of
the recruit detachment was sound
asleep. In berth next the door
the steward of the dining-car had
found room, and the entire car
seemed wrapped in repose.
Five minutes later by the watch
it was wrapped in flames.
Speaking of the matter later in the
morning, the brakeman said it didn't
seem ten seconds after he had pulled
the bell-rope and given the alarm
before Lieut.. Stuyvesant, tall, slim
figure in pajamas and slippers, came
bounding to his aid.
The flames even then were burst
ing from under the steps and plat
form, the dense smoke pouring from
the rear door of the recruit car, and
coughing, choking, blinded, stagger-
ing, some of them scorched and bis
tered, most of them clad only in
undershirt and drawers, the luc]1less
young troopers came cropping forth
and were bundled on into the in
teriassgSs#:s the diner. Some in their
exc1s-1nent strove to leap from the
train before it came to it's bumpin,,
grinding halt. Some were screaming
in pain and panic. Only one, Hunt.
was dressed throughout in uniform.
The steward of the diner, nearly
suffocated before being dragged out
of his berth, was making vain eft.
fort to shove a way back into the
blazing car, crying that all his money
was under that pillow. But it was
impossible to stem the torrent Q!
human forms.
The instant the train stopped, the
flames shot upward through the sky
light and ventilator, and then the
| voice of Connolly was heard yelling
for aid. Selling blanket that had
been dragged after him by some be.
wildered recruit, and throwing ii
over his head and shoulders, Stuyve.
SAINT, bending low, dove headlong
into the dense wall of smoke.
The flames came leaping and lap
ping out from the doorway the in.
slant he disappeared, and groan OF
dismay arose from the little group
already gathered at the side of the
track. Five, ten seconds of awful
suspense, amid then, bending lower
still, his loose clothing afre, his hail
and eyebrows singed, his face blacl
with SCOT and smoke and scared by
flame, the young officer came plung
ing forth, dragging by the legs q
PROSTATE, bowling man, and aftea
them, blind and staggering, cam.
Connolly.
Eager hands received and guided
the rescuers, leading them into tn
diner, while the trainmen worked
the stiff levers, broke loose the coup
ling and swung their lanterns u
frantic signals to the engineer, fail
ahead.
Another moment and the BLAZING
car was drawn away, run up the
track a hundred yards, and left tt
! illumine the night and burn to ashes
| while male passengers swarmec
about the dining-car, proffering slim
ulant and consolation.
Besides Stuyvesant and Corpora
Connolly, two soldiers were seriously
burned. Every stitch of clothing no
actually on their persons at the mo
ment of their escape was a1read,
consumed, and with it every ounc,
of their soldier rations and supplies
The men least injured were thos'
who, being nearest the rear door
were first to escape. The mel
worst burned were those longes
held within the blazing car, barring
one, Murray, whom Hunt hat
thoughtfully bound hand and foo
as he slept, reasoning that in tina
way only might his guardians EMO,
a like blessing.
Connolly had tripped over the roar
ing bully as he lay on his back il
the aisle. Stuyvesant had rushed in
and between them they dragged hin
to place of safety. There, hi
limbs unbound, his tongue Embossed
Murray INDUCED in a blast of male
diction. on the road, the company
the government, his comrades, eve1
his benefactors, and then thought
fully demanded drink. There wa
no longer stern corporal to forbid
for Connolly, suffering and almos
sightless, had been led into a rea
coach. But there was no longe
money with which to buy, for Eos
ter's last visible cent had gone up il
smoke and fame, and, scorched an
smarting in a dozen places, wrappe
in a blanket in lieu of clothes, tn
dark-eyed young soldier sat, sti]
trembling from excitement, by tn
roadside.
| It was three hours before the wrec
could be cleared, another car Pre-
cured and the recruits bundled int
it. Then, as dawn was spreadin
over the armament, the train pushe
on, and the last thing Gerard Stuy
vesant was conscious of before, ez
hausted, he dropped off to trouble
sleep, was that a soft, slende
hand was renewing the cool bandag
over his burning eyes, and that
heard passenger say: THAT ittl
brunette-that> little Miss Ray-wa
worth the hull carload of women pu
together. She just went in an
nursed and bandaged the burned me
l1:l->