Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-04

There is something's about a night alarm
of fire at military post that borders on
the thrilling. In the days whereof we write
the buildings were not the substantial crea-
tons OF brick and stone to be seen today,
and those Of the scattered camps and
stations in that arid. sun-scorched land of
Arizona were finder boxes of the fimsiest
and most infiammable kind. 1t could hardly
have been minute from the warning shot
and yell of No. 5-repeated right and left
by other sentries and echoed by No 1 at
the guard house-before bugle and trumpet
were blaring their fierce alarm. and the
hoarse roar of the drum was rousing the
inmates of the infantry barracks Out they
came. tumbling pellmell into the accustom-
ed ranks. confronted by the sight Of
Blakely's quarters one broad sheet of flame.
with incredible speed the blaze had burst
forth from the front room on the lower
moor; leaped from window to window, from
ledge to ledge; fastened instantly on over
hanging roof. and the shingled screen of
the veranda: had darted up the dry wooden
stairway, devouring banister. railing and
swapping pine fOor.s and then, bilowing
forth from every crack crevice and case
ment OF the upper floor. streamed kissing
and cracking on the blackness that pre-
cedes the dawn, magnificent glare that
put TO shame the feeble signal fires lately
cleaning In the mountains Luckily there
was no wind-there never was a wind at
N'ohNJ LILO udInoS l6dpeU StTalSnL
the zenith. flashing their way into the huge
black pillar of smoke cloud sailing aloft to
the stars.
Under their sergeants. running In disci-
the water wagon and were now slowly
trundling that unwieldly vehicle, pushing
pulling, straining at the wheels, from its
night berth close to- the cOrrals. Rushing
hke MAD. In no order at all. the men of the
other company came tearing. across the
open parade, and lWeros faced and halted
far out In front of officers row by Blake
iy himself barefoOted and clad only in his
ergy. 3ssa 90.
Back men! back ,for7your blanketsr' he
cried. Bring ladders and buckets! Back
with you, lively! They seemed to catch his
with everything it, contained was doomed.
Nothing could save it, But there stood the
next quarters-Truman's and Westervelt's
double set-and in the intense heat that
the dry. resinous woodwork that framed
the adobe would blaze forth on It's own
account and. spread tconf1agration down
the line Already Mrs. Truman. with
Norah and the chiidreny was being hurried
down to the doctor's,e while Truman him
self. with the aid of two or three neighbor-
ing strikers. had stripped the beds of
their single blanket and. bucketing these
with water, was slashing at the veranda
roof and cornice along the nOrthward side.
Somebody came with q short ladder, and in
another moment three or four adventurous
spirits led by Blakely and Truman. were
scrambling about the veranda roof. their
hands and faces glowing in the gathering
heat, spreading blankets over the shingling
ano cornlce. In five minutes all that was
left of Blakely's little homestead was gone
up In smoke and fierce. furious heat und
flame. but the daring and well-df-Actcd ef-
Tort OF the garrison had saved the rest Of
the line. In ten minutes nothing but
heap of glowing beams and embers. with
In four crumbling walls of adobe. remain
ed Of the beetle shV +" Bugs. butterflies.
books. chests desk, trunks. furniture, pa
pers and such marlBl paraphernalia as a