Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-03-26

reader in the city will remember.
1t was at two in the morning that L
awoke suddenly from a profound
slumber, with the consciousness that
some one had run past my door,
screaming.
l sprang out of bed, and as / did so
heard the crash of breaking glass in
the court below, and saw a brilliant
red CLEAN through the blinds at the
window. l looked out; the kitchen
and dining-room in the real of the
hotel had already burst into flame,
and a great volume of smoke poured
out of the lower windows of the east
wing.
My own room was on the second
floor, in the center of the building,
and / saw that there was plenty of
time for me to escape, and to help
others in that vicinity. l jumped
into a bath-robe and slippers, and,
rolling my clothes into a bundle un-
der my arm, ran out into the hall.
l hammered at each door that l
passed and yelled in a frenzy of ex-
| element and horror. The place was
rapidly filling with smoke and the
light grew brighter. Presently | no
| ticed that my clothes were gone. l
had dropped them while helping a
woman who seemed to be unable to
walk through pure terror. The man
who had first reused me had gone up
to the fourth floor, and the people
were pouring down the stairways, in
their night-robes, or wrapped in
blankets, some carrying children-of
which, thank Heaven, there were few
in the house-others bird cages and
some dragging trunks, bang, bang,
over the steps.
l had several good friends in the
hotel, and now that the alarm seemed
to be generally given, 1 ran to their
assistance; but l did not think OF
Dawley, nor did l at any time at
tempt to get over into the east wing
of the building. 1t was on that side
that the flames were iercest, and
the elevator shaft and stairway be-
tween that wing and the main build
ing were roaring like a furnace
Suddenly the halls began to fill with
fremen in long coats and helmets,
some with axes and others dragging
up hose.
There seemed to be nothing more
for me to do, so l ran down the main
stairway and out into the street
where a great crowd was assembled
| noticed that their faces were turned
toward the east wing, and as / in
stinctively glanced in that direction
l remembered Dawley and the MAJ
of his fearsome dream.
The man was on his way-a huge
} bulk of a fireman, running up TIT
long ladder that he'd been hoistet
from the wagon and now restet
against the wall, just below the win
! dow of Dawley's room.
But was it possible that he still
| slept, through all this uproar and thu
glare of the flame, and the odor o
| burning wood? Surely, he must b
asleep, else he would have appeared
at the window. Then, it suddenl.
flashed into my mind what was tn
I meaning of the white skin and sunk
en- eyes-a narcotic! Without doubt
he was still sleeping.
The fireman made his way throug.
the heat to the top of the ladder
and swung into the open window
Streams of water played upon tn
flames beneath him, to protect hi
retreat. Two other men ran up tn
. ladder, and had just reached the tol
D when he returned to the window ca
) rying a human figure wrapped in
blanket. The others assisted him, an
P they made their way slowly dow
u the ladder again.
. Overcome by the SMOKE" said
man standing neal me. But. l NJ
ticed that no smoke came out of th
u open window.
. 1 ran forward to a pile of ma
tresses and bed clothes that had bee
y carried out from the hotel, and a
" ranged a place for him to be lai'
g The call for a doctor flew along tn
y line of spectators, and present.
g came running. I asked the fir
> man what had happened.
Il "He was sound asleep when 1 e.
~ tered the room through the window
~ he said. 81 had to shake him hard
wake him up. He just stared at me
- moment, and said, 'Ah! You ha'
:. come and then his face turned kir
!" of black, and his jaw dropped, al
!, he went into a dead faint"
=" GLOW is it?" 1 asked the docto
as he rose from STOPPING owe Il
- PROSTATE figure.
- "Heart action ceased entirely" !
;, replied. Man is stone dead fro
y mere terror"
The fear of fear had triumph'
-, at last.-San Francisco Argonaut.