Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-14

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rested on the sill. A fireman was climb
ing up and had almost reached the
maddcned fighters. At the other Win
dows wild, imploring faces begged in
agony for life. Two more forms were
seen to Jump from the windows ut the
corner farthest from the ladder. The
fire was now bursting through the roof,
and one group from the window next
the lighters above the ladder fell back
as if floor had given way-all this III
the few seconds it took to be burned
into Gordon with awful detail-when he
saw the ladder rise to perpendicular
as if some giant hand had pushed It
back. 1t rose until it stood straight, the
solitary figure Of the fireman silhouet-
ted against the blazing wall. and then
the entire front Of the house, with q
roar that gathered volume in q sicken-
ing rush OF death, fell over into the
street. burying in one mingled mass the
fireman who had been standing On the
ladder. his companion at the foot and
the crowd in tine street that, caught in
a trap. could not escape even If there
had been time to give warning Of the
danger.
For one awful second Gordon and
Barton, who had been standing just
outside the reach of the falling wall,
looked into the blazing interior Of the
tenement. Figures within that roaring
furnace leaped down into it from floors
and window ledges. Others jumped in
to the street. They looked like great
insects leaping into jets Of flame. Then
with deafening crash the remaining
side walls fell inward. The rear wall
remained standing for minute, then
swayed and crashed backward upon
the lower buildings behind, where at
once fire broke out in dozen places
TO the friends it seemed as If the air
suddenly filled with groans, with ap-
peals, with cries that were like curses,
like walls of spirits that had been de-
MED all earthly happiness and by the
greed Of selfish man had now been con-
signed to endless torments In the
other world. there to be subject to the
furies' rage, to the ceaseless suffering
that earth had begun and hell existed
to perpetuate.
And oh, for you, little child Of the
tenements! NamelesS heroine, crushed
into shapeless form of horror. still
faithful to your charge, both going
down together into that grave of fire,
who shall deliver your eulogy, who
shall rear your monument? For one
among those who leaped into the street
lived long enough to tell your story
and to say that you ran back into the
burning building to warn sleeping In
mates and then was snatched away
from the window, from the only place
Of possible rescue, by the very men and
women wakened out Of suffocating
death. If there is reward or compen-
sation in the world beyond, the good
God has surely folded you into the
vale of pleasure, into the paradise OF
childhood's playground, that eternity
will provide. For you never knew
what play meant here.
AS the rear wall fell, crushing in the
roofs Of the smaller houses near and
spreading the fire into the adjoining
blocks David Barton gripped John Cor
don's arm tight and exclaimed: "The
wind is changing! Hope House will go
nextr'
They were on the corner next to Hope
House. and the horror Of the whole sit
uation was suddenly intensified If pos
sible uy the danger which now threat
ened the one building in the whole
ward that represented humanity at its
best. The wind had changed to the
east. The gain was increasing. 1t came
down in a steady cold that had no ef-
feet on the fire except apparently to
increase it's fury. The awful confusion
was Increasing every moment. The
alarm had been sent in for the entire
department. In almost seconds time
the mass Of low wooden tenements that
stood crowded together on both sides
Of Hope House was bursting with fre.
The maddened, panic Smitten people
were carrying their goods out into the
streets. Under the shapeless mass OF
hot bricks and twisted iron beams IN
Bowen street human forms could be
seen-here q face staring up, here
hand, q foot, q trunk Of formless nor
ror. The whole pile seemed writh1ng,
tangled heap Of human agony. Groans
and cries burst from 1t that were ap-
Mailing. The mass had fallen so near
10 the two men that some of the bricks
Law at their feet Before either realized
what he was doing they were both dig
ging ut the CHASTITY mound. Hope House
forgotten for the time being. Ther
hands were burned and torn by the hot
bricks and splintered beams. Barton
especially seemed inspired with unusu-
al strength. He was drenched to the
skin. His light overcoat was soon a
mass of tattered rags. He was lifting
beam that lay across figure that
had moved q hand thrust out OF the
debris Gordon was helping him.
"It's Mrs. Caylorw Gordon exclaimed
rs the face Of the figure appeared
The woman was crushed into Sick
ening physical mass. but she was alive
and conscious.
"It's Mr.. Gordon, Mrs. Caylor!' said
John, with a sob, as he tenderly wiped
the face and with Barton's help Erted
off the beam that had crushed her.
The woman gasped and spoke feebly,
but clearly:
"Do you think I'll see Louie? He was
a good boy-a good boy"
Yes, yes. Mrs. Caylor. and bis body's