The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-22

probationers newly assigned to Engine
Company No. ---. We're the first OF
their crew to reach the roof of the
sixteen story Mansard building. They
had the nozzle of line of hose tina
WAS being aid from the sJatdplpe oI
the top floor to wet down the north
wall of the "skyscraper;'' and they
came out into the night. dragging
their length of the line to face a gale
of wind that took the breath from be-
tween their teeth. They struggled
against it through the darkness. to-
ward the light of fire over the para
pet: and they looked down there,
through the smoke at the flames in
the roof of an adjoining clothing
house, twelve stories below them
Captain Hail had followed them
Turn OH the water" he beloved
above the storm to the men behind
them: and in moment a feeble stream
from the pipe" He swore at it: 1T
can't spit past its chin" he said.
1t strengthened slowly as they
watched it, Keep victim her down, =
he shouted in Germans ear. Get UP
another line, he cried to the rest of
the crew.
The rushing Of the wind drowned
their answer, but they hurried below
to obey him. He remained with Cor
man and Hanrahan. watching the fire
spread and brighten in the room of
the clothing house. German was
still grinning at the Cant spit pas
Its chin
They were two hundred feet above
the street level and the storm. hurting
itself across the huddled roofs below
them. drew up a draft of heat ano
smoke, to them as il they We're look
ing down a chimney. They could
guess what the heat must be in tn,
. street. for across the road the wood
work cf the windows OF fiye-stor!
building had caught fire without the
touch of any flame, and a pygmy
crew were drenching it with stream
which they shot W straight from the
sidewalk Officers the size OF mani
lSins ran W. end down in sthe rudy
glow, waving their little arms Tbs
fire flowed over the roof as II 1T wei1
a burning Oil; and the smoke cams
up to them thicker and the heat more
sitting with every breath.
Their weak stream dribbled doWl'
the wall. to dry out on the hot bricks
before 1t touched the point of danger
and German leaned over the parapet
to see that the paint was beginning to
peel off in great scales far below.
Hanrahan and he tried hoDelessly to
reach these by swinging the pipe
from side to side. They might as
well have tried to irrigate desert
with it. Their eyes were dry and
beginning TO smart.
The rest of the crew came up again
dragging Il second line.
Captain Ball turned to the lieu
tenant mo use bringin' more lines
III BE- breakin'. There ain a shutter
on the whole blamed buildin'. Fire
proof, She's matchwOod. Back
down 10 the twelfth floor. Get lines
ST Atched to the airshaft there.
The men went back with their hose.
do the best you can up here, he
advised German. Chiefs orders to
wet ;,ar down. Look out for the air
shaft
German caught the first of these
instructions, <but the wind carried
away that last warning of danger, and
the captain turned AID left the two
men unconscious of the catastrophe
which was preparing fol them.
The airshaft. in fact was acting as
a sheltered tiue for the flames. l.
cut deep groove into the wall of the
Mansard building at Germans left.
and the wind, rushing into 1T, rose
straight Elloft blowing UP sparks like
tho draft of a blast furnace. Cor
m,in watching only the wall and the
windows below him, Dltied the crews
ut work i'm the street. He was wish
sing for Il uuid of chewing tobacco. and
he remembered with evaporation that
Hanra,han would have none. Ihat
was ono of Hanrahan's social limita-
tions-hc did not chew. He had
been nicknamed Delicate Pete by
his fellow probationcrs at fire head
quarters and Gorman--who was
known as Bull German, being the
big man Of his class had despiScd nm
from the day that the instructor. nav
ing Iitted them against each other III
a race with scaling ladders, had then
publicly compared German to "a baby
hiDpopotamus in point Of nimbleness
because Hanrahan ran away IRON
him.
These two were being "broken' to-
gcthcr with the hard work of the
company. but there was no TREND
shin between them. They rarely
spoke to each other, for German had
found Hanrahans conversation all
hot air an free silver, and had
quarreled with him about this Weari-
some enthusiasm for politics. Jhey
continued stolidIy at their work, now,
in the silence of mutual indifference.
The growing strength OF the stream
threatened TO tear the nozzle from
their hands. and they raised the nose
To their shoulders to bend it ia
swan. neck arch that sent the wate.'
Missing, down The b;iIks.
1hey were DuSleu SO, fWlleH liiey saw
n blush green flame flash in the req
of the fire in thy roof below. and
relch IF smoke rolled uD TO them on
the burst and echo OF ar EXPLOSION.
Heforc it reached them they heari
another roar beneath it; the cloud OF
smoke was split with flame. and they
JARED back from the paraoer az u
from the crater of a volcano, AID
threw themselves on their Faces,
as The burning gases, freed by the col
lapse of the roof-faring two hundred
feet in the air and lick .ng up the side
Of the Mansard building to break
every window glass in its upper ten
stories and ignite every window cur
tain. window sash and Trim in its
ncith wall rolled oyer them in Il heat
that nipped their ears like a frost-bite
and was gone.
German pinned down. the pipe that
was threshing aboutfon the roof, and
staggered back to the parapet with it.
The beat of heat was unendura BILE,
and he could see nothing for the smoke
that blinded him With tears. He did
not know that the gale was carrying
solid tongues of fire into the hidden
hot nj, 4 -