The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-22
BY HARVEY ]. O'HIGGINS

~ .ORMAN and Hanrahan, the two
probationers newly assigned to
vi Engine Company No. =, were
the first of their crew to reach
the roof of the sixteen STORY Mansard
building. They had the nozzle of a
line of hose that was being laid from the
standpipe of 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 dark
ness. toward the light of fire over the
parapet; - and they looked down there,
through the smoke, at the flames in the
roof of an adjoining clothing house
twelve stories below them.
Capt. Ball had followed them. Turn
on your water he beloved above the
storm to the men behind them; and IN
a moment a feeble stream swelled the
line of hose and gushed 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 the roof Of the
clothing house. German was still grim
ming at his Cant spit past it's chin.
They were 200 feet above the street
level, and the storm, hurting itself
across the huddled roofs below them,
drew up a draft of heat and smoke to
hem as if they were looking down a
chimney. They could guess what the
heat must be in the street, for across
the road the woodwork Of the windows
of a five-story building had caught fire
without the touch of any flame, and
pygmy crew were drenching it,wfth
stream which, they shot up stra1ght
from the sidewalk. officers the size OF
manikins ran up and down In the ruddy
glow, waving their little arms. The
fire flowed over the roof as II 1T were
a burning oil; and the smoke came up
to them thicker and the heat more
sitting with every breath.
Their weak stream dribbled down the
wall, to dry out on the hot bricks be-
fore it touched the point of danger, and
German leaned over the parapet to see
that the paint was beginning to peel of
In great scales far below. Hanrahan and
he tried hopelessly to reach these by
swinging the pipe from side to side
They might as well have tried to irri-
gate a desert with it. Their eyes were
dry and beginning to smart.
The rest of the crew came up again
dragging a second line.
Capt. Ball turned to the lieutenant
mo use bringin' more lines up here,
he shouted. windows IL be breakin'
There amt shutter on the whol'
blamed buildin'. Fireproof! She:
matchwoodi Back down to the Twelfth
floor. Get lines stretched to the air.
shaft there"
The men went back with their hose.
DO the best you can up here, III
advised German. Chiefs orders II
wet her down. Look out for the air
shaft"
German caught the first of these in.
structions, but the wind carried ava.
that last warning of danger, and tn,
captain turned and left the two mel
unconscious of the catastrophe whicl
wasspreparing for them.
The airshaft, in fact, was acting a
a sheltered fiue for the flames. 1t Gu
a deep groove into the wall of the man
sard building at Gorman'S left, and tn
wind, rushing into it, rose straigh
aloft, blowing up sparks like the draf
of a blast furnace. German, watchin;
only the wall and the windows beloy
him, pitied the crews at work in tn
street He was wishing for a quid o
chewing tobacco, and remembere
with evaporation that Hanrahal
would have none. That was one o
Hanrahan's social limitations-he di
not chew. He had been nickname
Delicate Pete" by his fellow proba