Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01


the upper stories The fire was in the lower
part of it. Already the headlights in the
sidewalk had been broken in with axes and
mauls, and cellar pipe was spouting its
stream through the opening into the base
ment. Long lines of hose stretched from
doors and hung from windows where the
smoke pulled from gaping sashes, and men
in helmets and rubber coats appeared for
moment to shout reports into the disorder
below them and vanish again in the dark
ness. The roof of the seven-story building
adjoining was alive with who were
raising ladders to the burning structure. 1t
did not seem to Gallagher and his company
that there would be much for No 0 to do.
They waited--the nglorious reserve in a
battle which they should have led-in the
smoking turmoil of pulsing engines. the cry
of orders, and the hurry of men.
They were reused from their inaction by
Capt. Meaghan, who charged down on them
like dog on chickens, and sent them sour
rying in all directions-chased Lieut.. Gal
legher, Sergt. PIN and two probationers,
Morphy and Fuchs to the ladders with a
shout to open smoke vents throughout the
upper stories ordered three of the old men
into the basement. with whack of his
helmet on their shoulders and yell at
their heels, to aid the pipemen who were
flooding the cellar; thrust aside two others
who carried axes, shouting at them, You
come after me-" sent Parr Dan Jordan
and probationer named Doyle up the lad
delS after Gauegher'S squad; and then
crushed his muddied helmet down on his
mead and raced with the axemen for the
ground floor, where a line of hose trailed
from the black smoke of the doorway
That disposition of his men put the veter-
ans OF the company where they were most
needed-in the cellar and on the first floor
to fight the fire at the fierce root of It, and
it sent all the probationers aloft in charge
or Lieut., Gallagher, to the less important
and less dangerous duty of opening smoke
vents. 1t is with these "red-inkers'' only
that we are concerned. How the men In
the cellar driven hack Inv
Gus tune OF burning chemicals, fighting in
a water that was knee-deep and in smoke
that stuck like sulphur in the lungs how
the flames got behind Capt. Meaghan and
the two men with him and cut off their re-
treat from the burning ground floor; how
they were rescued by their comrades and
taken unconscious to the hospital in the
waiting ambu ances-all this may not be
told here. These We're merely the trials of
a Valor that had been proved many times
in fires not less difficult and dangerous
Win the practitioners ii was different
story.
While the battle below them was being
fought and lost, they carried out their cap
tain's orders to aid and relieve the engine
companies manning the streams in the up
per stories. They worked their way from
the front to the rear of the building and
threw open the steel shutters of the back
windows to let in the air and to let out
the smoke. They found the pipemen fight
ing the vanguard of the fire that was com
ing up the elevator shaft. The blaze here
was not dangerously large; the heat was
not excessive. The only menace was the
smoke; and Gallagher, with good judgment,
cried on his little squad against it, Being
without scaling ladders they used the stairs
and worked with axe and hook-butt from
the third story to the sixth, crashing down
doors and beating out window sashes until
they had clean chimney fiue for the smoke
that had been sitting the ppemen on the
floors below
They We're on the sixth story, ignorant
of what had been happening on the ground
moor, when an explosion of back draft"
below alarmed them. Gallagher had sup
posed that the fire was well under control
by this time; he had not known of the
poisonous fume in the smoke. And the
magnitude of the explosion indicated a
greater accumulation of gas, and therefore
a mercer flame and 4 greater area of heat
than he had imagined
He ran 10 a window and hung out of il to
see men sliding down the ladders from the
second story y huge flame spat out from
the ground floor and he knew from the re-
treat and counter rush, the scurry and con-
fusion of the crews in the street that the
fire was carrying all below him. and that
his escape would be cut off. He bawled
down to warn them Of his danger and then
ordered his squad TO follow him by the
stairs They groped their way back through
the dark passages only to come on the
deadly smoke which was pouring upstairs
and elevator shaft in advance of an I'M
checked fire. y puff of it struck them like
the floor to catch the low draft of cleaner
air which is always to be found there. 1t
was impossible to go forward Gallagher
led them back at laundering run to the
window.
One look below convinced him that they
were trapped II was not possible for the
men in the street TO put up,ladders to them
They themselves, because of the accident TO
their truck. were without scaling ladders or
other means Of escape.
Were up tree" Gallagher said,
soberly.
The new men, panting from exertion and
excitement and coughing from the irritation
of the smoke in their Threats, grew sud
denly quiet, staring blankly at the lieu
tenant and a one another. They looked out
at the street five stories below them. OBJ
scured in a belch of smoke They heard the
flames behind them singing in I, fierce I'M
dertone in the elevator shaft. And when the
Italian, Dan Jordan" began to jabber an
appeal to all the saints to save him-which
the men mistook for n ''Dago'' profanity
they relieved their feelings in oaths of be-
wilderment and disgust.
Sergt. PIN had been too busy to remem-
Der the quid in his creek. Now he chewed
thoughtfuly. IF we could crawl back an
go higher" he suggested, there ought to
be a crew on the roof
There's something in that smoke" Gal
leSher said. Cellar and first floors full
of drugs-chemical company They're try
Ing to get out the men down there. They're
too blame busy TO do anything for u.s.
Fuchs, the probationer who had been a
bridgeworker got cut on the window ledge
and craned his neck.
Too far 10 jump Lieut.. Gallagher
warned him.
Sure he said. but here's three-inch
ledge that ought to run to the next build
ing"
A few feet below the windowsiH there
was projecting strip of ornamental stone
facing that crossed the Torrance building
with stripe of gray on the red brick front.
PIN looked down at it.
Think were giddy sparrews?" he com
planned.
Dan Jordan" peeped out and fell back
from the window, waving an unintelligible
protest.
Fuchs drew off his rubber boots IF
you'll put a hand tween my shoulders" he
said to Gallagher, 'Ill see how far it goes"
The lieutenant answered. Yes. Wait u
second. Knock that sash IN. Parr
Parr made a sashless gap of the window
frame with two blows of his axe Fuchs
swung over the sill with Gallegher's hand
in his collar and found the stone ledge with
his toes. "All right, he said. Brace your
self to hold me TO the wall-and let me get
as far as you can,
Gallagher straddled the sill-with Parr Sit
ting on the leg that anchored him to the