The San Francisco call., 1905-03-26

first Of their crew TO reach the
roof OF the sixteen-story Mansard
building. They had the nozzle Of
line of hose that was being laid from
the standpipe Of the top floor TO wet
down the north wall Of the 'skyscrap-
err; and they came out into the night,
dragging their length Of the line, TO
face q gale Of wind that took the
breath from between their teeth. They
struggled against il, 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
Captain Ball had followed them.
Turn on your water" he beloved
above the storm 10 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
It strengthened slowly as they
watched IL. 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
10 obey him. He remained with Cor
man and Hanrahan. watching the fire
spread and brighten in the roof of the
clothing house. German was still grim
ming at the Can't spit past its chin
They were two hundred feet above
the street level, and the storm, hurl-
ing itself across the huddled roofs be-
low them. drew up a draft OF heat and
smoke TO them 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 a pygmy crew were
Grenching it with a stream which they
shot up straight from the sidewalk.
Ofcers the size Of manikins ran up
and down in the rudy glow. waving
their little arms. The fire flowed over
the roof as If il were a burning oil;
and the smoke came up TO them thick
er and the heat more sitting with every
breath.
Their weak stream dribbled down
the wall, TO dry out on the hot bricks
before il 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 70 side. They might as well have
tried TO irrigate q desert with it Their
eyes were dry and beginning to smart
The rest of the crew came up again.
dragging a second line.
Captain Ball turned to the neuten-
ant. no use bringin' more lines up
here" he shouted. Windows II be
breakin'. There amt shutter on the
whole blamed buildin'. Fireproof!
She's matchwoodl Back down to the
twelfth floor. Get Lines stretched to
the alrshaft there"
The men went back with their hose.
DO the best you can UP here" he
advised Gorman. Chiefs orders to
wet her down. Look out for the air
shaft"
German caught the first OF these in
structions, but the wind carried away
that last warning OF danger, and the
captain turned and left the two men
unconscious Of the catastrophe which
was preparing for them
The airshaft. IN fact. was acting as
9. sheltered flue for the flames. 1t cut
a deep groove into the wall Of the
Mansard building at Germans left,
and the wind. rushing into it. rose
straight aIoft, blowing up sparks like
the draft OF blast furnace. German,
watching only ths wall and the win
dows below him. pitied the crews at
work IN the street He was wishing
for a quid OF chewing tobacco, and he
remembered with evaporation that
Hanrahan would have none. That was
one Of Hanrahan's social limitations
he did not chew. He had been nick
named Delicate Pete" by his fellow
probatdoners at fire headquarters. and
Gorman-who was known as Bull"
German, being the big man Of his
class-had despised him from the day
that the instructor, having pitted them
AGAINST each other in a race with
scaling ladders. had then publicly
compared German to a baby hippo
potauus in point Of nimbleness be-
cause Hanrahan had run away from
him.
These two were being broken" to-
sether with all the hard work OF the
company, but there was no friendship
between them They rarely spoke to
each other, for German had found
FIanrahan's conversation all hot air
an free silver" and had quarreled
with him about this wearisome enthu-
siasm for politics. They continued
stoIdIy a. their work, now, in the
silence Of mutual Indifference. The
growing strength OF the stream threat
ened TO tear the nozzle from their
hands. and they raised the hose to
their shoulders to bend 1t in a swans
neck arch that sent the water Kissing
down the bricks.
They were busted so, when they saw
a bluish-green fame flash IN the red
OF the fire IN he roof below. and a
belch OF smoke rolled UP TO them on
the burst and echo of an explosion. Be-
fore it reached them they heard an
other roar beneath it; the cloud Of