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

When the new chief took charge of the
uniformed force of the fire department he
swept its veterans into retirement with
broom. The "probationers' crowded in to
fill the vacancies, and in three months
Cant Meaghan found himself. as he said,
sourly, "teachin kindergarten In the truck
house of Hook and Ladder Company No. o.
He ruled a shabby red-brick building OF
three stories that stood between the knees
of two downtown wholesale houses in a
warehouse district where "packing-case
fires" gave the men the worst of punish
ment'' and the best of training. 1t followed
that the captains roll had more probation
ers and new men on 1t than any other; ana
because the names of the probauoners were
entered In red Ink. these raw recruits We're
nlcknamed, in contempt, the "red-ink
squad
They were teased and bulIied by the older
men They quarreled among themselves
disturbing the club quiet of the truck house
leisure: and they were despised by their
captain who demanded of his new assist
ant Where II | be If l run into big blaze
with gang like that?'
He spoke as if he held Lieut. Gallagher
personally responsible for the condltlon OF
the crew Gallagher tried to fiatter him
with an assurance that the chief sent the
green men to him as a good master
"Theres Brodrick has the same sort of dis.
trict," he said and he doesn't get them;
Captain Meaghan replied, curly: lie
breaks their backs
Gallagher rubbed his chin. They're not
so bad, taking them singly, he CONSIDERED,
but there's too many of them. Ana those
two Guinnys were a double dose too much
(He referred to two Italians-one of whom
was called Dan Jordan" by the men, be-
cause his name was Giovanni G1ordano
and he was good-natured; and the other
lln1 hot
cause his name was unpronounceable, and
he turned black when he got this subsu-
tute)
They'll be sendin' me Chinese next"
Can't Meaghan growled. unmollified.
They will" the lieutenant said "as soon
as the Chnks begin to vote
Capt Meaghan chose to resent that shot
al the powers that ruled the department
into a worker SOS If yuhre the stuff that
makes firemen I'd know it: an If y amt
the chiefd know tan cut it out
And he had his wish.
The alarm of the Torrance fire was rung
in Just before daybreak on a warm midsum-
mer morning. while the men still lay sleep
ing in their bunk room under the glow
worm glimmer of a lowered gas jet. Ihey
leaped from their cots with the simutane-
Gus suddenness of the start In an obstacle
race at the crack of the pistol, tugged on
their ''turn-outs" of rubber boots ana
trousers with a muttering of growls and
ing their waiStband catches. threw them
selves at the brass sliding poles In the cor
ners. and shot down into the glare ana
noise and seeming disorder of the ground
floor where the horses were already tossing
their great heads In their harness, and the
driver was already bending forward In his
seat and the doors stood open on the dark
ness of the night.
Can't Meaghan sprang into the light rig
in which the absent battalion chief rode to
fires and swung out into the street with a
sudden clatter of hoofs on the stone side
walk and the burst and echo of jangling
gong in the dead quiet out-of-doors. The
truck folowed-ffteen seconds after the
'.jgger' had started the alarm-with little
Spa ghetti' climbing in over the tail of
the bed ladders behind Long Tom" Dom
nelly, who had the "tiler" of the hind
wheels.
That was a good start But 1t was only
the start. The driver was new man. who
was not new 10 driving, but who was new
TO driving a hook and ladder truck. He had
been a cOachman. and he knew all about
horses; but for the seat of a ive-ton truck
a man needs the nerve of a chauffeur and
the shoulders of a Roman chariot racer:
and he does not need to know bride from
a belIyband. The new man had the nerve,
but he lacked the shoulders. And before
they had rounded their second corner. Don
nelly on the tiller, was braced and ready
for the turn at a gallop that might be a
run on the rocks for him.
II came within sight of the fire. The
horses were already beyond control when
the piping wall of a steamer sounded in
their ears from side street: tn driver
tugged and shouted; three white horses
with a shining engine leaped out of the
darkness ahead of them, and Donnelly, with
a great oath. WTenched the wheel of his
tiller around TO send the rear of the hook
and ladder truck swinging for lamp post
on the curb. The crash broke the rear run
ming gear and brought down the truck on
the cobblestones hamstrung. The engine
flashed past them, dropping fire.
The collision had been averted. but little
Spaghetti had been thrown out on the
stone pavement, and lay curled up on a
sidewalk grating with a broken body. Don
nelly crawled out from the ladders, his
right arm hanging limp. The other men
were unhurt. They had braced themselves
against the shock by cllnging 10 the side
ladders; and, moreover, they had not re-
ceived the terrific momentum OF the full
swing They were on their feet about the
fallen nigh" horse when Lieut.. Gallagher
called out to them to follow him on foot
with such scaling ladders, hooks and axes
as they could carry; and they stOrmed the
truck for tools DOnnelly and Dan JOr-
dan lifted Spaghetti between them and
carried him to bed of life-lines covered
with coat The crew disappeared around
the corner, running heavily In their rubber
boots. BE off now DOnnelly ordered the
Italian and Dan Jordan followed the
others reluctantly. looking back at his un-
conscious countryman as he turned into the
side street
Now. the first truck company TO arrive
at a FIRE makes entrance at doors and
windows. and incidentally saves whatever
lives are in Danger the second forces it's
way through an adjoining building TO open
smoke vents ia the roof; the third is scat
tered wherever its assistance is most need
ed. 20 help the engine crews in stretching
in new lines of hose. 10 tear down burn
ing woodwork. 70 carry ladders and WELD
forciJle entrance tools in the secondary
movements which are made galnst a fire
after It's position has been developed. The
accident which wrecked G3lleghers truck
brought up Company No. o the third crew
to arrive where Il should have been the
first. And that was how the probationers
came to be separated from their elders, TO
face their trial in body and alone.
Capt Me3ghan was already raging at
the disgrace which their delay brought TO
! him. and the danger which It brought to
| the FIRST unsupported engine companies that
had gone In against the FIRE. When he saw
his men struggling in afoot. dsordered
winded and trailing their few tools he
| threw his helmet at his feet and kicked IT,
cursing, into the gutter. The new men
| gathered behind Gallagher and the front
| line of the company's old guard and waited
| like schoolboys for a disciplining, with NUT
| tered asides 10 one another which they
/ spoke with their eyes on their feet. Pipe