The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-19
HEM MED IN BY FIRE

enee OF mind to take away his instru
ment. On some of the stands, still
erect. there We're scores and sheets of
music already scorching. The smoke.
quite thick from the FIRST. was drawn
toward the ROOF by some phenomenon
of ventilation.
The sheets of music curled SLOWLY;
the heat was becoming :ntolerable a1d
a violin string broke from the heat of
the fire. That sound of the dying in
strument was heartrendin9 i'm its sad
ness. Soon all the harp strings snapped,
one after another This admirable, ex-
quisite Instrument seemed 10 sing its
death song in that agony melody
flew away into the flame with it's soul.
After the harp, the strings C the bass
VOL broke, with a sharp sound, like
the reports of revolver.
At this moment q head rose in the
door of the parquet to the left. II
seemed to be q childs head Soon the
body entered Suddenly it took two
steps forward. and / screamed. II was
not child. 1t was the little, deformed
musician. Delibera tely he walk 81
[ toward the orchestra. A volume of fire
stopped him H rccoiled but appeared
not to renounce some mad project Seiz-
! ing favorable moment. he darted foc-
ward. His arms covering his face 70
/ +-NNN~A H. l-t al ffDdtnEi MS place
among the musicians. tie had returned
10 seek his friend, his companion-his
NioloncellO I saw him take the instrd-
I meht in both hands ard try to lift 70
over the railing which separates the or-
chestra from the parGBet. What follg.
trembled violently with anxiety Ia
voluntarily ard in a terrible voice, J
roared: Go away Go away
PROBABLY he did not hear me. The fire
spread ali around him. He stood on a
/ chair, and then placing one foot on the
cello
l almost forgot my own situation in
the excitement Poor little creature. so
4 brave, and who must have been so
good and intelligent. and 10 whom ]
1 had never spoken. | see him still there.
/ beIore my eyes. standing on that chair.
and making those great Efforts.
! Then, all al once, he seemed to sue
/ coed. The violoncello. finally extri-
Gated from the chairs which encun,ber-
! ed II. moved toward him. when nearly
al the same instant. all the violins and
4 VlotiDcellos. the light wood of which
/ mad become oyerheated burst in to n
blaze simultaneously.
! The little fellow relaxed his CRASH
| tottered and fell forward headlong into
/ the orchestra, and upon his burning in
/ suuiheIt- FOR some seconds gasped
/ and stretched out my arn-my one arm
Ito the place where I had seen that
strange and sOmber figure rise. I saw
nm, sun moving in the midst of the
flames, extend his blackened arms. and
/ then sink into the glowing Goals.
The flames became more violent It
was Ike furnace. The cornices and
/ other projecting parts Of the front of
the stage kindled rapidly now. I could
sGdrceiy distinguish anything more
/ me smoke blinded and cboked me. NV
time had come. was going to die,
The enemy advanced SLOWLY and
steadily. Had 1 lost all hope of being
/ saved? No, I must admit that / had
not Yes, hoped still My hopes were
carefully built upon the death of the
Door 'cellist. Since he had been able
/ TO return for his instrument. Others
would be able to enter in search of me
/ and carry me out.
/ Ihen. like an immense wave, another
volume of smoke enveloped and stifIed
/ me- Although the fire had not vet
I leached the woodwork of my box. the
/ heat was SO violent that began to feel
my blood boiling. The sensation of
burning became terribly appreeiable. I
knew / would not be able TO retain con-
| seriousness much more than two min
uteS longer The sweat ran from my
| CheokE
and beard.
! brand detached from don't know
Wnere described a curve through the
/ auditorium and fell into the box next
me. My resignation could not with
stand that. Decidedly did not want to
die. Save mel Save me. / had no
other wish, no other desire
! But my fury. my heartrending cries.
my frantic gestures, were all i'm vain
No one came. My beard was scorching
and commencing to burn. felt an itch
/ ing sensation in my face, on my neck
ana at the roots of my hair. Now
! made great effort and moved in nv
chair.
There is still time thought I.
J determined to rise and walk. 1t was
only for moment. After inclining my
body forward. / made a sudden move
/ ment. My eyes flashed. I believed 7
was going to walk. 1t was only for
moment. No, no; my legs were not will
/ ing. They remained reluctantly para
| lyzed. My excitement again became
violent. tried once more. No, no. no.
/ Now / felt only that I was dying. II
was no longer possible to endure one
degree of heat more. Before my eyes
/ a binding light; around me. every
where, above me, below me. the fire.
remained passive; perhaps I fell.
| know nothing more. I was abandoned.
! Eight hours aftsrward found myself
| I'm bed again. My little niece in running
| for help had fallen and was severely
wounded in the head. She had been
carried away fainting. and it was only
after recovering her senses that she
was able to speak. Two men were dis
| patched to my rescue, and drew me
from the furnace just as i became I'M
conscious.-Translated for the Argo-
naut from the French of Camille ne
| bans.