The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-16
FIGHTING QUEER FIRES.
When Sirup, Ammonia and Perfumes
 Go Up In Flames.

From Tit Bits.
 Ut is not the flames alone we dread. " said q fireman of twenty years seryicei to the writer recently flor in many cases danger comes from other sources quite as. alarming. The falling of walls, the col-' lapse of floors the explosion of unknown. substances. etc, are as much to be dread ed as the flames themselves, while at times we are met with enemies unusual and venomous which add an interest and excitement to the life of fire fighter
 "The other day, for instance we were called out to one of the queerest fires | have ever attended. It occurred in a six story building, and took a regiment of 1iremen with q quarter of mile of ap- paratus to get it under It was remark able from the fact that, though the flames were neither spectacular nor dangerous, there were showers of molten sirup which, falling like rain, threatened every mo- ment to preserve us In a way hardly to our liking The building was a sweet fac tory, and, the stock being stored on every floor, the stuff quickly melted and the molten sugar became d very real danger. Several fremen were scalded, and some men had their faces badly burned. The final flames which arose were startlingly Beautiful. They contained every color of the rainbow, and the sight was one I shall never forget.
 '"rhen a few months ago we had to fight a strenuous fire which broke out In Il waXwork factory. There were between 800 and 400 life-size figures in the place, and when we arrived the flames had talk en such firm hold that 1t was impossible to save any of the valuable lives. Be- sides the figures there were tons of wax and other inflammable materials stored away and very soon a perfect deluge Of grease began to fall
 "The fire and birthstone of olden days could not have been worse, and 1t was so continuous that you would have thought every ounce of grease the world ever con- fained had been gathered together to make that cataract of boiling Tat. one man only was injured however about a Ehundred-weght of the stuff falling upon him Fortunately his helmet protected him for as soon as the greasy substance struck his headgear 1t glanced off like rain on a pagoda and only few drops found their mark.
 r"Iike a wise man he cured his curi- osity and did not look up. with the pleas ant resul. that he was very little in- jured On emerging from beneath the greasy torrent. however he looked very .inuch like a living waXwork. When at last we had the fire in hand there was l almost a quarter of an acre of grease several feet thick on the spot where the factory had so recently stood This was probably the biggest grease spot the world has ever seen.
 Last spring we were called out to a fire which had started in a big meat mar ke., and there were met by an enemy in tho shape of-ammonia. It seemed that all the refrigerators in the market were kept cold by one ammonia plant, the fluid beng delivered through an inch pipe which was connected with the immense main supply tank. The pipe had not been used for some time, and on the day of the fire an employe In one of the butch CTS shops turned the handle of the air. l!pes, which started the ammonia through the tube. and, without waiting to see the result went back to his store.
 The ammonia poured through the un- used tube fast that it froze and broke. Then, when this was discovered, the fumes had so impregnated the air that 1t twas impossible to get near the stop-cock and turn it off, Time and time again diff Fferent men made rushes for the stop cock but were unable to reach it.
 Meantime the fumes spread through the entire market and drove the tenants of the different shops into the street, and as the ammonia rose in the air 1t enveloped the market in a mist-like smoke Then a hurry call was sent for us. and when