The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-02-15
svssiso rsa cAsrIsr. @


Of February itth "Scotly" heL.ss, nishs
.sichman 10 the foar-siory building ~hiel
~as the t.mpo,sry fireworks iscterv Q
Fapch A Fnte, turned do~n leaf Of th
nag .slus he ~Ns fssdlng 10 bis warm arm
chair close TO the basement furnace, soap
pad on biz elseiric lsitcrn, reused bis bull
tstrirr, CELSIUS, fiom hb lair 10 besp Q
.t,r,rss, and started 90 HE hourly ioef o
lSspscibon.
ssatty WAS twenty, ssr-old lsster fron
the Brockton shops, who, uod'r the doubb
pr,s.ure " . dull season in the ,hpe buiI
Dss, and desire 70 zee something Of tn
country ouislde bis nstiye state, had drift
I'd westward, fasliy bringing up 10 BIZ
p,ssent posi,iJn 10 an Ohio torn. Tbs
ouilaleg, once .hoc factory, ~ss occuph 3
BY he nrm 10 ih. interval between thu
balpiug Of their old ir.n shops and tts
completion u their new onet,
A midnlght sterm WAS =, It's height The
hick NOV blew IN sheets ssains. the win
io~s and eddied. round the corners In
bri krg hlAsis. Tire steam had run dowr
q the heating boiler. and the big building
sas cold and Lonesome. Scotty buttonsd
,is coat light, ss, with CELSIUS whlmperips
It lis beels, he trudged up the broad stair
,sse built outside the northern tnt OF the
sctory.
on the highest landing hs unlocked the
loor and entered the single large om.two
lundred feet long by ssvsnty-nve orosd,
ecut yirg the upper Nor. II took him
,bou, FIVE minutes TO make bis rounds be
veen the tables sirewn with colored psper
Il various huss and fireworks 10 different
t.R Of iuconpletei ess 10 the t'mpor-
.ry arrangement most OF the processes OF
ne work were carried on 10 the great un-
,srli,iored rooms on tbs floor and the
door below.
s II Aed tbst oil WAS well there. be shut
he d ,or and was turning the key, when
ear caught mofll d explosion below. Gel
Us bafked loudly.
Three jumps took the ws'chmsn to tbt
cot VI the stairs. He unlocked the door.
oisng into the room, and switch, d on The
/, lectric light.
Already the third door WAS on fiji From
a table along the eastern ssll came crack.
z and spapping As Mclean turned his
yes that way a rocket start, wi loud
hir, and whzz ID across the room, sea-
stipg Its fiery trail over the other table,
, ID disappearing through q window wi
iinglipg crash.
In q little glAss.partitioned couu,ieg'
,om at the other end OF the building wa
n alarm box. The wstchman might have
zone down to the next fl Dor and rupg Ia
rom there, but that would have wasteo
-ecioas seconds; In fireworks factor,
,ings happen quickly.
Hssdlsss OF his own safety, be ducked
lIs head, and scurried between the tables
ward the ofil:e Celsus uaded In ad-
,Ancc, barking furiously, his hair bristliDg
Ivsn then there was no smail risk, for fire. |
works were beginning to explode every |
where. McLsan's haste was disastrous,
or ~ he rounded the last tabls he slipped
his ankle. An iostant lstei
nan and dog we're In temporary safety In
he office.
There WAS no time to bother with the box |
ey, Mclean smashed bis ast through The
lass front Of the little door and pulled th'
ook. Instantly the bells began to ciang
lang ciangi from the town hundrs'
ards up the street. The watchmsn sna'cf-
d up patent hre-extipguisher, and turn
d to battle slngle-hspded with the flames
sat single look convinced him OF the ut
or futility Of any such attempt. A dezar
zen could have accomplished nothing.
The air was crisscrossed with frey rock.
t.traila, the sparks from which we're fall
~ every where. Had the flames been cor.
ned to one spot, 1t might have been poasi
'e for the watchman to master them. But
ow every moment was showing fretb
res. The tables were Uttered with pspe'
nd ha'f hnished pieces; the racks above
), re full OF completed fireworks OF every
prf. The hands bad been working over
me, and every thing had been left read'
Or the next morning. A iiper condiii
Or q copHagration could not have beei
nsRined.
Mclean dropped the extinRuisher. Con.
,ience told him that he hal done hIs dut,
! his employers; 1t now behooved him to
I'VE himself Sharply conscious Of bis 10
billty to do more than hobbls along with
i. twisted ankle, he stood appalled, at tbs
lcano through which he must pass TO
zach the stairs two hundred feet away.
Could be ever do its He, would have
Imped from the window; but three
.o,y leap to the frz,n ground was to'
sueerous for legs and spine. Bu, be coulc
OF stop where he vac, for the building
on,aintd may boxes and kegs Of high eI-
losivcs.
crash A shower Of splIntered Rlss' cu'
is fsce and hands, asa big rocket bursr
trough the partition window In front Of
IN, barely missing his head.
Mclean dodged instinciiyely. Ceisu,
Dwered Ia terror between his legs. It w
OF ,s'e to lipger second longer. He mus
10 the gsrtlet % the stairs.
He stumbled out into the main room
hropgh the smok the electric bulbs eliu-
,ered pAiely. sgeads discharges Of 8re
orks shot bsek and forth from ~alI q
al 10 the spsce between there was 70
.curity Detected rockets were dar,inR
every direction. Roman cs0dles, noxet-
n.. nj /