Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-03-28
RUNNING THE
GAUNTLET.
observation-disclosures

Precisely at two o'clock on the
morning Of February 14th "Scotty"
Mclean, night-watchman in the four
story building which was the temper
airy fireworks factory of French &
Flske, turned down a leaf of the mag
azine he was reading in his warm
armchair close to the basement fur
mace, snapped on his electric lantern,
reused his bull-terrier, CELSIUS, from
his lair in heap of shayings, and
started on his hourly tour of inspec-
ton.
Scotty was twenty-year-old laster
from the Brockton shops, who, under
the double pressure of dull season
In the shoe business and desire to
see something of the country outside
his native State, had drifted west
ward, finally bringing up in his pres
ent position in an Ohio town. The
building, once a shoe factory, was
occupied by the firm in the interval
between the burning Of their old iron
shops. and the completion of their
new ones.
A midwinter storm was at its
height. The thick snow blew in
sheets against the windows and ed
died round the corners in shrieking
blasts. The steam had run down in
the heating boiler, and the big build
ing was cold and lonesome. Scotty
buttoned his coat tight as, with Gel
sus whimpering at his heels, he
trudged up the broad covered stair
case built outside the northern end of
the factory.
On the highest landing he unlocked
the door and entered the single large
room, two hundred feet long by sew
enty-five broad, occupying the upper
floor. 1t took lin about five minutes
to make his rounds between the ia
bles strewn with colored paper OF
various hues and fireworks in differ.
ent stages of Incompetence. In the
temporary arrangement most of the
processes of the work were carried
on in the great unpartitioned rooms
on this floor and the floor below.
Satisfied that all was well there
he shut the door and was turning the
key, when his ear caught a muffled
explosion below. CELSIUS barked loud
ly.
Three jumps took the Waterman tc
the foot of the stairs. He unlocked
the door, sprang into the room, AMI
switched on the electric lights.
Already the third floor was on fire.
From table along the eastern wal
came a cracking and swapping. A:
Mclean turned his eyes that way ;
rocket started with loud whir, and
whizzed across the room, scattering
it's fiery train over the other tables
and disappearing through the window
with jingling crash.
In little glass-partitioned count
ing-room at the other end of the build
ing was an alarm box. The watch
man might have gone down to the
next floor and rung in from there
but that would have wasted precious
seconds; in fireworks factory tnings
happen quickly.
Needless of his own safety, he
ducked his head, and scurried be
tween the tables toward the office
CELSIUS bounded in advance, barking
furiously, his hair bristling. Ever
then there was no small risk, fol
fireworks were beginning to explode
everywhere. McLean's haste was dis
astrous, for as he rounded the last
table he slipped, wrencning his ankle
An instant later man and dog were IL
temporary safety in the Office.
There was no time to bother with
the box key. Mclean smashed his
fist through the glass front of the
little door and pulled the hook. In
stantly the bells began to clang.
clang! clang! from the tower a f1und
red yards up the street. The watch
man snatched up patent fire-ex
tinguisher, and turned to battle single
handed with the flames. But single
look convinced him of the utter fulfill
ty of any such attempt. A dozen
could have accomplished nothing.
The air was crisscrossed with fiery
rocket-trails, the sparks from which
were falling everywhere. Had the
flames been confined to one spot, II
might have been possible for the
Waterman to master them. But now
every moment was sowing fresh fires
The tables were Uttered with paper
and half-fnished pieces; toe racks
above were full OF completed fire
work. OF every sort, Thy hands had
bssR working overtime. ana every
Mag bad been lstt ready Tor ths