New-York tribune., 1906-05-06
GOSSIP OF TIE BOROUGH

Some strange tales are told Of the antics Of the
fire fighters Of the old days when the equipment
Ger sending out fire alarms and locating bazes
was considerably less developed than IN these
modern times Years ago, as the old inhab-
ltants may remember. the Brooklyn Fire De-
partment sent a number Of engines and hook
and ladder outfits dashing across the bridge to
save New York City from tremendous confa-
grafton that seemed to envelop Manhattan ISL
and When the hremen reached the centre of
the bridge they met engines and hook and ladder
companies coming from New York TO save
Brooklyn from fiery grave. An unusually
luminous sunset at the bottom OF the furor
Only half dozen years ago the Woodsde vol
unteer fire fighters turned out at a hurry call
from headquarters and chased a sunset until it
faded into the gray Of evening. Ex-Judge Will
fam B. Howard, the veteran fireman Of the old
town OF New Lots. now East New York, goes
these experiences one better This is the story
he tells Of the days when he was the chief OF the
New Lots Fire Department:
One dark August night the big bell in the
tower rang out an alarm Of fire in Cypress Hills
All the boys in the village Joined the iremen at
the ropes in pulling along the engine. The glare
.a me SKY looked as II 1t was thrown up by a
big blaze as we ratified along Atlantic avenue.
The whole eastern horizon was aglow. I shouted
through my trumpet to the boys to hurry up.
AIter run or good mile and a half we at last
reached Cypress Hills. but the fire seemed as far
Of as ever, only brighter than It had been be-
fsEa concluded that it must be caused by the
d. l1ing OF a farmhouse IN the direction Of ia
Et&ca, and with my trumpet urged the boys
VINO were almost tagged out, to further effort
AZ last We reached a brightly lighted clearing
eno stopped OF our own accord. gave orders
% turn back without parley. For half an hour
we had been chasing the rising full moon
Young men who think that an army life pre-
cludes the possibility OF wooing and winning
are much mistaken. The possibilities exist An
the midst Of the stringent discipline OF army
life. even IN the Philippines Here is prooF
George II. Beardsley. now a BrookIynite was
serving Uncle Sam in the Philippines four years
ago. One day, while he was stationed at
frontier post IN Luzon. he took up, in a spara
moment. one Of the books sent the army bv a
@onans auxiliary organization. On the hy leaf
O the book he discovered this address: "Craoa
= AiDpeys ZO4 Lee avenue, Brooklyn n n"
5eardsley read the book and then wrote NTies
xAo0ey letter OF thanks Miss Libbey repiied
soGInaAly, expressing her happiness and that ~
3eF co.workers IN the KNOWLEDGE that thew hoS a
been aole 20 give the boys ia blue q bif oP an
soyIaent 10 their hard lie. Other letters were
e1cnanBed Not long ago Beardsleys term of
service expired. ana he told Miss TaFhsv = fbSt
re vas coming back to the States" she lns
gtteQ h-A2 % visit her. A few weeks ago ia
reached Brooklyn. and went at once fo baS ass
nome bow he was welcomed we can only
sQess. Az any rate there must have been sOr1e
thng romantic about the meetIng FOR fISa rci5S
ena ais hostess were married on Aprsl 90 nv fF,e
E~etor CT Christ Episcopal Church ana f5ey
49, soon staEr housekeeping at No. 2sS East
FoS some time the patrons of an italian boot
hlaaA whose stand S. on a street in Brooklyn
Nr0uGh which an elevated railroad thunderp
H3ss been puzzled By what they thought was Z
mania on the part of the boOtblack for wearinf
Al sorts and conditions of hats. one morn,ne
hs would appear in G uOaish derby with q be
coming fiat brin, and the next morning he goult
De seen WELDING the brushes OF his trade re
JDasntont Sc derby OF last years block. win
"a u1becoHfng Tat TOD. One or two morning