The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-11-13

ling Dac'- me names on the twelrtn
moor mat lie did not think of the two
men whom he had left on the roof. IL
was not until sparks and burning
woodwork began to pour down the ele-
vator shaft that the possibility of the
situation occurred to him Fortunate
ly the building was "fireprOofed," and
the progress of the flames would be
slow.
He called two of his crew to get seal
ing ladders, and, leaving his lieutenant
In charge of the pipes, he ran to the
southwest end of the building to be
farthest from the fire and, opening a
window there, looked up. He could
see no signs of fire in any window
/ the men. But you'll have TO be quick.
Keep your eyes open for the windows
behind you"
They had a coil of life line and two
ladders. They used but one of the lat
ter, going up together for greater speed
AT their first window they saw the wis
dom of Captain Balls instructions.
The room within was sitting with
smoke and heat and as soon as they
opened a vent in it the fire showed In
the darkness.
At the fourteenth story a light of
flames was already glimmering be-
hind the broken pane. The smoke
poured out on them as they beat in
the glass and hauled up the ladder.
They went ahead, however, and while
they were climbing up the wall from
that window they heard the rush of n
back draft below them and looked
down to see the flames i'm the thir-
teenth story cutting them off.
A cry of warning from Captain Ball
was answered by a faint shout above
them. They looked up to see German
peering down over the edge of the
water tank. Captain Ball shouted to
them, Come down the roper They
looked down TO see him waving to
them. They looked up to , that
German hal disappeared.
Jim" the upper man said, Eve can't
reach EN- They tied the end of
their rope hurriedly around the shaft
of the ladder. and each took a twist
of it in the hook of his belt and
dropped
They slid down through fire and
smoke. blistered and blinded. to Cap
tain Ball, who caught each as lac
came and drew him in the window.
A fireman sent by the lieutenant came
up shouting. Fires at the elevator
shaft They turned and ran.
German had gone down TO the roof
to get Hanrahan and found him lying
on his face on the bricks.
THE men re comm up the lad
ders," he said. Hanrahan sprang TO
his feet with this new hope of life
and followed him around the tank to
the parapet.
They looked down, TO see the empty
ladder. twenty feet below them. hang
ing in the flames. with a blazing rope
dangling from the center of it into the
smoke. "Helr German said disgust
eddy.
Hanrahan stared at the abandoned
apparatus. IL guess" he said in
new voice
He turned back with German to the
front of the tank again. There was
iull in the wind; the smoke and the
flames rose up straight on two sides
of the roof, and the bricks were hot
under their feet. There was no eS-
cape now. I'VE got one chance left"
German said. I'VE can get in the
tank"
Hanrahan shook his head. NO use.
Bull he answered. Il got To cash in,
l guess"
German cursed him. We'll, amt"
he said. Get a-hold Of this ladder"
He braced himself with a foot
against the tin covering of the tank,
bent his back and tugged TO loosen the
ladder from its fastenings. Hanrahan
helped him. They strained and strug-
gled with all the strength of every
muscle, and the great screws in the
sockets of the uprights came out slow.
ly, as If they had been sunk in wax.
Once having loOsened its hold, they
levered the ladder. twisted ii and
wrenched il free German crawled I'M
Ger Jnn steel beams ana turned off the