The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-01

They alid down through hre ana
smoke, bllatered and blinded, TO Cap
tain Hall, who cnnght each M no
came ana drew him In the window
A ircnun sent by the lieutenant came
up shouting. "l'lrr'a nc tho elevator
ahaftw They turned and ran,
Iornun had gone down 10 tho root
TO gut llanrahnn aud found him lying
ON hIa face on tho bricks.
"Thc men 're comm up tho lad
dcra." hc aald, llanrnhan nprang to
hia foot with this new hope OF llfe
aud followed him around tho tank t.
the parapct
They looked down. 10 sec the empty
ladder, twenty feet below thcm. hang.
Ing In tho flames, with blnEing rope
dangling from tho center Of II into the
smoke, ollelr' German said disgust
edly,
iIanuhan stared AT tho abandoned
apparatus, II guess" no Said ~
now voice,
ilc turned hacl with German to tho
front Of tho tank again, There was a
iull IN tho wind, the smoke and the
iiamcs roso mp straight on two Sides
OF the roof and the bricks were hot
under their feet, There was no es'
cnpc now. I'VE ~, ono chance lctt,'
t.orman said I'VE can sct In tho
tank"
uanrahan shook his head, mo use,
Bull" he answered, II got to cash Ia.
| guess" :
German cursed him, "Wcll, aln't"
no said, Get a'hold Of this ladder"
Hc hraced himself with foot
against tho tin covering OF tho tank,
bent his back aud tugged TO loosen the
ladder from It's fastcnlngs ilanrahan
helped him. They strained and atrug'
gled with all the strength Of every
muscle. and the great screws In the
sockets OF the uprlghts came out alow'
iy. rs II they had been sunk In wax
Once having loosened lts hold. they
lcvcred tho ladder. twisted II and
wrrnched II free. German crawled un'
dor tho steel bcama and turned oR tho
stopcock there. Then they both climb
cd aioft, lowered tho ladder into tho
tank aud slid down. one on each sldo
OF the rung. into the water, They
drank together. sunk 10 tho teeth.
~ t..sgt tar
yourself on," he spluttcred. We'll DO
catIn' smoke here before long"
Tho scuttlo was nd square OF light
above them, aud they could SEQ each
Others face ns pale blurs OF no rocog'
nlxable feature In the darkness. They
stripped on their upper clothing and
bound themselves under tho arms 10
the ladder.
They could hear the crackle and roar
OF danes outside. There was peck
ing OF scattered rain on the tin above
them.
II wish | had somcthn' T. eat" Cor.
man snid.
Hanrahan sighed again, I'D like
something to breathe better"
lie was choking with heat and
smoke. He rested his chin on tho rung
OF tho ladder, lie was tired and dizzy,
He seemed 10 be drifting on clouds Of
tmoke, blown about In storm aud heat,
glowing spark above the flames, itIa
alt..f la ,AF
cation. He heard Germans voice. ut
great distance, say. wind changed
south"
Dayhrcak found the "ilreproof'
mansard building smoking and
blnckcned shell above It's tcnth story.
with tho Hrcmcn putting out the last
smolder in the gutted rooms, They
fought their way up slowly from
floor to floor until by noon Captain
Ball and squad OF his company,
looking for their dead. reached tho
stairs leading 10 the roof
They found there the blackencd
nozzle which German had abandoned
to the fire. They went up the stairs
hopeiessly aud burst open tho door
10 see German himself. red eyed and
dripping and stripped TO the waist
sitting on the edge Of the tank. beat
ing with his heels on Its sides and
singing crazy nothIngs in the voice OF
insanity.
Captain Bali went over to him and
called up, where's lIanrahnnT"
He wlnked aud pointed down into
the tank. "fm the king OF the castle"
he sang. I'm the king OF the castle
I'm the king what's Hanrahanf Pete,
Pete, Delicate Pctel Oh. he's n spell
binder" he said with grin. Hes q
spellbindcr talkln' hot air. Comm
upi Come on up, II amt as hot up
here as II was"
And they found Hanrahan, uncon.
scious, but alive still tied to the lad
der and floating with his head be-
tween the rungs
Two weeks lalcr, when German re-
ported for duty at the engine house.
his first question was for Delicate
Pete" "IlimW the lieutenant said.
"Oh. he's Quit The department. He's
toin' to join the police"