The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-01
A Change ef
Profession.
by HARVEY j. O'HlCcINS.
Copyright by \, 5, Mcclure Co.
Copyright by $, 5, Mcclure Co,


crew 10 reach the roof Of the sixteen
story mansard building, They had the
nosEle OF 4 line OF hose that was being
laid from the standplpe Of the top
floor to wet down the north wall Of
the skyscraper. and they came out tn.
to the night, dragging their length OF
I the line, 20 face q gale OF wind that
took the breath from between their
teeth, They struggled against It
through thc darkness. toward the light
of fire over the parapet, and they
looked down there through the smoke
at the flames In the roof OF an adjoin-
ing clothing house twelve stories BE-.
low them,
Captain Ball had followed them
''Turn on your water" he beloved
above the storm 10 the men behind
them, and in moment feeble
stream swelled the line of hose and
gushed from the pipe" He swo~
at II. 1T can't spit past It's chin" he
said.
1t Strengthened slowly as they
watched 1t. Keep wettin' her down"
he shouted In Gorman's ear. Get up
another liner' he cried to the resi- OF
| the crew.
The rushing Of the wind drowned
their answer, but they hurried below
TO obey him. He remained with Cor.
man and Hanrahan. watching the fre
spread and brighten In the roof OF the
clothing house. German was stlll
/ grinning ut his Cant spit past it's
| chin"
I They were 200 feet above the street
level, and the storm. hurllng Itself
! across the huddled roofs below them,
drew up draft OF heat and smoke to
/ them as II they were looking down A
chimney. They could guess what the
| heat must be In the street, for across
! the road the woodwork OF the win.
/ dows Of five story building had
/ caught fire without the touch OF any
flame, and n pygmy crew were drench.
Ing IL with q stream which they shot
| up straight from the sidewalk Officers
the size of manikins ran up and down
In the ruddy glow, waving their little
I arms. The fire flowed over the roof as
II 1t We're burning oil, and the smoke
came up to them thicker and the heat
more stihlng with every breath
Their weak stream dribbled down
the wall to dry out on the hot bricks
before II touched the point OF danger,
and German leaned over the parapet
to see that the paint was beginning to
peel of in great scales far below. Han
rahan and he tried hopelessly to reach
these by swinging the pipe from side
to side. They might as well have
! tried to irrlgate desert with it. Their
eyes were dry and beginning to smart,
I The rest OF the crew came up again,
dragging a second line.
Captain Ball turned to the lleuten-
ant. mo use bringin' more lines up
here he shouted. Windows II b.
! breakin'. There amt shutter on the
whole blamed buildln FIreproof;
She's matchwood. Back down to the
twelfth floor. Get lines stretched TO
the air shaft there
The men went back with their hose.
''Do the best you can up here" he
advised German. Chiefs orders to
wet her down. Look out for the air
shaft"
German caught the first of these ln-
structions, but the wind carried away
that last warning of danger, and the
captain turned and left the two men
unconscious of the catastrophe which
was preparing for them.
The air shaft, in fact, was acting as
sheltered tiue for the flames. 1t cut
deep groove into the wall Of the
mansard building at Germans left
and the wind, rushing into 1t, rose
straight aloft, blowing up sparks like
the draft Of a blast furnace. German
watching only the wall and the win
dows below him, pltied the crews at
work in the street. He. was Wishing
for quid Of chewing tobacco, and he
remembered with evaporation that
Hanrahan would have none. That was
one Of Hanrahan's social limitations
he did not chew. He had been nick.
named delicate Pete" by his fellow
prnbo ttonaru Of 6,-a hand nra rtarr ard
German, who was known as Bull Cor.
man, being the big man Of his class,
had despised him from the day that
the instructor, having pitted them
against each other in race with seal
ing ladders, had then publicly com.
pared German to baby hippopotamus
in point of nimbleness because Han.
rahan had run away from him.
These two were being "broken" to-
gether with all the hard work Of the
company, but there was no friendship
between them. They rarely spoke to
each other for German had found
Hanrahan's conversation all "hot air
an free silver" and had quarreled with
him about this wearisome enthusiasm
for politics They continued stolldly
at their work now In the silence of mu.
tual Indifference The growing strength
of the stream threatened to tear the
nozzle from their hands, and they
raised the hose to their shoulders to
bend 1t In a swans neck arch that
sent the water Kissing down the bricks.
They were busted SO when they saw
blush green fame flash in the red
Of the fire In the roof below, and q
belch Of smoke rolled up to them on