The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1909-06-10

building, to break every window glass
: in its upper ten stories and ignite ev
cry window curtain, window sash ant
. trim in its north wall, rolled oyel
them in q heat that nipped their ear:
) like frostbite and was gone.
German pinned down the pipe thai
was thrashing about the roof and
staggered back to the parapet with it
The beat of heat was uncomfortable
and he could see nothing for the
smoke that blinded him with tears
He did not know that the gale was
carrying solid tongue of fire into the
hidden air shaft and that every win
dow on that shaft was already spit
ting flames. He could just see that
the woodwork of the window below
him was afire, and he called Hanrahan
to train the pipe ON it with him.
They doused it black at once and scat
tered the smoke to see another blaze
below. Then suddenly the stream from
their hose weakened and fell short. 1t
was plain that the crews were using
the water on the lower floors.
''We're wanted down below"
guess" Hanrahan said. Were no
good up here now"
German nodded They shut off the
nozzle and turned to drag the line to
the door of the stairs
They were too late German saw
the blaze in the air shaft and cried out
an oath. That shaft, he knew, lit
the stairway from the ground up and
cut them off from the elevator shaft
In the center of the building. They
dropped the line and ran to the door.
Smoke was pouring from it, and flame
was behind the smoke. German ran
back for the hose, turned the neck
guard of the helmet over his face and,
with the water to open the way for
him, fought down three steps into
blaze that could not be faced.
Hanrahan pitched forward on his
shoulders. German braced himself
against the weight, turned to catch
him under the armpits and carried
him up, himself half suffocated, to
lay him ON the roof. They were
greeted by the fierce purring Of the
flames. Hanrahan groaned
'Y' all right?" German asked him.
He rolled his eyes. Lets get down
out of thisr he gasped.
German Strengthened up and looked |
around him. The doorway was the
only entrance to the roof. He walked
back to kick the useless hose down
the staircase and shut the tin sheath, /
ed door on the blaze below. He went /
to the stone railing that surrounded |
the cornice on the front of the build
ing. The coping overhung the lower
windows in sheer drop to the street.
He hurried to the south wall The win
dows there were twelve feet down,
and there was no pipe-no foothold.
He went to the back of the roof and
found another coping.
He turned to see Hanrahan running
from parapet to parapet, now hidden
in a cloud of whirling smoke, now
black in the red glow of wind blown
flames. He saw him lean over the
marble railing that surmounted the
cornice on the front of the building
md put his hands in a trumpet to his
mouth. The voice was lost in the roar
If the wind. He saw him take off his
helmet and try to throw it down into
he street, and the gale snatched it
rom his hand, tossed it aloft and blew
t away TO the south with the smoke
Ind the flying embers.
He came running back to German.
"For the Lords sake, Bull he cried,
don't let us burn alive up herer
German shook his head. 81 can't get
town." he said
He could see that there was nothing
N the brick roof to burn. The heat
nd not the flames would be their dan
'er. The fire was at its worst in the
ight well, and at the point farthest
rom it there was an enormous water
ank protected with a covering Of tin
nd supported across the angle of the
yalls on steel beams, so that, even if S
be roof should fall, the tank would
OF go with it. Here was the greatest S
afety. They would have water to 9
revent the heat from baking them !
live, and they would have the tank S
0 shelter them from the drift of a
moke. L
German went over to it and crouch c
! to peer beneath the beams. Hanra- G
an stumbled against him. Bull" he s
Il can't-I can't get down."
German thrust him aside, "WeH, Il
tho said you could?" he snarled. D
You're up here to stay. You better W
axe up yer mind to that an shut 81
,r yap." L
Hanrahan threw up his arms and u
reamed at the sky in a high. dry d
,ice, clutching with his fingers and -
tapping like a dog with his teeth. 81
hen he pitched forward into the
noke on a run for the street parapet u
,ain -
German climbed slowly up the iron ~ ~
oder to the top of the tank. He ~
me on a scuttle there and raised it, -
find that the tank was almost full. =.
3 took OFF his rubber coat and dipped -
down, and it came up dripping. He p, -
bbed it over his face and licked at -
e moisture on the smooth tarpaulin,
d the touch Of water sent q burning :"