The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-05
THE DAILY GATE CITY
Meantime, Tank himself had hurried

Meantime, Tank himself had hurried
to the after bridge.
Mollie Morgan! Mollie Morgan!
he called. again trumpeting through
his hands.
Yes. Mr.. Tank" answered Mollie,
looking up from her work OF marshal
ing the women and children She was
being assisted by the half-dozen union
leaders among the women who were
present-Daisy Malone of the Glove
Workers, Jennie Dennis of the Binders,
and others. With these as lieutenants
she had rounded up the crowd of
hundred or more older women and was
passing them forward in orderly pro-
gression to the boats. the oldest women
and the mothers with children first
The four boats went over filled, and
without catastrophe Then the four
from the other side, again without &C
cident. The RATS were now being low
cred, and. still, as Tank looked, there
were hundred and fifty of the younger
women huddled there His eye swept
the waters From many directions
help was coming, but his fire depart
ment had failed. The flames were gain
ing riotously. The smoke and heat
were terrible. Soon the people would
be jumping overheard, and Tank knew
what that meant Half his folks were
still unprovided for. Hundreds Of
them would be drowned. Besides dark
ness was approaching. and the usual
evening fog, dense as night itself, was
rolling steadily in from the outer bay.
In ten minutes 1t would be upon them
and make the picking up of struggling
strugglers in the water matter of
great uncertainty.
Mollie." he ordered, better get the
petticoats off them girls If we got to go
in the water. 1t amt so awful decent,
maybe, but petticoat has drowned
many girl
was just thinkin' 1t. DAN" she
called back. I'll wait five minutes,
and If no kind of help gets to us, off
they come
But in that five minutes police
launch appeared with Sergeant Nc
Carly on board. Lying off hundred
yards was small side-wheel river
steamer. open front and back like
ferry-boat. II that fellow would only
have nerve enough to come alongside
and stay there three minutes, Tank
could herd his people into 1t like sheep.
But the river captain was afraid to
come nearer. The police launch, how
ever, after an impatient snort Of the
whistle. passed behind 1t close under
the stern, and paused there for mo-
ment. Suddenly thereafter the river
boat began to move forward. deliber-
ately and straight ahead. Tank
strained his eyes hard and made out
the figure of Sergeant McCarty in the
pilot house with q revolver at the
helmsman's ear.
Good old McCarty! yelled Tank as
he came near, hold her nose against
the side of the Bisbee for FIVE minutes
and we'll run the last of 'em on board"
Leave that to me. begorra," bawled
back McCarty.
The river boat slowed down and with
nice precision planted her open bow
with two decks yawning against the
side of the Bisbee. and pushed her
gently sidewise while holding close
The old people and children had gone
in the life boats and on the RATS.
What remained were the spryer young
women and the bulk of the men, and
they poured over the side by scores,
learing. laughing, shrieking; the
strong hearted helping the timid ones,
until within an incredibly short time
all were off, Last Of all went Mo1lie
Morgan and her helpers. then Mears.
Halloran and the Pop-eyed Kid, Tank
marshaling them before him.
All right, McCarty," he shouted.
McCarty dropped his pistol hand
The helmsman signaled to back. Tank,
with leg over the side, was just about
to drop,to the deck of the river steamer
as the breach between the two began to
widen, when touch upon his shoulder
caused him to turn. 1t was the socio-
logical student. Gimball.
Have you forgotten the man in the
pilot house?" he asked.
Sure as hell" answered the boss
seriously, fiinging his leg back over the
rail and starting on run for the lad
der leading up. A gust of flame and
smoke was sweeping down. The entire
upper works and both ends of the Bis
bee were on fire. Tank CROPPED in the
pilot house. found the limp object on
the floor, the very clothes a-scorch, and
dragged it out to where he stopped for
a moment to get better hold. Gim-
ball was at his side.
BY golly. Goggle-eye, you're game
kid, amt YOU" exclaimed Tank in adj
miration. dragging the body to the
ladder.
The student flushed.
He's in an alcoholic stupor,
think he said, by way of making con
yersation.
Alcoholic stupor, nothin'." declared
Tank impatiently THE damned
FOOLS drunk"
A moment later they were crouchine
over him on the main deck in little
space not twenty feet long, free from
fame. with smoke pouring all round
them, down from above and from
around the ends, and no one knew how
soon 1t would burst from beneath theil
feet
The little river steamer was hun
dred feet away and moving faster. APP
parently In the confusion none had
noticed that Tank had remained be-
hind. He could see the Kid, Mears,
Grim and Halloran moving among the
crowd. All around at safe distance
boats were cruising. picking UP the
people on the RATS and watching the
fire; but the great bank Of fog was