The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-01
In the Crocodile's Jaws.

-HE sun shone hot in Hamburg
that dav; aud nowhere was th'
heat more intense than on tina
last narrow strip OF street
cinging desperately TO the land, but
crumblug of now and again in blister
ing wharves and deserted piers. thf
piles Of which were water. .rotted. while
the surface boards showed whitc aud
dry.scorched above. Most of the sail
ors and longshoremen had found refuge
in the many rathskellcrs with which the
wharf districts OF Hamburg are sup
Piled.
Christopher Poe sauptcred along the
strip of street, stopping now and then
to inspect with fond eyes the striking
lines of somo fast freighter, or to scan
one or another of the hugo warehouses
lining the other side of the street He
had skipped away from his banking
duties in New York, and was touring
through parts of the world as familiar
TO him as Fifth avenue, or the Bow
cry.
At length, as he neared great
wharf, where no ship rode at anchor
duu On WHICH a uuSt "oiV
house stood, the rear square against
the water, he stopped and strained for
ward. listening.
There came sudden roar, a
strange. resounding, reverberatlng
roar II would have been deafening
had il not been for the fact that il
seemed mUffled within the huge ware.
house. the entrance 10 which was still
obscured from Poe, for it faced on the
nearby side street.
There developed, as he listened, a
wild mingling OF noises. chorusing up
in perfect bahblc Ont of the tumble
some of the more insistcnt, penetrat.
ing, sterfoTous sounds came clear to his
tau, ear;drum.
lie dashed forward. turned the cor
ner. mis- nostrils sensing the smell OF
smoke In that narrow street, lending
itself so nicely 10 vibration, the air
was utterly deafening with a confusion
of iumbled sounds, dangerous, ear"
splitting.
There was a strange throng quickly
collecting in front OF the warehouse.
Poe read in a flash the German sign
stretching along the front of the build
ing:
HAGGERUP G. CO,
Dealers in
WILD ANIMALS.
A huge plate-glass window in front,
barred with heavy iron rods five inches
tHrough which the burning sun shone
fully, Illuminating a smashed plate
glass tank right in front, with thou
sand strange fish flapping and flashing
on the floor amid the smoke and con-
fusion.
Feuer. Feuer.'' screamed the ex-
cited mob of sailors aud longshoremen.
The huge IRON bound door had evil
IDENTIFY been burst open from with
in at the first alarm, and men went
plnnging through the cavernous open
ing with hastily snatched pals of wa
ter. and other men came struggling
out, dropping, almost overcome with
smoke. Some were wildly demanding
that the door he closed, declaring that
the animals had all broken loose from
their cages and would spring upon the
crowd, fire maddened, and in support
of their statement several flare-eyed
scGorch-.haired monkeys had bounded
through the door, screaming.
Then the fire wagon GLANCED up.
Amid that hell of noise there came
an instantaneous lull. Christopher Poe,
on the edge Of the crowd and near
the long side of the building ex-
tending back to the water, felt that he
heard far-off splash as though some
huge animal, maddened by the flames,
had plunged into the water somewhere
IN the rear OF the building. But duller
and less wajchful ears would rot have
caught the sound at all, for an instant
later the bubbub had broken out
atresh, even more multisonorous.
There came Il sudden metallic ring
amid the vociferation: the heavy noZ.
zlc OF the fire hose had already been
rushed into service, and had changed
against an iron shield to the big door.
1t WAS all over in an astonishiugIy
short time. Everyone looked re-
hered, bt for vague apprehension of
the animal cries. The smoke was al
most gone. Steam now welled up
through the door and window. Evi
IDENTIFY the fire had been checked at
the right moment, for it was out. and
few firemen were already rushing
within
Something possessed Poe; he chafed
nnder the yoke Of inactiou. Selling an
extra helmet from the wagon near by,
ne dashed into the building fearlessly
though there was no telling whether
he might expect the spring OF crazed
Numidian lion, the bone.crushinp EN-.
brace of a frantic bear. or the strike of
q furious hooded snake, No one STAYED
his progress; it had all happened so
quickly that not even police line had
pcSH formed,
Once within, Poe engaged. amid the
clearing smoke and sitting steam. in a
hand to hand conflict with several
Mona monkeys, Sooty Mangabeys and
Patas, which, in the excitement. had
evidently broken open the door to the
huge vivarium whore tbey had been
caged together as peaceful mates,
They scurried and screamed about The
great roomful of cages, avoiding pur
suit with dexterons lodging.
When some order had been finally
restored and the firemen were Leaving,
Poe Joined the three frightened animal
keepers. who were counting the recap.
turd monkeys, lemurs and marnosets'
Thank God! y cried one in German.
:. None Of the larger beasts had got
loose. If Babo, the ape, or that tiger
there had got ont! Meiu Gott. what
a scene. What scene there would
have beenI''
One of the keepers dashed off at that
moment toward the crocodile pond
Enclosed by low wire fence
The crocodiles were still in commo.
tion, donbtless due 10 the heating Of
the water in their pond and the cement
which cropped OUT dry near the rail
ing, where they sometimes lay, half