The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-07-03

IrOm ground playing tnelr StredmS
on the building. But the fire was full
blazing and leaping; and 1t licked up
the water that reached it; and more Of
the water fell short.
ITO the tower!" shouts Fitzpatrick
him that was captain of Engine
Company Two, and assistant chief OF
battalion. ITO the tower with the
water, and play on from above! Who's
up to the tower with me?" And he
set foot for the climb.
And twenty good men-the good Of
the best-the fair score Of them whit
up from the roof to the tower after
him, dragging their hoses with them
And they got up and signed for water;
and the engines give 1t to them, and
there they played 1t down from the
tower on the side of the roof that was
blazing.
Sure 1t was a sight. From the Court
Of Honor, from the Manufactures eX-
hibits, from the Art Galleries, from
the Midway and all the shows be-
tween, the people came crowding to
see. Thousands and tens of thousands
of them. Faith, pushing at the fire.
lines that day was a city Of people.
For the fire kept on gaining. The
water from the tower, like the water
from the ground, was nothing to 1t.
The blaze, it ran on top the roof; and
that was not so bad, for that the men
on the tower could see. But the flame,
it ran along under the roof; and that
they couldn't see till it broke up from
below sudden on all sides at once, and
cut off the tower entirely.
One man,-John Davis, Of the Mid
way company,-he saw it the second
before it burst up; and he Rugged the
hose-line and came down; and he
reached the roof and ran over it be-
fore 1t all was blazing. But scarce was
he down before the hose he rode was
burned away; all other hose to the
tower was burned away; and the life
line like them. Twenty men-the even
score of them-stood at the top of the
tower, the blaze all about below them.
One hundred and ninety one feet
from the ground, they stood; seventy
above the roof blazing all about be-
low them. And God alone could help
them.
Winnie O'Connor O'Mara-she was
thirty-five years old that month. and
her sons were twelve and fifteen, but
neither were there to witness the deed
of this day-Winnie O'Mara, wife Of
a fireman, got through the throng to
the fire-lines.
"Who's them on the tower, can ye
tell me?"
kirkpatrick, assistant chief Of bat
TALON"
"That L know; can We name some
that stand up there with him?"
Cahill of Company Eight, I hear;
Bill Denning of One; Lieutenant Free
man, One; Carney; and Breen Of
Chemical Fourteen; O'Mara Of Two;
Nat Howard"
"O'Mara, did We say, Of Engine Com
pany Two?"
"O'Mara. Yis; hear he went up"
"He would!'
Lord save ye, Is he yours? Do We
know him?"
"Yes; know him."
Then she saw him on the tower; she
knew which, of the score of men be-
yond all human help, was he that was
hers.
They crouched, for shelter from the
heat of the flames below, on bit Of
a balcony near the top. There, If the
tower burned fast, they had ten min.
utes left them; at best, maybe twen-
ty-bare minutes Of life to those fine
strong men that stood In the sight Of
all and must die. And they, best Of
all, knew it, as they looked down, the
twenty Of them.
And it struck all to silence.
Higher the blaze burnt, and hot
| ter. Faith, you could feel 1t hot on
the ground where you was thrust back
by the fire-lines. What was It to
| them on the tower!
But no shame showed there; there
was not a coward among them. All
could see on the tower man shaking
hands with his fellow beside him.
Farewell between men, 1t was; and an
other gave his hand to him.
Then the form Of him hung in the
air over the flames. For a flash Of
second, he seemed to stand in the
air; for your heart had stopped for
him. Then he came down. He'd TAX
en- his choice and jumped; and into
the blaze he went, to the end of him.
Now a second shook his fellows
hands; and he jumped. Then they
stopped that.
Some one on the tower had found
length Of lifeline. Like enough,
they'd spliced some poor pieces to-
gether. They let 1t down but only
to see. it burn off. Yet twenty feet
Of line hung down from the shelf; it
may have been twenty-five, but the
end of it burning. One came down
the rope to the end-the hands of him
snuffing the fire where the hemp was
| burning.
He swung a bit on the rope, and
| those above tried to swing him out :