The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-30


to sleep soon, though. as usual
when there was electricity in the
air, Louise was restless. An hour
or so later Bob was awakened by
terrific crash of thunder and the
feeling that electricity was crack
ling all about. Louise, who had
been awake, was shaking and
clinging to him as she whispered:
1T struck the housei"
Sounds and shouted questions
came from the other rooms as peo-
pie stirred themselves. Fearing a
fire, we hurriedly put on just
enough clothes to pass censorship
and started looking around and
shifting.
From the room on our right
came a startled exclamation: The
barn" Running to the nearest
window, we gazed at the huge old
structure, and. sure enough, flames
already were starting to eat to-
ward the roof from the corner near.
est the house.
There's water tank up there"
the master cried. The hay is at
the other end. Maybe we can save
1t. Come on"
The Rescue
Without waiting to grab for
raincoats, we all rushed from the
house, each grabbing a bucket as
we ran through the milk shed The
storm was in full swing and the
driving rain somewhat retarded
the greedy flames, but the wind
was whipping 1t upward all too
fast.
Lightning seemed to be blasting
its way into the ground all around
us, and the thunder was almost
continuous. but we didn't have
much time to notice.
There was work to be done and
the farm owner, top sergeant in
the World war, was a man who
knew how to command. There was
equipment to be gotten out, and
two horses being treated for Sleep
ing sickness were in the stables. if
they hadn't been killed by light
ming.
There was no confusion. This
70 halAnnaA ~ thn.a nd
they were intent on saving all they
could. Like good soldiers. they fol-
lowed orders without questions and
so did we.
Both Horses Killed
Louise and the other woman
were sent into the lower part of
the barn to bring out the horses,
provided they were alive. Another
was sent up to the next level to
haul out some harvesting equip
ment and drive out the tractor.
Bob. armed with an axe, was sent
into the loft to try to chop away
the smoldering boards; anything to
halt the spread of the flames. The
water supply tank was near the
center of the barn and high up and
the other two men quickly tapped
the pipe leading to the house and
tried to train its stream onto the
rapidly spreading flames.
But. in swinging it over, the
pipe broke away at the base of the
tank. Without waiting to try to
repair the damage, a bucket bri.
gade was Immediately formed. for
by this time Louise and Ruth had
come up into the barn with the
news that both horses had been
killed by the bolt.
They Give Up
Bob, driven steadily back by the
flames. also joined the bucket line
but the wind was too much.
think we all realized that the barr
was lost from the first. but il
wasn't right to let it go without
some kind of struggle.
When the flames reached the
roof and started creeping along or
the inside. the farm owner reluc.
family called halt and ordered
Everyone out of the building
Everything WAS now out that could
be moved, and we wandered bach
to the shelter OF the milk house
from where we silently watched a,
the fire defied the heavy rain. snc
roared on into the tons OF dry hay
at the other end.
In less than an hour all thai
remained was a smoldering ruiz
surrounded by the ghostly cement
foundation. the doors and window: