The Sunday Oregonian., September 21, 1902, PART FOUR, Page 29, Image 29

29
FROM LADDERMAN TO DEPUTY CHEF
STORY OF A FIGHTER OF FIRES J HOW DAN HALE WON THE "THREE TRUMPETS"
BY EPES WINTHROP SARGENT .
STORY OF FAN-FAN, THE FAIRY
HISTORY OF THE POOR WIDOW, THE AVARICIOUS MAN
AND THE BRIGHT GOLD
THE SUNDAY OKEGONIAff, jfoBTLAND, SEPTEMBER 21, 1902.
CHAPTER X.
THE simultaneous alarm! This Is the
call that has power to thrill every
how old In the service. It means that
Somewhere In the great city a mighty
blaze is defying the fire lighters. It means
that every company within a radius ol
miles is being summoned to the scene. It
means that lives are in danger and that
thousands of dollars, even millions, are
going up in smoke. It means, perhaps,
that many of the brave firemen dashing
to the scene may never leave it alive. Yet
to the last man they tingle with excite
ment, greedy for the struggle with the
flames.
And Dan's company was a-qulver with
excitement. Was It really coming at last?
Five alarms had sounded, and at each sig
nal the horses at 45 engine had trotted
out for the hitch and had trotted back to
their stalls. Ashtbn, the lieutenant, who
had been downstairs watching the bitch,
started up. Ho was almost at the head
of the stairs, with several of tho men at
hla heels, when the telegraph struck again.
"One!"
Ashton turned back.
"Two! Three! Four!"
The men went down -with a rush. The
horses were already in their places.
"Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine!"
At the strokes on the little gong Dan
came down the pole. It was a simultane
ous alarm. "Would No. 45 be called?
Again the quick strokes on the gong.
"One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!
Seven! Eight! Nine!"
A pause, and the men bung breathless
on the strokes.
"One. One two three four. One
two three four five!
"One two three "
In the intense, pulsating quiet, the
strokes of the tiny gong sounded like those
of the big auxiliary alarm.
"One two three!"
The men were all In their placea Coul
son, the engineer, torch in hand, stood
ready to ignite the kindling. Abbey, the
driver, had the lines in one hand, and in
the other the pull that would release the
harness. Another minute, perhaps even
less, and they would know.
"One two three "
"Go on!" was the exclamation thai
dropped mechanically from Dan's Hps, fair
ly set In his suspense. If the bell stopped
on that strpke they did not go. The gong
added a period to his word in the form of
a faint stroke.
"One two three four five " it went
on. "One two three four five six sev
en eight nine !"
A shout from the men rent the air.
They answered the third alarm at four
five nine, and so reported one four five
on the simultaneous call.
Then the mighty clang of the auxiliary
began to verify the telegraph.
Nine nine X one three four five
three three X four five nine!"
Abbey gave the pull a yank, and the
lines holding the harnessflew up to the
ceiling. The huge torch flared, and as
the wheels crossed the threshold the door
of tho firebox clanged to, and the black
smoke poured from the stack. The three
powerful grays dashed down the street,
the two blacks keeping -close behind them
and drawing the hose tender with the men.
It -was a good half-hour's run to where
SO puffing engines and 350 men were striv
ing to extinguish a solid block of flame.
The fierce heat had driven even the bold- j
est half a block back.
A man could work in front of the red
furnace only a few minutes. Then be
had to give way to others. The principal
object. In fact the one hope, was to keep
the fire from spreading to other squares.
Company after company was engaged in,
wetting down the fronts of opposite build
ings. Down in the river, three blocka
away, the three flreboats -were puffing
noisily and each forced two 4-lnch streams
through the heavy pipes.
Buildings had begun to fall, and these
heavy streams, the force of which was
so great that nozzles had to be lashed,
were slowly but surely drowning out the
blaze. It was a fierce fight. The buildings
were close and of old construction. Not
one was fireproof, and for years Chief
Corbyn had urged the necessity of remov
ing the firetraps or at-least doing some
thing to make them safer. The fire had
started in a wholesale drug store and re
peated explosions had scattered the flames
over the entire block, more than fulfilling
the chief's dire predictions. The loss long
since had passed the million mark.
But ho had no time to say, "I told you
so." There were sterner duties at hand.
Only tho helmet told of his rank. His
natty uniform coat was gone. His shirt
and trousers and even his hair were
scorched -where sheets of flame in the
early stages of the fire had caught him as
he fled with his men when a position was
no longer tenable.
He had fought stubbornly for three
bours, and six times had been forced to
go to the ambulance surgeon for spme
small relief. He had even been urged to
go to the hospital, but he hung on though
every moment it seemed as if he must
drop.
As Dan ran up with his fresh men to
take the hardest position, he saw Chief
Corbyn standing on the corner In front of
the one building still standing. The chief's
back was turned, as ho gave dioections
to a company that had Just come up, and
he did not see the wall totter. Dan
shouted to his men to run, and then made
a dash for Corbyn, seeking by bis Impact
to force the Chief out of danger. But the
run was too long, and in another second
the wall had fallen with a crash.
A cry of horror went up as the men saw
their Chief and another figure burled be
neath the wreckage. It was beyond human
possibility to approach the place, and all
they could do was to throw a heavy stream
of water on the mass in "hopes that the
bodies at least might be recovered 'when
the fire should have been vanquished.
Tho Instant after the crash, Dan rubbed
tho plaster from his eyes. He had a most
curious sensation, as of a man who should
be dead and finds that he is not. HJta head
swam with the noise and shock, so that
fcr a minute he could not think intelli
gently or connectedly.
Then a stream of dirty water trickled
on his head. It was warm, but it roused
him. Around him was blackness, and the
air was close and stuffy, but he was alive.
In the realization of the horrible position
in which he was placed, he lost all sense
of feeling of bodily pain.
At his feet was Chief Corbyn, uncon
scious and breathing heavily. Almost by
a miracle the huge steel girders, In fall
ing, had formed a framework about them,
sustaining the weight of the tons of
debris. The escape seemed impossible.
They had been saved from being crushed
to death only to be suffocated. Dan
gritted his teeth In mental agony.
Then above the crackling of flames he
caught the sound of running -water, the
gurgle and plash of a fall. It -was the
waste water rushing into the sewers.
Like a flash came back his knowledge of
the city sewerage system. The Pelham
street sewer was five feet high. If only
tho manhole were not covered!
In the intense darkness he felt cau
tiously about him. He touched a frag
ment of granite, below which was the
cross-hatching of the iron manhole cover.
"With the fragment of stone he smashed
the cover. The water was. rushing ilke a
river fed by many streams.
They were oa the corner nearest tho
THE HUGE STEEL GIRDERS IS
river, and Dan knew that there were
iron steps on the inside of the wall. He
had on his life belt. So had Chief Cor
byn. He loosened Corbyn's and slipped
it up under the unconscious man's shoul
der. His own he slung across his shoul
ders like the strap .of a knapsack. Ho
must have his arms free to work with.
He " snapped his hook in Corbyn's belt,
and slowly raised the unconscious Chief.
All the time there had been a queer,
buzzing sensation in his head, and as he
felt the strain of Corbyn's weight the
buzzing- changed to a disagreeable snap
ping. One leg which had been numb now
came to life again and something warm,
something that was not water, trickled
down the leg Into his boot. But some
how he dragged his Chief to the wall.
As he swung his arms through the iron
support an odd sensation overcame him.
What was the use anyhow? It would
be so much easier to sit down. If he sat
down and rested he was quite sure his
eyes would close and he would forget
that nasty snapping In his head. But,
no! There was Corbyn, his Chief! Some
thing wan wrong with Corbyn. He must
get his Chief to the ambulance surgeon
then oh, never mind what then!
The drop was only 14 feet 14 steps
but three times he had to fight off that
awful inclination to sit down down and
rest.
When at last his feet were In the water
the current almost carried him away.
The heavy stream had flushed the Bew-
USES OF THE
f1 OURDS seem to have been Intended
v- by Motner Nature to be made Into
drinking vessels and vessels for other
uses.
In South Amerlci they grow so large
that mothers take them for bath tubs
for their babies, as well as for various
different purposes. The South American
Indians, among other things, mako the
most beautiful skull caps of them.
In the Southern States they are much
UBed for dippers, bowls and martin
boxes. A drink from the brim of a gourd
dipper has the same charm as that from
a thin-lipped glass. During the War of
the Rebellion, when earthenware and
china became scarce in tho Southern
States, coffee pots and cups, tea sets and
all manner of serviceable vessels for
household use were made of gourds. Very
handsome some of them were, too, as ariy
.
FAL LING HAD FORMED A FRAMEWORK ABOUT THE3I, SUSTAINING
THE WEIGHT OF TONS OF DEBRIS.
age. and had cleared the air of foul
gases. It was the chill of a collar. In
stead of tho usual humid, stagnant at
mosphere. Slowly- he made his way,
crouching down to avoid striking the
roof, and yet taking care that Chief Cor
byn's head did not go below the sur
face of the water, which ran waist high.
At last he struck another wall and
felt anxiously for the steps. Half way
round the circular wall and he lost hope
Then ho gave a weak- cry. The steps 1
Unfastening Corbyn from himself, he
hooked the latter's belt Into the first
rung, then slowly and laboriously drew
himself up. He hung onto each step with
the energy of despair, and at last sum
moning every particle of strength at his
command', he made one final, superhu
man effor, and raised the cover of the
manhole with his back.
A policeman ran forward and lifted oft
the iron weight. Eager hands raised
him, bruised and bleeding, to the sur
face. "Down there another quick "
Then, for Dan, there cam'o a blessed
blank.
When ho awoke, a sweet-faced nurse
was leaning over him, and her cool hand
was on his brow. He gazed at her va
cantly for a moment, then it all camo
back to him.
"The Chief," he gasped, "Is he he "
He could not complete tho question.
"Ho was here only two days," the nurse
answered quickly. "He sent you these,"
COMMON GOURDS
ono who has seen sets of them, now
highly valued as curios, in the cabinets
of collectors, can testify.
The firm, smooth surfaces of ripe gourds
take washes of water color beautifully.
If one Is artistic enough it is quite pos
sible to paint designs on them equal to
any done with mineral colors on china.
They may be etched with acids, also
beautifully stained in different colors by
dyes, or, better still, decorated by Are
by means of heated metal points.
A name, such as "Richard," shown In
figure 1, may be produced in various
ways. Perhaps the most unique is to cut
the letters out of paper and paste them on
the gourd while it is still green; t!i
when It has dried and turned the pale
drab it finally assumes, the letters will
appear In green when the paper Is taken
away: or the operation may be reversed,
the letters cut out of the paper and tho
paper itself pasted all over the gourd, so
that no light comes to it except where the
and she laid a letter and a package on
the white coverlet.
"Read," he said, faintly, and in a Arm,
even tone she read:
"My uear iaie 1 am sending you
these, not because you saved my life (for
that there arc no words, no tokens, to
express my gratitude), but because you
have proved a true fireman and did not
desert a comrade In danger to save your
self. The appointment was made at the
suggestion of the Commissioners, backed
by public opinion. Of my own life-long
gratitude be assured. I can only add that
I am sure you will do these credit, and
that some day when I am gone you will
wear my five.
"Faithfully and gratefully yours,
"CORBYN.'
The tears welled to his eyes. What
mattered now "Faithfully and grate
fully yours Corbyn."
"The double trumpets?" ho asked, grop
ing for the package.
"The nurse placed in his hands three
discs of gold.
"Now, take your medicine." she com
manded, with a suspicious glimmer in hor
eyes.
Dan gave a happy cry.
"Medicine? I don't need medicine!" ho
declared. "These beat all the doses In
the country!"
For the disc bore not the crossed
trumpets of the Battalion Chief, but tho
three trunyiets of the Deputy Chief. Dan
.tiaie was in me DUggy:
How to Make Boats, Cups and
Other Articles
name appears. In this case the letters
will gradually turn a light drab, wjille the
reai ot me guuru remains green, juetters
or ornamentation may be printed on
gourds by a different and much more ex
peditlous process. After having pasted
the paper on the gourd, hold It ovr a gas
Jet until tho exposed surface browns,
That which Is protected will remain its
original color. N
As figure 1 is a gourd" just as it has
grown, selected from among many for
its symmetrical vase-like shape, all that
remains to De suggested with regard to
It is that. If the top is neatly sawed off
and perforations made In it and also in
the neck of the gourd near its edge, a
bit of wire or ribbon passed through
these perforations and fastened will 'an
swer as a hinge and tho top may be used
for a lid.
Figure 2 Is a dipper, the constrictions
in the handle near its outer end were
made by fastening rings of wire around
THE SECOND TALE.
ON the edge of a forest about a mile
from where the fairyFan-Fan was
Born, there lived a poor widow who was
childless. The hut she occupied was a
wretched affair, and yet it belonged to a
man who had no pity for her and der
manded that she pay him one-halt of
what she earned from the sale of roots
and barks gathered. In the forest. As
the widow was old and crippled and had
no friends to take her in, she had to pay
what was asked of her. Thero were
many times when she had little food In
the house, and when she suffered for
the want of shoes or clothes; but the
owner of the hut would say to her:
"You must pay me Just the same. It
Is nothing to me If you are cold and hun
gry. If you cannot pay me, out you go,
and I wjn stable my cattle in the hut."
j?or three years the widow managed to
satisfy the avarlclcua man and remain
in her lowly home. Then, as Summer
came on, she jell ill and could work no
longer at anything to bring In money.
There was no neighbors near at hand to
render her assistances, .and if a traveler
called at the hut to ask his way he left
neither words of sympathy nor money.
When the poor woman had been unable to
pay her rent for a month the owner cams
to see her and said1: v
"Tomorrow you must go away. As you
can pay no longer I .will hot have you
hero another day.'
"But where can I go?" asked the widow.
"I am old and crippled and 111, and have
not one shilling in the house. If you turn
me out I shall die by the roadside."
"That is not my affair," gruffly replied
the man, "and I shall b here in the morn
ing to see that you go."
When the owner of the hut had depart
ed the widow fell to grieving and sob
bing and night came on. She had no
sleep that night, for thinking what she
should dOy There was only one thing for
her, andhat was to become a wanderer
and beg from door to door. She was mak
ing up a bundle of her few garments next
morning wh"n the door opened and a little
girl entered the hut and said:
"Good morning, Grandma, I heard that
you were In trouble and have come to see
what I can do."
"Whose cliild are you?" asked the wo
man In great surprise.
"No one's. Grandma, I am Fan-Fan, the
fairy. Did you ever see a fairy before?"
"Never In all my life, though I have
heard of them. I have been told that
fairies are good to people In distress."
"So they are. And now let us see what I
can do for you."
The widow told her story, and shed
many tears over it. and she had Just fln
lphed when the owner of the hut came
stamping in and roughly exclaimed:
"Well, your time is up, and .you must
get out. What Is this little girl doing
here?"
"I am a fairy, sir," replied Fan-Fan.
"Have you no pity in your heart that you
Mistress Dorothy Is mightily proud and
she feels grave responsibilities. For she
is a cousin a. very, very old cousin to
such a little baby that her French doll
seems quite a giant compared with it.
This picture gives an. opportunity for
somo very pretty and effective coloring.
Paint the wall and screen light buff.
tho gourd while it was yet young and
small.
Figure 3 is a portrait of the Columbia,
a handsome little craft, launched upon
the waters of the .forest lake, Kyddles
kung, in Piko County, Pennsylvania,
where the writer has been passing his
vacation. The hull is the section of an
ordinary gourd, and is much lighter than
any that can be made of wood. The
keel Is cut out of a sheet of lead. This
Is fastened between two pieces of a pine
shingle by three tacks, driven through
shlnglo and lead alike and secured by
clinching on the opposite side, as shown
in figure 6. The pieces of shingle are
cut to fit tho curve of the bottom of
the hull so that when the exposed part
of the leaden keel Is pushed through a
silt cut In the bottom of the boat, a slit
just large enough for it to pass, the
pieces of pine prevent the keel from go
ing through any further than was In
tended. The keel and the strips of shin
gle are cemented in their place with white
lead mixed with drying oil (white oil
Dalnt) into which a little putty is ln-
troaucea. J.ni3 is an cxccucut ceuicm
and is perfectly water tight.
Before the boat Is put away to dry.
which requires, perhaps, two or three
days to do it thoroughly, the deck Is to
be put on. The deck is of bristol board
or cardboard; in it aro two holes, one
for the mast and one for the rudder. It
is put on and cemented in placo with
the white lead and putty.
The stem of the rudder Is of copper
wire, one end of which is beaten out
flat with a hammer. This end Is driven
into tho blade of the rudder, as shown
in figure 3. Get one of the ordinary
cheap lead pencils that have little metal
cylinders at one end containing rubber;
cut off the pencil close to the cylinder,
take out tho rubber and bore a hole with
a darning needle or a fine awl from
end to end through what Is left of the
pencil In the cylinder; fasten this cylin
der through the deck and through a hole
(In -which it must fit tightly) bored In
the tiull above the water mark.
Now pass the free end of tho copper
wire through tho cylinder and bend the
"I DON'T WANT TO BE TALKED TO BY A CHILD LIKE YOU,"
CRIED THE MAN.
would .Jurn this roor old woman out
doors?"
"What is that to you? Can I mako
homes for people who have no money?"
"I fear you are a hard-hearted man,"
said Fan-Fan, "and if you do such acruel
thing you will be punished for it."
"I don't want to be talked to by d child
like you!" cried the man. "This old wom
an must Day me or get out. If you are
a fairy and. can help people in distress,
why don't you help her?"
"I was going to do that. Shut your eyes
for a moment. Now open them. Now tell
mo what you see.'
The man was too astonished to speak.
The poor widow had been clothed In rich
garments in a trice, and on the rude table
before her was a box full of gold. While
he stared at her and at the gold, a carriage
drove up to tho hut and Fan-Fan said:
"I fchall take tho good woman away
Then, in pleasing contrast with this, give
the carpet a delicate- light green shade,
and paint the leather chair a ,very dark,
rich green. Dorothy wears a dark blue
dress with a lighter blue tarn o'shanter
and black ohoes and stockings. Her- aunt
wears a buff wrapper. It la prettily deco
rated with bright red bands. The front of
tho skirt and the sleeves of the dress un
uper end squarely down, as shown In
the picture of the boat.
The mast is stepped, or fastened in the
boat, by passing it through the hole made
for It in the deck and Into the space
between the two pieces of shingle that
secure the keel. It must be leveled olt
on both sides to fit into this space. The
bowsprit Is fastened and secured in the
same way. The mast and the bowsprit
in the Columbia are made of the long,
tapering handles of worn-out oil-color
pajnt brushes, -which any painter you
may happen to know will readily give
you, as they are of no use to him.
This little craft, gayly painted, has a
fine appearance on tho voyages it makes
across the lake and back again, carry
THE GREEDY GOOSEFISH
THE sea does not hold a more vora
cious rascal or a greater hypocrite
than the goosefish. Not that this is Its
only name. It has at least 70 others.
Each locality where It occurs give3 It ono
that indicates Us great greediness.
In Connecticut it Is called "Greedigut,"
in England "Sea Devil," "Wide Gape,"
etc Its mouth is enormous, and its ca
pacity unlimited. It is a matter of record
that seven wild ducks were taken from
the Btomach of one specimen. Live geeso
are not too largo for them, and a fisher
man told the late Dr. Goodp of one that
had swallowed the head and neck of a
large loon, which had pulled the fish to
the surface and was trying to escape.
The goosefish has been known to seize
a boat anchor when it could not find
anything else to devour. It will even
make a meal of fishes of its own kind,
so that it might properly be called the
"cannibal fleh."
The Duke of Argylo writes that the
goosefish Is admirably adapted by nature
for concealment, generally at the bottom
of the sea, with Its cavernous Jaws ready
for a snap. From the top of its head rise
a pair, or two patra, of elastic rods, like
with me. She is no longer poor and friend
less, and I hope there are many happy
days in store for her. Here is money to
pay the debt she owes you."
"But you must give me gold a whole
box of gold!" whined the man as he
reached for the box on the table.
"Here is gold for you." replied Fan-Fan,
und sho placed another box In his arms.
It was heavy with bright coins, and tho
man uttered shout after shout of joy. HI3
happiness did not last long, however. As
he crossed the Gelds the box became light
er and lighter, and when he stopped at last
to open it he found It was empty, save for
one single coin and that had turned to
brass.
"Come back! Como back and give mo
more gold!" he cried as he ran toward
the hut, but the fairy and the widow were
driving away behind a pair of gray horses,
and ho was never to see either of them
again.
derneath the wrapper are white.
Leave the baby's dress white, too.
The nurse wears a blue dress, with cap
and apron white.
Leaving so many garments on tho fig
ures In white will give you a field for
painting the screep and the flower pot and
other decorations In the room In rich,
bright colors.
ing messages to and fro between friends
on opposite slde3 of the lake.
The powder horn, shown in figure 4,
really Is very pretty. It Is made of the
neck of a large gourd, the shape of which
suggested the article made of it.
Neither it nor the cup shown in figure
5 require especial description or direc
tions for their manufacture. A certain
variety of gourd has a tendency to grow
in the shape of a double bulb; this. In
the case of thi3 cup, has been utilized to
advantage; the foot on which it stands
was made by fastening a wire around the
gourd, betweenMhe two bulbous swell
ings, when it was young and small.
J. CARTER BEARD.
the slender tips of a Ashing rod, ending
In a little membrano or web which glist
ens In the water and attracts other fishes.
The goosefish can afford to go to sleep,
knowing his bait is always in place, and
as soon as he "gets a bite" the elastic
rod bends over, coming close to hi3 huge
Jaws, which Immediately open, engulf tho
victim and close again,
ably generous to an animal too lazy to go
after its food.
Again, nature has so clothed tho animal
that It Is almost concealed when lying In
wait for its prey. Thus, Its upper surface
is mottled and tinted just like gravel
and seaweed. Its body is hung about
with fringes which wave and sway, close
ly resembling the surrounding weed3.
"Even the ventral fins," says Dr. Goode,
"which aro thick, strong and fleshy, and
which evidently help it in making a. sud
den leap, are made like two great clam
shells." The goosefish spawns In Summer. The
eggs, numbering 40,000 to 50,000 to each
female, are Inclosed In a ribbon-shaped
gelatinous mass, about a foot wide and as
much as 30 or 40 feet long, which floats
near the surface. Tho natural habitat
of this fish is, however, near the bottom,
resting on the mud, where, like Oliver
Twist, it is always ready for more. ,