Play Away!; A Story of the Boston Fire Department (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter vii. through the flames he down-town fire proved one of the most stubborn and disagreeable that our Tom had been called upon to fight. It was not what is reported in the papers as a "spectacular conflagration," nor, fortunately, was it a "holocaust;" it was just an ugly, persistent fire, working from a sub-basement upward between partitions and under floors, devouring as it went, heating iron girders till they warped and imperilled the lives of every man in the building, and stealthily advancing under cover in spite of the spirited attack of the firemen who were busy when the second detachment, including Forty-six, arrived on the scene. It had been a hard struggle, for both horses and men, through the increasing storm. Clouds of steam rose from old Billy, Bess, and Daisy, as they halted at a street corner, near the burning building, after their noble two-mile gallop. While the driver blanketed them, and provided as far as possible for their comfort and safety, the firemen came dashing up on the hose-wagon, and soon were in the thick of the fight. Tom and Mike were sent into the basement with the pipe, to attack the enemy in the very heart of his stronghold. Sure the smother o' snow on the way down was bad enough, but the smoke's worse," grumbled Mike, as they felt their way down the narrow staircase from the street level. Tom smiled grimly, but did not open his mouth to reply, lest he should inhale the smoke, dense volumes of which met the two brave fellows in the face at every step. "Where does it come from?" he gasped, at length, coughing violently. They had entered the basement, and no sign of fire was to be seen. The smoke was hotter and thicker than before--that was all. They dropped upon hands and knees and crawled. "Ow ..".