Australian Tales - Setis

Fire! Fire! Fire!
I HAVE vivid recollections of the cry of fire arousing me on one
occasion from my midnight slumbers, the lurid glare which illumined my
chamber, at the same time alarming me with the belief that the rooms
beneath were in a blaze. After hastily dressing, I rushed into the street
— thankful that I was not roasted — and joined the excited citizens, who
were running to the scene of disaster.
The fire-bells were sending forth their clamorous dingle, dingle, dingle,
through the night air; and the fire engines, with their glaring lamps and
galloping horses, and loaded with brave, helmeted men, were racing
towards the scene of their hazardous labours, with the impetuosity of war
steeds, or express trains.
Soon I arrived at the spot where the fiery element was doing its work
of destruction; and getting, as far as I could, from the jostling noisy
crowd, and the mounted policeman's horses, I stood and gazed upon the
exciting scene before me.
The flames leaped from floor to floor of the devoted building, and
belched out of each door-way and window with the fury of volcanoes;
crackling, hissing, roaring, and sending myriads of bright sparks into the
air, amidst dense volumes of smoke; while the crash of falling beams and
rafters, the clanking of the engines, the loud shouts of the leaders of the
fire brigade, added to the hubbub of the assembled multitude of gazers,
created a din which was awfully distracting.
The firemen, with an intrepidity which I cannot too highly extol, at the
risk of their lives and limbs, mounted to giddy parapets; and there, with
hose in hand, stood and combated with the greedy flames. The
policemen, too, were exerting themselves bravely to keep the crowd from
dangerous proximity to tottering walls; and the rabble, as usual, were
pouring forth indignant protests against the arbitrary encroachments on
their rights and liberties, and loading the persevering officers with slangy
abuse.
Meanwhile, the tenants of houses adjacent to the burning building were
hurriedly removing their stocks and furniture n to the street, aided by
willing volunteers, and further aided by a horde of nimble thieves, to
whom the catastrophe was a joyful “harvest home.” In a short time the
roof of the doomed house tumbled in, and, soon afterwards, floor after
floor tumbled in also. All danger of the extension of the fire being then