Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE ROMANCE OF BANKING 293hatless, were everywhere to be seen working like madmen tosave the records of their business, dashing into their buildingsagain and again, until falling walls and the heat of the flamesforced them to think of their lives. Loud explosions rent theair and people rushed to discover the latest cause of alarm.It proved to be from the gas, which had escaped from the pipessmashed by the earthquake, and had formed in manholes andspaces under the roadway. As the fire advanced the gasexploded, throwing large pieces of asphalt high in the air.The heavy iron cap of a manhole was shot skywards to theheight of a four-storey building. More explosions of adifferent nature soon followed, dynamite being used in a vainendeavour to stop the onward sway of the flames. Manyhandsome structures were razed to the ground by explosives,but in the entire absence of water the use of dynamite seemedonly to add to the force of the fire. By noon, the fire wasburning madly over a score of blocks. The police force,though concentrated in the burning district, proved inadequateto cope with the crowds and maintain reasonable fire lines.The note of a bugle heralded the coming of the United Statesregulars, and for some days the city was practically undermartial law.cases the soldiers had to use force toIn manykeep men from foolishly risking their lives in attempts to savetheir valuables."Hundreds of volunteers rushed to the aid of the firemen,who were now fighting the flames with axes, dynamite andcounter-fires. To the mass of the people, however, the firehad become a fascination to be gazed at from one point ofvantage or another as the fire lines were extended.All afternoonthe fire burned wildly on and no one knew what the endwould be. Numbers of men were fatally injured by fallingwalls and steel girders, and despite many heroic attempts tosave them, had to be left to the merciless fire. One poorfellow's appeals for a quicker and more humane death were sopiteous that a merciful soldier granted his request with abullet.