Adventure Magazine Cover — page 136: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

men HE scene that greeted us when we us Rua stepped from the tug to the pier was ~ &marvel in destruction, disorganiza- tion and disorder. A great city of nearly four hundred thou- sand population was in the grip of flame. The shock of the earthquake had tumbled down many buildings, had shattered timbers and made of them kindling wood. The same shock had burst the water mains of the city and thus left the fire department weaponless. Thousands of people were jammed in and around the Ferry Building. They fought and clawed and tore one another in their mad efforts to get aboard the already overloaded ferry boats. It was pitiable—their mental condition. In their panic they had brought along such things as canary birds and pet parrots. Some of them were dragging rocking chairs and sewing machines, though scarcely any one had brought food or bedding. The company of marines from Goat - Island was divided into two platoons. It so happened that Kelp and I were in the first platoon and that Red Donnelly was assigned to the second platoon. From the Ferry Building, the second platoon was marched across East Street and turning south of Market, made its way up Howard Street, toward the Mission district. Though we didn’t know it at the time, that was the last we were to see of the second platoon and of Red Donnelly for nearly a month. Meantime the first platoon, the one to which Kelp and I were assigned, made its _way up California Street to the district around Sansome and Montgomery Streets. Here we assumed the duties of policemen; and those duties at this particular time congisted mainly of keeping the people at a safe distance from the rapidly spreading fire. For though many had fled the city, there were still many others who would not even leave the burning areas. Our instructions were to keep this crowd pressed back at least one block from the fire. To do this we formed a strong line, alloting each guard a short space with strict orders to allow no one to cross that space. Against this line, the people stood in a thick packed mob, rank behind rank, morbidly curious, the rearmost pressing the foremost ever forward. What the temperature was in that raging inferno, I have never known. It was enough. Men wilted and women fainted. Adventure Children screamed and horses ran neighing through the streets. In front of us guards the fire was steadily consuming fortune after fortune in the shape of office buildings, business houses and dwellings. Cinders and ashes showered on us, drifted down our necks and blew into our eyes. Long tongues of flame licked out at us and parched the skin on our hot faces. Once between watching my beat and rub- bing cinders out of my eyes, I found time to look at Kelp whose beat was next to mine. His heavy shoulders, his deep chest and his broad face were the same, but that was all. His usual smile was gone and the man that looked out of his eyes was not the Kelp that I was accustomed to see. It was a grim, purposeful man who pro- claimed himself through those flashing eyes. I read there, even a hint of ferocity. My mind seemed to register it all in one brief moment and then I turned back to my own work. Behind us stood the dense ranks of sweating, panting men, women and chil- dren. Between the wall of fire and the wall of humanity we paced up and down, up and down, steadily and consistently forcing the crowd back; and it was hard work, this herding a dazed, crazed multitude. There were those who rebelled and refused to be herded. I remember one big fellow who broke from the pressing, shuffling ranks and at- tempted to pass the line of guards. He made a dash straight toward the fire, essaying to cross the short space which was patrolled by Kelp. He was a larger man even than the big, easy-going marine. It. was no time for reasoning or coaxing. It required firmness, even force. To my surprize, Kelp laid hold of the fellow savagely, unhesitatingly, and with a strength that I had hardly suspected him of possessing, whirled the offender around and shoved him staggering back among the crowd, The man was infuriated. He wheeled again, lowered his head and rushed at the marine, his arms swinging like flails. Kelp saw his assailant coming. Without undue haste, but yet with a promptness and ac- curacy which portended clear thinking and determination, he dropped his rifle to the ground in plenty of time to set himself and meet the civilian’s rush. He might have bayoneted the fellow. It would.have been COnniclbooks C@