s and the roofs which
the conflagration had not yet reached. It was very much as though this
flood of invisible heat and destruction contained the sharp-shooters
before an army's van; it was like the cavalcade that rode before a
Roman Emperor's triumph two thousand years ago; like the flight of
arrows which preceded the thunderous charge of English heavy soldiery
on Continental battle grounds.

In the little triangle between three streets just west of Dewey Square
stood a solidly built, compact group of five- and six-story structures,
one of them of fire-proof construction. This triangle, by a vagary,
now proved to be a crucial point. If this could be saved, probably so
also could the whole block to the south of Summer Street; but if it
could not, then that block too was doomed, and there was grave danger
beside lest the district east of Federal Street be also involved. So
on this precious spot the combined forces of defense concentrated. In
Fort Point Channel four fireboats gave their powerful pumps to aid the
engines; the firemen, hanging close to their work, sent stream after
stream of water against the attacking flame.

It was in vain. After the most desperate endeavors, this little group
went to join the rest, the only fruit of victory being that Federal
Street found itself the eastern barrier, the fire north of Summer
Street having been checked at that point. Small triumph that! for the
buildings west of Dewey Square were now thoroughly ablaze--and the
South Station was in danger.

In the open space known as Dewey Square, which is really nothing but
the momentary widening of Atlantic Avenue at its intersection with
Summer, the elevated railroad has its tracks. These, raised some
twenty feet above the street, extend north and south along the western
face of the South Station; there is a station at Essex Street, with
stairways leading into the great depot itself. It was this elevated
structure which now proved to be the compelling menace.

Suddenly, in what manner it could not be said, there was seen to be a
serpent of flame swiftly stealing along the Elevated's track. A tiny
frill of fire, under a feathery cloud of smoke, ran down the wooden
ties; sharp crackling sounds were heard; and a moment later the frame
roof of the raised depot burst into light. One would hardly have
thought that there was here sufficient fuel to jeopardize greatly the
stout stone walls of the South Station itself; even to the