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Show 10,110 SOLDIERS FIGHT FIHE II CAHBPKEAHNYj Quit Drill to Battle Solid Wall of Flame Threaten- j ing to Reach Powder j House Near Camp. By STATF COREESPONDENT. Spe-fiitl to Tho Trihuue. CAMP KKAIiNY, Cal., Nov. 19. Ton , thousand soldiers were called from their drill this afternoon lo fight a sweeping brush lire, Tvhk-h for more than an hour threatened the entire cantonment with disaster. The blaze, which was of unknown origin, swept along at lightning speed, throwing a wall of solid fire a hundred feet into the air. l-'or a time it threatened a powder house north of the camp, which contained hundreds of pounds of dynamite, dyna-mite, used for blasting purposes. So rapid was the spread of the flames that the cantonment fire-f ighting apparatus, ap-paratus, although of the most modern sort, and managed hy men with years of experience, was entirely unable to halt the wall of flame. Fire calls quickly brought the thousands thou-sands of Sammies, who, with wet sacks, pails and shovels, after an hour of hard fighting managed to wipe out the final spark. The blaze was discovered, short-ly-before 3 o'clock at a point in the thick grease wood, which stands more than eight feet high, a hundred yards north of the cantonment buildings. In the -teeth of a high southwestern wind it quickly spread toward the cantonment can-tonment buildings and the powder nouse, which is situated in a gulch directly north of the camp. Cause of Blaze Unknown. The cause of the blaze is unknown. However, it originated in the most dangerous dan-gerous point possible, considering the direction di-rection of the wind. A fire call brought the camp fire-fighting apparatus to the scene, while shrilling bugles sent the men running from the fields to form in their company street a. At the arrival of the apparatus the blaze had reached alarming proportions, and suddenly veered in its course to the powder house and headed directly for a string of freight cars which stood on the Ha nta Fe siding. The firemen at once unli inhered their lines of hose, as the flames were already licking the wooden cars. A stream of waLer soon brought the cars out of danger. dan-ger. But while the fire fighters were directing di-recting their attention then to the roint near the cars the wind changed again and blew the long line of blase directly south toward the cantonment ou tidings. At this point the long lines of soldiers began to arrive on the double-quick, with their hands filled with shovels, wet sacks, axes and picks. Attack in Mass. In solid mass formation they attacked the brunh in front of the sweeping blaze and formed an emergency fire break. Within a few moments more the ten thousand thou-sand soldiers were at the scone. A regi- ment was sent with wet .sacks around the edge of the fire course and began slapping out the flames where they could get close enough. Choking, and with eyes streaming from the dense, acrid smoke, the soldiers fought furious- ly lo complete their fire break, and oth- ers lo keep the fire from spreading at j the edges where the tongues of tlie fire lingered after the huge rush of flames had passed on. When the ruph nf flames reached the fire break, which had been cleared for yards of all brush a hundred yards from the first cantonment building, the blaze paused in its wild flight. This was the signal for the soldiers to attack, and before the flames had an opportunity to leap the open space they rushed in with their wet sack's, shovels and pa its of w a t e r. W i t h tears streaming over the wet handkerchiefs which covered the lower portions of thir faces, and choking and coughing in the black smoke, the soldiers fought, while the heat singed their hair and eyebrows. A few minutes later a loud cheer from the throa ts of the ten thousand victorious men told that the blaze had lost in its baltlo and the cantonment was safe. It was a blackened and begrimed line of soldiers which filed its way back to tlie various camps, hut thir voices lifted lift-ed in the air the first battle song of victory vic-tory which will probably be sung before long over I bo Furopean bat lie fields in tin? mouths lo conic. To Reorganize Regiment. R"nrganizat ion of the I'tah light field artillery into a regiment carry i ng the heavier typo of guns will begin shortlv, in accordance with orders received todav I calling for the char.fie to bo made im- : mpdiau-ly, by 'oionel R. W. Youns, rcgi- menial eonimandor. :uid nnnnuae'-Ml by Captain Alex K. Thomas, regimental adjutant. ad-jutant. The change will make nocpeary jnf. appoint meat of a new major, two captains, cap-tains, two first lieutenants and two Funnel Fu-nnel lipulpuanle, besides n genera 1 shake-up shake-up in the non-commissioned olfieers' ranks. With thr rnrganizM ttoji a new battalion will bo rrmod. ah ho"t?h the rogi men! .till consist? uf tho samp number of huttorioj!. mx. Instr-iid nf thi'po uniis fori-finc a 1h I t.'ilinn. ic hrrct nfopr-, twn haltcri-s will cnmpl.M.-. a battalion Hiid ihroe battHlimiP will form 1 he- rrEbn'Mit. The now ma inr wi!l command ih" nov-niado nov-niado battalion. Knroininni'br.-s fm- tho nfru-ryr (n fill tho n.-v prviiinns wilt ,e mad'' viih- j in a (Im r.r m, ;;nd will iinni"dia I olv I fnvw.d-rird t o W soi nc t on for ?4iproi !, Tho ,-ha:i; v ill also mark tho rr ovC,-, . ( j ; zafion of a reel rno i il into a mntnrizod : unit. :Vn"oj of mc-hanies w U hP J pnitifd tn charco nf 1)io mo'nr work", ' and will iiinifrj'! special instruct inop in' n..lia U'linrf. Tho rrorsaluM tion v.-ill sounil ;ilmosl toniplrtcly lilt- Oncilll "n horsos r Iho Vtnh rpcimnl. A low will I." uffd for xpo.tial purpos'F. will not haul 1h sii nU . I, ,..fl..r.wo. motor .'.'..a mi'l rnotor y. 1-sid" 1-sid" i-a.t. h-ii.E u.-.cl to lako 111" 1'la'P of moui.l.s for olfi.ors an.l iioii-romniis-sioIKO ClfI'r:. AVith Lb" rpor.ii.1 of tlm orrlrrp .alln.e for the a. tua.1 work of rrnrEa niiii lion lo li.gin. Ili work will now l.. rnshrrl lliriincl. as soon as possil.lr-, in or.W that, uirii.h-.rs of Ihp .oioina.td in:.;.' Kr' ' 't'or-m,cl 't'or-m,cl inslri..-! ion with the nf A .:)'!. i- , ,. , Tli" . all for mrn lo makr a ni'l' ' ' on for thr offi.."rs' Iraminp rmp. vl.ioil will b" h"M brclnninc .l-.n.iar i.as -anS"fl mail" lnrn K offr h"ir na ll"M lo att"li'l. V LaltorY lofia" lnri."ft in II, " following jai'i.iiraiioi.F lo r'l.n-.iilal l."a.l.'iart"rs: S"rc--anl Ira X. Illn.oV-;fV Illn.oV-;fV Snran; l.yl" I''l " ni i n jr. .-Mi-anl i-'ranr." 1'. Haniiiinn, (orporal ,l.i.-..'n S. IV.al.s ami Corporal .Ir.h.i C. 1 .a . ..I r' a n . 'h. .v:'l of lb" air lias hf.-n frll h'. poial I ... vi.l T .lolin an.l IVivat" '-l"r '-l"r i:m"rv. Loll' of A l.atl"r, who lo- fi!.-.t appli. ation for Iranf. r to the a-. :.iti.jn corr-s. |
