DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62134#0172
164
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
flight of steps which overlooked the court-yard; and here
we stood watching the fate of the burning house for nearly
an hour. Every now and then came a rush of people with
more water; now we were startled by the sudden raining
down, from above our heads, of a host of fire-buckets,
which had doubtless hung for years idly upon the ceiling of
the court-yard gateway.
I greatly desired to see people handing along the bucket-
fids of water in a mighty line, as I had read of. I had
both heard and read how the police might press any one
into this service, men, women, children—the very noblest
in the land, if necessary. Willingly would I myself have
worked in the chain, so strong grew my anxiety about the
fire. Soldiers ever and anon shouted “ Out ! out with
you! Those who won't work must out!" But still we
were not pressed into the service ; neither did we see any-
where the chain of water-carriers.
And the flames and heat increased and increased. The
long rows of windows in the conventual budding glimmered
as if of molten copper. There was a cry that it also was on
fire. An excited officer, spurring his horse madly through
the gateway, shouted “ It is a government budding !—it
must—it must be saved !" To which the crowd answered
with a laugh. A gentleman talking with the Amsels,
hearing this cry of fresh alarm, suddenly exclaimed-
“ Heavens ! Desshardt lives here : I must be off and help
him to remove his things and away he rushed. And
more soldiers and more water—more water and more sol-
diers—arrived. We were driven forth from our shelter
upon the steps within the gateway, and the heavy gates of
the court were closed upon us.
We were now out in a street, but not in the street where
stood the burning brewery. Nevertheless, what a confu-
sion was there ! People were flying with their children
AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
flight of steps which overlooked the court-yard; and here
we stood watching the fate of the burning house for nearly
an hour. Every now and then came a rush of people with
more water; now we were startled by the sudden raining
down, from above our heads, of a host of fire-buckets,
which had doubtless hung for years idly upon the ceiling of
the court-yard gateway.
I greatly desired to see people handing along the bucket-
fids of water in a mighty line, as I had read of. I had
both heard and read how the police might press any one
into this service, men, women, children—the very noblest
in the land, if necessary. Willingly would I myself have
worked in the chain, so strong grew my anxiety about the
fire. Soldiers ever and anon shouted “ Out ! out with
you! Those who won't work must out!" But still we
were not pressed into the service ; neither did we see any-
where the chain of water-carriers.
And the flames and heat increased and increased. The
long rows of windows in the conventual budding glimmered
as if of molten copper. There was a cry that it also was on
fire. An excited officer, spurring his horse madly through
the gateway, shouted “ It is a government budding !—it
must—it must be saved !" To which the crowd answered
with a laugh. A gentleman talking with the Amsels,
hearing this cry of fresh alarm, suddenly exclaimed-
“ Heavens ! Desshardt lives here : I must be off and help
him to remove his things and away he rushed. And
more soldiers and more water—more water and more sol-
diers—arrived. We were driven forth from our shelter
upon the steps within the gateway, and the heavy gates of
the court were closed upon us.
We were now out in a street, but not in the street where
stood the burning brewery. Nevertheless, what a confu-
sion was there ! People were flying with their children