CopenhagenAndItsEnvirons_A

40

accustom ed to the sounds. T h e w atchm en first give notice o f the event on loud, shrill, w ild sounding w h istles; th en th e d rum m ers a re tu rned out o f the fire sta tio n s, a n d , p a rad in g th e streets, add th eir m usic to th a t o f th e w a tchm en ; w hile the solem n bell from the tow er form s th e aw ful trio w hich "w ak e s the isle from its p ro p riety .” B linds a re draw n up , w indow s opened, a n d n ig h t-cap p ed heads th ru st out, anxiously enqu iring of the gu ard ian s of the n ig h t " Where’s the fire ?” B u t w hen one loo k s a t the m eans w ith w hich th ey have to w ork, one’s a sto n ishm en t is raised n o t a t th eir extin­ g uishing a fire q u ic k ly , b u t th a t th ey extinguish it a t all. In th e district in w hich a fire occurs every h o u se h o ld er is b ound to place in front o f th e h o u se a larg e tub filled w ith w ater, from w hich sm all b a r­ rels fastened on sledges are filled and then driven off to th e seat o f conflagration — a boy rides th e h o rs e , to th e h arn ess o f w hich a bell is attach ed to w a rn people of its ap proach. A lan tern m ust also be placed a t the d oor of each house in pro x im ity to the tub o f w ater. A few an tiq u ated engines com plete the m eans w hich a L ondon F ire B rig ad e w ould eye w ith c o n tem p t, b u t w ith w hich th e ir D an ish b reth ren certainly m a n a g e , generally, in a sh o rt tim e to su bdu e the rag in g elem ent. P e rh a p s the secret lies in th ere alw ay s being a su p p ly o f w a ter. I t som etim es h a p p en s th a t, a fte r