Keepers of the Flame

"e;For, Lo! We live in an Iron Age--In the age of Steam and Fire!"e; wrote a poet mesmerized by the engines that were transforming American transportation, agriculture, and industry during his lifetime. Indeed, by the nineteenth century fire had become America's leitmotif--for good and for ill. "e;Keeping the flame"e; was deadly serious: even the slightest lapse of attention could convert a fire f...