The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-07-16
A FEARFUL SCENE


gentleman rom Haloweli. who was in
wells q Co.'S barking house during the
great hre al San Francisco, writes The follow.
'ng graphic sketch Of ih- hail. breadth essape
OF the IL mates
came nearly losing my life in The fire,
ana lost every thing else. The reason was,
our trusting implicitly in Wells fire proof
0tofk, which no enc doubted was fire proof
against all external fire, though flashed in.
side with wood. The walls were brick, two
leet thick, the roof covered with cemen,
foot thick, the window shutters OF bolted iron.
aud the WOOD frames al least eighteen inch.
rs inside Of the shutters. People oven mo.
we'd Je~e'ry and valuable papers into ii du.
ring the fire for security. Mr.. Wells, Gen.
James W ilson, the two Whlcombs, Messrs.
Norton aud Sattalee, Mr.. T.. G.. Austin. Ghe
last i've being lawyers in the building one
or two clerks Of Wells, Capt. William l..
Howard, Oofmaliy resident in Hallowen,)
" heeIer, and m, sell shut ourselves up in the
building after the fire had reac he'd its neigh
bofhooe, with as much ~oier as could be got
from the well the yard outside, in buckets
tubs, &C., intending to stick it out. There
were wooden building nearly around the
DOCK aud DR.. Rabies, large three story
lfams adjoining Wells, (wuhln four feet on
he rear. When this last got on fie, The
heat was tremendous, and the flames roared
around The moth end Of the building, down
Gay street, 10 one continuous sheet, in the
dieciion OF the gale, envoloping the whole
ct that end Of Wells building in enc sheet,
IN one roaring Niagara cataract of fame. |
II wgs awful to behold All the iron win
do~s aud door shutters on that side became
heated TO a white heat, almost melted and
warped into semi circles. The building be.
cane filed with smoke. We thought we
should suH cate. The flames licked 10 thro'
the window and door shutters in long tongues,
setting fire to the wood work inside. We
fought II Ike tIgers. Our water gave out. |
We were forced down stairs, aud into the |
banking room in the basepent below, In the !
northeast corner. The building was surfoun.
ded 10y hre. The great wooden block on
Montgomery street, opposite, was in flames.
The sculles on the roof took FIRE. The stair
case was all on fire. We sough; the only av.
enue for escape, the Bank door on Monigom.
cry street, which was closed and bolted on
the inside. Horrible to relate The doors
were SO expanded with heat that the bolts
could not he started. Fo. moment our fate
seemed inevitable a.; We must be roasted alive.
when some one found an iron bar. 1t was
Norton. Saltalee had already burnt his hands
horribly 90 the IRON door Ia bis frantic al,
lempts 10 open 1t. With the aid Of the bar
the door Vas forced and the appalling scene
outside presented Itself to our view. sea
OF hre was opposite US, extending long dis. .
tance up and down Montgomery street, on
both sides, aud roaring around The corner OF
Clay street. The street vas .irhefine.
Then commenced the race for life Thro'
fare md smoke, bhudng, suGlcatios aud
scorchng, We rushed at the top'of our speed. .
Ny hands aud face were soon benumbed
Ny strength seemed failing, bat struggled .
and staggered on IA the only possible diloc
tlon for escape, up Montgomery street, until
st last ! passed the fiery ordeal, and half
dead and blind, al last reached men aud en-.
glnes, aud sas 5athed wl1h OIL in an apohe-
eafy's shop, and finally 60, of TO Tewksbu.
fys IN the extreme north OF the city, where !
have been since. am now able TO be about
The street. Nv wounds are healing fney. (
They are not very deep. Every one, except.
lng Wheeler was worse burn, Than |. Vince. /
Ter saved himself with a blanket. Wells is
fugltiully burnt so Is Gen. James Wilson.
Whicomb aud Austin fell down IN the fire,
and 50 horribly burnt that neither are expect.
Cd to 1--we. They are both deIHious, and The
flesh hangs in hteds to their bones. Six or
seven 10 neighborlng building were burnt up
~ the same way that We came 80 near to.