The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-08-02
A FEARFUL scENE.


AFontleman from HailowclI, who was IN
Wells & Cos banking housc duringiho great
Gre NJ San Franoisco, writes the following
graphic sketch Of The hair-broslth escape Of
the inmates -
I oamo near losing my life 10 the Ere, and
lost everything Glso, The reason was, our
trusing imulicitly In Wells Rrs proof Hork,
which no oncdoubicd was FIRE proof aeainst
all external fire. though finished inside with
wood, Tho walls were brick two feet thick,
the roof covered with cement foot think the
eindow shutters Of boltcd iron, and the wood
frames At least eighteen inches inside Of tho
shutters. People even moved jcwelry aud
valuable papers into Il during the FIRE. for So
ourity. Mr. Wells, Gen. James Wilson, tho
two Whitcombs, Mcssrs Norton and Sattalcc,
Mr. j.. G., Austin, (tlrp last five being lawyers
in the buildings, )ono or two clerks Of Wolls,
Capt. William l.. Howard Formerly resident
In lIAllowcll) Wheeler and myself, shut our
selves up in the building af)cr the fire had
reached it neighborhood, with No much wa
ter o. could could bc got from the welt in tho
yard outside, in luckets, tub, &c, intending
20 stick il out, Thoro wore wooden build
ings around the block. DIR. Babes large
three story frame adjoining Wellis (withn4
frc) on the rear. Whom this last got on fire,
the heat was trcmcndous,and the flames roar
Cd aT0n6d thg NORTH CHd ~ TlIG tuiidiHR,d0WH
Clay street, IN one continuous sheet in one
roaring Niagara Cataract Of fame. IL was
f,.l a. - L.. Il
door shutters on that side became heated to
whito heat, almost melted and warped into
scmi-oircles. The building became filed
with smoke. --------------
We thought VIC should sufIocatc. Tho
flames licked in through the window and
door shutters In Tong tongues, setting fire TO
the wood work inside. We. .foughtit like tigers
Our water gave out We were forced down
stairs and into the banking-room in the base
ment c6rucr Tho building was surrounded
by fire The great wooden block ON Mont
gomery street, opposite was in flames. The
scuttle on our roprlook FIRE. The stair case was
all on 6ro. We sought the only possible
enun fnr- -escnpc. the RAnk door on Montgom-
cry street; which WAS closed and boltcd on
the inside Horrible to relate the doors
were No expanded with heat that the bolts
could not be started. For moment our fate
seemed inevitable, we must bo roasted alive,
when some one found an iron bar 1t was
Norton. Salialee hal already burnt his hands
horribly ON the iron door in his frantic at-
tcppts to open It,
With the aid Of the bar the door was fore
I'D and the appalling scene outside presented
itselfto our view. A sea of fire was opposite
US extending long distance up and down
Montgomery street on both sides, and roar
ing around the corner of Clay street. Tho
heat was witherihg.
Then commenced the race for life. Through
flames and smoke, binding suhocaGng and
scorching, VIC rushed at the top of our speed.
My hands and face were soon .bcnumbed. My
strength seemed failing, but l struggled and
staggered on in the only possible direction
for eseapc, up Montgomery street, until at
last passed the fiery ordeal and half dead
and blind, AZ last reached men and engine,
and was bathed with oil in an apothecary's
shop, aud finally got off 70 ToWksudry-s
the extreme north of the city, where l have
been since ! am now able TO be about the
streets My wounds are healing finely. They
arc not vNFy ,deep. Every one, excepting
Wheeler, was worse burned than |. Wheel
or saved himself with blanket Wells is
frightfnlly burned so is Gen. james Wilson
Whitcomb and Austin fell down in the hro,
and are so horribly burned that neither are
onpccted to live. They are both delirious,
aud the flesh hangs in shreds to their bones.
six or seven in neiglboring building, were
harmed up in the same way that We came so
near 10.