Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-17

Cases are of rare occurrence in which.
- in Byron's 'sPrisoner Of Chiffon ones
hair grows white
"In single night,
Al mems have eTown from sudden fears"
bat there is well authenticated instance
Of this kind in the person of Charles b.
Wardrop.
This Newall House fire in Milwaukee
wildly recalls an incident I'm my early
life," remarked Wardrop to reporter who
dropped into his store yesterday afternoon
for few samples of the fragrant weed.
MY white hairs date from February 20.
1858, and if you care to hear the story
will tell it to you. The old Pacific Hotel
in this city was opened for the reception
Of guests. on Seventh and Poplar streets,
on June 20, 1857. The hotel was three
stories high, the first story being occupied
by stores, and it was very good hotel
for those days. was about % years old
at that time. and after serving a while as
clerk, changed for the position OF head
porter. The house had been opened less
than a year, when, on February 90. 1858.
it was swept by such fatal fire as this
city has never seen before or since. That
night 80 occupants Of the house persisted
in the flames. and it was by the merest
chance that was not included in the num-
Der. had given up my room for that
night, and was sleeping with eight others.
mostly railroad men, in the same room on
the third floor of the house. About two
O'Clock in the morning ! was awakened
by the fierce cracking of the flames, and
was conscious of a sheet of fire rolling
through the chamber in which we were
sleeping. rolled out on the floor and
crawled along on my hands and knees
under the flames, which filled all the up
per part of the room. The stencil from the
roasting bodies of my dead companions was
fearful, and expected to meet the same
fate. Although badly scorched kept my
presence OF mind and crawled along out
Of the room, through the hall and to the
stairways leading to the second floor. On
attempting to descend them fell through
the fire which had destroyed them. setting
my shirt on fire. and striking on the BAN
listers leading from the first to the second
story and breaking two ribs. From this
place gained the street and was saved.
OF the other eight men in the room not
one escaped. Among the dead was Mr..
Gerry, a newspaper man. In making my
escape my hair was singed off my head.
and when it grew out it was white as
snow. The terrible experiences of that
night whitehead it completely, and, al
though succeeding growths have had
some dark hair mingled with them, my
head Is still very white, as you see. A
long investigation was conducted after the
fire, but its cause was never July ex-
planned. 1t was proved that the watch
man. who persisted in the flames, was
drunk that night, and, although some
thought the fire incendiary. | always
charged it to some swinging lamps in the
back part OF the house. The night was
bitter cold and the wind blew fiercely.
The fire department, which had recently
been organized, was hindered by frozen
fre-plugs- From that day to this / have
never slept in room that was not within
easy jumping distance of the ground. al
though have travelled great deal and
stopped in many hotels. Whenever l
could not get room suting me in that
particular I have frequently spent the
night in chair in an hotel office. From
my experience have good opportunity
to judge of what the poor people in the
Milwaukee fire suffered, and | can tell
you that it must have been something ter
rible."-lSt. Louis Globe Democrat.