Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-12-05
Fifty Years Age.

Mr.. j. b. Harrison, of Summitville,
Coffee county, Tenn, a well-preserved
old gentleman of siXty-nine years,
was in McNinnville one day this
week, and gave us for publication the
following interesting account of a
trip from Philadelphia to New York
in December 1885, fifty years ago,
made blythe Franklin Fire Company,
of Philadelphia, Mr.. Harrison being
a member of the company at that
time. The great fire which broke
out in New York on Dec. 10th, 1885,
and ragged for several days, was the
largest fire that had ever been known
on this continent up to that time, and
Mr.. Harrison narrates the noble eff
forts the Philadelphia boys made in
going to the rescue as follows:
In the year 1885, Dec. 10th, the
great fire in New York City brokeou
Friday, the 18th, the mayor Of New
York sent for the firemen of Phila-
delphia to come and help put it out.
AS quick as the boys of the Ben
Franklin heard it we assembled to-
gether, % of us manned the rope and
started for the Walnut street wharf
to get on the boat to cross to Camden
and take the railroad. The river was
SO full of heavy floating ice the boat
could not cross. There were other
firemen there who, when they found
they could not cross the river, return
ed home. We concluded to go to
Kensington road and get on there.
When we got to the road we found
the ice so thick on the rails that the
cars could not run; it was raining
and freezing as fast as it fell. We
then concluded to go afoot. 1t was
then four o'clock. The word was
given, "Man the rope, boys, we will
go to the Trenton bridge and cross
the Delaware"
We got to Trenton at u o'clock
that night, and went to the tavern.
When we entered the room we found
a large stove red hot; the ice was
about an inch thick on our coats and
hats. In a short time the ice melted
and the floor was full of water. After
we warmed little we got up on the
seats the best we could to get out Of
the water and to rest. 1t was not
long, however, till we got cold, and
concluded that we had better start on
our journey. The word was given
and away we went for theSand Hills.
1t was then Saturday morning about
o'clock, and some of our boys were
getting weak. On the way we hired
a man with horse to help us along
to Sand Hills.
About five miles from Sand Hills
there was large house, and some Of
our boys proposed to stop and gel
some supper, it being nearly night
We halted and asked them for sup.
per; they would not let us have any
although we offered to pay them well
for it. We were forty miles from
home and had not stopped to eat 8
meal. Some of the boys had given
out, and some said they could moi
go much further. While we were
talking to the man of the house, one
OF our boys stepped to the back par
of the house to get a drink of water
and seeing through the window {
large table filed, he called all thu
boys to come and look. A large Ia
BILE loaded with everything good t.
eat that a man could wish for, wa,
more than our hungry boys could re
sist, and so we filed in at one door a
a large company of guests entered a
another. We sat down and ate ;
hearty supper, The other crowd hat
to take stand against the wall unit
we got through. No one helped us
but we helped ourselves, as it was al
before us. When we got through w
were polite enough to thank then
for supper, and then rolled on to Sane
Hills.
When we arrived at Sand Hill
that night only six of us were left
and the man and horse we had hired
We went to the tavern and gotta goo,
nights rest. The next morning wa
Sunday. The railroad company hat
men all along the road breaking ic
off the rails. BY Sunday night on
-. =. 90, L