The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-12-24
How he Saved Himself.

IItseuCe VI mluQ duu u[dVeIy III Iuo
face of peril was being discussed in the
Office of W. R. Rousenbark, general
manager of the Maple Leaf Route, the
morning after Thanksgiving. The cap
sizing of yacht off the lake-front the
day before suggested the theme.
After listening to the thrilling expert
ences which each Of the group present
related-and somehow on the occasion of
an exceptional accident people are prone
to talk thrillingly of what they have
passed through themselves-Mr. Rousen.
bark told a story. he did not need to
call our fancy to his aid to give interest
to his tale. He had been central figure
in the well.remembered burning of the
Newhall hotel in Milwaukee, being the
only person above the second floor who
dident perish in the terrible fire.
Referring to the manner in which he
escaped, he said that he owed his life to
the fact that man who was burned to
ashes in the flames the same night had
told him how he would try to save his
life in case of fire. :.
"This is how it was, boys" said Mr..
Rousenbark. "I got orders from my road
to meet one of our agents, named Ware,
who was to be transferred from Detroit to
Milwaukee, and introduce him to our pa
irons in the Cream City. I joined him
here in Chicago and we went to Milwsu.
kee together. 1t was the day of the New
hall hotel fire. On the trip, by strange
coincidence, we began talking about fires.
Ware, I think, brought up the topic.
Yes, it was Ware, and what started him
on the subject was the fact that he had
witnessed big fire in the Western Union
building at Detroit at which Eve lives
we're lost. Isn't it curious, Rousenbark, ,
said Ware to me, how common sense will
desert man in the hour of danger? I
saw the big fire in Detroit yesterday. A
number of operators could be seen stand.
ing helplessly and in wild despair at the
windows of the Western Union building.
There was a perfect network of telegraph
wires within twenty feet of them, by
jumping on which they might have saved
their lives. But they dident jump and
they perished. What is puzzling is that
the telegraph wires as means of er:ape
for the poor fellows did not occur to me
until after all was over"
"No accounting for these things,
Ware said I to the Detroit man, and
then we talked about other matters.
"That evening, after arriving at Mil
waukee, we went to hear Minnie Palmer
in My Sweetheart'-I remember it as if
it was but yesterday. About II o'clock
We reached the Newhall and were given
double bedded room. When 1 was
awakened by the heat and the sitting
smoke and pulled Ware out of bed and
the poor fellow dashed from the room and
toward the staircase. | never saw him
again, alive or dead, for he was burned to
ashes. rushed to one of the windows OF
my room and stood for fully half an hour,
dazed and bewildered. Right under the
window was network Of telegraph wires.
Poor Wares story of the Detroit incident
flashed across my mind. I jumped to-
ward the wires, and all that I remember
is that grabbed them. They told me
afterward that I hung on fer about a
minute, and then fell to the pavement
below. was put among the dead in the
old bank across from the hotel, but re
vived, and two months later I was able to
walk.
"Ware inspired me with the idea that
saved my life, and while he had the same
opportunity that l had he did not avail
himself of it.
sit is idle, boys, to talk of what one
would be sure to do under given circum-
stances. There is no accounting for what
man will do when he is looking into the
laws of DEATH"
All the boys looked thoughtful, and
agreed that it WAS so.-Chicago HeraM
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