The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-01

The Experience OF % Chicago Man at tho
Great Fire.

Justice John X. Prindiville had
the experience Of being carried
through the city on mattress, as at
the time of the fire he was unable
t0 walk. Tho FrinGiyiiie residence
stood, in the days before the fire, at
the intersection of Chicago avenue
and State street. 1t was spacious
house, in the center of % large yard,
and was in what was then the most
fashionable residence district of Chi
cago. A fall i'll IL gymnasium some
three weeks before the fire had left
Justice Prindiville Il cripple for the
time being, and he was confined to
his bed.
"Late Sunday night friend of
the family came to the house." said
the justice, land called my father to
one side, telling him that the city
was burning mp. My six brothers
told me as soon as they were dressed
not to worry, as there were enough
of them to care for me. l assured
them | was not fretting, and while
they mado preparations to move mo
to place Of safety I, from my sick
room window. could see the rcflec-
ton Of the fire, then just beginning
to get under way on the South Side.
Father sent one of the boys to
Wright's livery barn, at State and
Kinzie streets, where our horses
were kept, to get them and the car
riages, which he intended to use in
moving my mother, who was also
i'll, and myself as we'll as what Drop
erty he could save.
ut SO happened, continued JUS
tice Prindiville, that Wright IS barn
was the first building to burn OH the
North Side. When it was learned
by the other boys that our horses
were gone. one of them went out
and in some manner got possession
of an old express wagon. l don't
know how he did it, but I have al
ways thought he must have turned
burglar for the noncc, as vehicles of
all descriptions were then ut pre-
MUM. They started to carry mo
out Of the house OH Il mattress. The
front door was too narrow, and they
had to improvise stretchcr from Il
sheet. remember that it was just
at daylight Monday morning, and
was calmly smoking my pipe. This
annoyed father, who told me to stop
smoking, for fear would set the
house on fire. Four hours afterward
the whole building was smoldering
mass of rubbish.
''Three of the brothers pulled the
wagon, for want of IL horse, and
was taken to Elm and Dearborn
streets. There they left me, while
they hurried back to save az much
property as they could FGr three
hours tossed about in the bottom
of that wagon, unable to rise, while
steady stream Of excited and in
many cases frantic people poured
past Inc, seeking shelter in Lincoln
park. Many Of them put things into
the wagon and asked me to watch
them. One man had three dishpans,
and another some valuable oil paint
ings. a woman ran by, distinctly
remcmber, with Il big billy goat
c]asped in her arms, and little girl
left cat in my charge All the
property threw out OF the wagon,
but [ kept the cat
Somewhere one of the boys hired
truck with IL team, got my mother
and came where was and took lis
to St. Joscph's hospital. We wero
left there, and the boys and father
hurried back 10 save all they could
from the house. They took the fam
lily silverware and other valuables
to the beach ut Lincoln park and
buried them IN the sand. AS far as
we have been able to learn up to the
present time. the property il still in
the sand.
Late Monday night it was feared
OH all sides that the fire would come
as far north as the hospital. The
scene i'll the institution when the
sick ana injured learned of the rev
fear ! will mover forget. Mother
and were not worried, for we knew
father and the boys would come for
us, but the friendlcss and poor IA
tients were i'll Il frenzy of fear, many
of them giving up to despair. Pray
ers and curses were mingled, and
more than one unfortunate, unable
to help himself, tried to crawl away.
Father did come for US, and we
were taken to the home OF friends
on Warren avenue, out of the path
of the fire. Tho hospital was not
burned, but the excitement there ]
will always remember. Chicago
News.
Married To Flower Vase.