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

The Experience of Chicago Man at tn.
Great Fire.


Justice John X. Prindiville had
the experience of being carried
through the city on mattress, as al
the time of the fire he was unable
to walk. The Prindiville residence
stood, in the days before the fire, at
the intersection of Chicago avenue
and State street. twas a spacious
house, in the center of a large yard,
and was in what was then the most
fashionable residence district of Chi
cago. A fall in q gymnasium some
three weeks before the fire had left
Justice Prindivillo 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 up. My six brothers
told me as soon as they were dressed
not to worry, as there wero enough
of them to care for me. 1 assured
them was not fretting, and while
they made preparations to move me
to place of safety I, from my sick
room window, could see the refec-
tion 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 well as what prop
erty he could save.
1T so happened,' continued jus
tice Prindiville, that Wright's barn
was the first building to burn on 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. don't
know how he did it, but / have al
ways thought he must have turned
burglar for the nonce, as vehicles of
all descriptions were then at a pre-
MUM. They started to carry mo
out Of the house OH a mattress. The
front door was too narrow, and they
had to improvise stretcher from a
sheet. l remember that it was just
at daylight Monday morning, and 1
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 Il smoldering
mass of rubbish.
"Three of the brothers pulled the
wagon, for want OF % horse, and l
was taken to Elm and Dearborn
streets. There they left me, while
they hurried back to save as much
property as they could. For three
hours I tossed about in the bottom
of that wagon, unable to rise, while
a steady stream of excited and in
many cases frantic people poured
past me, 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. y woman ran by, distinctly
remember, with Il big billy goat
c]asped in her arms, and 4 little girl
left Il cat in my charge. All the
property threw out of the wagon,
but kept the cat.
Somewhere one of the boys hired
a truck with IL team, got my mother
and came where was and took us
to St. Joscph's hospital. We wero
left there, and the boys and father
hurried back TO save all they could
from the house. They took the fam
lily silverware and other valuables
to the beach at Lincoln park and
buried them in the sand AS far as
we have been able to learn up to the
present time, the property is still III
the sand
Late Monday night it was feared
OH al sides that the fire would come
as far north as the hospital. The
scene in the institution when the
sick and injured learned of the new
fear | will never forget. Mother
and were not worried, for we knew
father and thu boys would come for
us, but the trlendlcSs and poor pa
tients were in 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. The hospital WAS not
burned, but the excitement there l
will always remember. -ClicaSo
News.
Married to II Flower Vase.
Among the curious marriage Gus