The colored American., 1901-06-08


is confined to BOylan Home. In COM
pany with others from the Home [
saw much Of the fire, and the awful
destruction wrought among our peO-
pie, and when night fell on that un-
fOrgettable Friday l knew that hun
dredS, perhaps thousands, would sleep
or spend the night out in the fields and
along the streets that the fire had
spared. As soon as it was found that
the Home was out Of danger-and
thaC knowledge came after trunks
were packed and other preparations
made Tor getting out on short notice
corps of teachers and older girls
haStened to render what aid was DOS
sIble to any that might be in need and
TO tell that BOylan was safe and that
her doors were open. There were,
three hours that seemed to span a life
tlne. Into burning houses they went
hunting Tor aged people and babies
TO look back now and recall the MANY
trunks that were pulled to the side
walks, not to speak Of the heavier
pieces OF furniture, it seemed Incredi-
DIE tnat mere girls and weak women
could have done what | saw with nv
own eyes up and down the blazing
streets. So many worked with what
looked 10 be Superhuman strength. OnIv
10 see the result Of their labOrs CON
SuIneu Ill front of their eyes while
waiting Tor removal drayS Many. in
tneIr frantic zeal to save a few treas
ureS from the burning. so exhausted
their physical strength that they are
Tn Il
themselves from place to place
thIIlK IL safe as well as conservative
10 say that no one disposed to help
Heeu Iear that the situation is not ap>
paIlIng enough. As one very conserya.
1--WE gentleman here writing to North
efn friends put it, Take the worst AZ.
count that you have read, add TO thar
the worst you can imagine. and then
You will not have pictured the main
horrors that are now abundantIy scat
Iefeu ali over our ruined city"
III every great calamity a goOdIy
crop OF men and women, who either
desire TO pose as the Moses of the
people or put themselves where they
can ill their pockets from the gifts
OF the humane, spring up like the bib
Ilcal gOurd. This is so among all neo,
pie, and ours is no exception to the
general rule. Then we know what
possibilities Il fearful disaster like this
one offers to those afflicted with the
'cOmmittee-fOrming'' habit. No word
or mine Is needed for or against this
phase of JackSOnyiIIe's visitation.
know that while one class was reSo-
IutInS and pouring over the where
ass, another class was searching ont
the afflicted and in a hundred ways
supplying their needs until the COM
mitteeS were in shape TO disseminate
hOnOrs and relief. On the night of the
nre, While the air was thick with the
smell of burning, while the heavens
were like a great horror study from
the palette of Titan, and the sense of
deSolation abroad, it was my privilege
TO be one of very small number
which by chance met on the steps Of
Boylan Home, who tried to sketch out
some practical plan for quick relief for
the hundreds whom the morning light
would disclose who would need every
thing. 1t was the general thought that
any quick effort made TO relieve the
peOple-any effort to check the first
sense of despair and to show the peO-
pie that something would be quickly
done; that someone was Fastening to
their rescue, would rally the sinking
spirits Of the afflicted more than any
thing else at that time, and enable the
ToIuOtnnrS tO pOrrpptIV di3 oOOSa thn sir