The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-22
WEATHER FORECAST. t washIngton, April 31--For Alabama --Fair sunday and Monday, variable winds.

did not even overcharge me. He was particular to give me the right change.
 The soldiers came and told us to move on, It seemed the natural thing to do By this time the fire was creep ing dangerously close and we would have walked to the ferry. We tried 1t on a score of streets, but that wall of fire was always there. It seemed to creep in front of us.
 And in front of the fire always walk cd the soldiers. A number of times hired express wagons We would ride for a few blocks and get out on the sidewalk Tn not single instance were we charged more than reason able price for the ride.
 "once we loitored until the soldiers came up. A rough fellow who had been standing by my side tried to dart through the line.
 "A young lieutenant caught him by the coat. Here he called to his men, shoot this man.
 q hurried on without looking back. I don't remember that I heard shot fired. but at the time 1t seemed so tri- vial matter that did not pay much attention. The air was filled with the roar of explosions. They were dyna- hitting great blocks. Sailors were training guns to rake rows Of resi- dencs.
 All the while we were moving on- ward with the crowd. Clnders were falling about us. At times our cloth ing caught fire. just little embers that smoked once and went out The sting burned our faces as we used our hand kerchiefs for wells.
 ..Everybody around us was using some kind of cloth to shield his eyes. It looked curious to see expressmen and teamsters wearing those wells.
 "Quite naturally we seem to come to Golden Park. It seemed as though we had started for there. By this time the darkness was settling.
 Tt was a weird twilight. The glare from the burning city threw kind of red flame and shadow about us. It seemed uncanny; the figures about us moved like ghosts. The wind and fog blew chill from the ocean and we walked about to keep warm. Thous- ands were walking about too. but there was no disturbance. Families trudged along. There was no hurry. All ap- peared to have time to spare. The streets, walks and lawns were wig sIing with little parties. one or two families in each. The men had brought bedding and blankets and they made impromptu shelters to keep out the fog.
 "rhe cinders kept flying They seemed at times to come down right against the wind. They stung my face and made me restless.
 All night we moved about the hills. Thousands were moving with us. As the night wore on the crowd grew.
 Near daylight the soldiers came to the park They were still moving in front of the fire.
 q had brought a little store of pro- visions before nightfall and l somehow had kept them. It seemed easy to keep things there I walked over to the squad of soldiers and picked up tin bucket and got some water. There was water in the park all night. l boiled some eggs and we ate break fast. Then we concluded to try to make our way back Q the water front. We did this bceRs.a the soldiers were dflv- ing us from thSt part of the hills. The flames were still after us.
 we walked toward the water front for hours. Part of the time 1t was through the burned district. The streets were rough, the sido@alks jagged and broken. The women suf- fered severely. Jagged stones and wires cut their thin shoes from their feet. Bandages did no good.
 The Worst of All
 
 was the worst of all. Don't ask me much about that. I wish I could blot it out. We walked past automobiles standing useless, the supply of gaso- line having given out. Dead horses lay along our path. Some were burned to crisp. It would have been well if all could have been.
 "On Howard street near Market lay the charred. half burned bodies of two
 hA Aalxy rrye saw in the streets. One was apparent ly pinned under the debris but the other lay half burned in the open road.
 The dumb horror of 1t seemed to reach right into ones heart. Walking and resting we reached the ferry near sunset We had come back through a burned district some four miles. do not understand how the women stood it.
 other parties staggered past us. They were reeling but not from wine. caught us. But the end came at last. We reached the ferry and the boats were running. The soldiers were there, too. They semed to be everywhere. They were offering milk to the women and children.
 All were permitted to take the boats. Notices were posted to the ef- feet that those without money could get tickets by applying to the office.
 The real terror of what they had seen and endured was stamped on ev- cry face on that boat. There was no class distinction. Through that day and night all had been quiet.
 We are in Los Angeles now. It hardly seems real. If it were not from the sting of the cinders that still sticks to my face l would think if irrh ina re-