Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-23

in the hopes of saving the additional
articles which we had carried down stairs
During our departure. the men who
worked as hard as if they had been saving
their own personal effects had carried
down to the basement all of our type
writing machines excepting six, a total
Of 25 machines, our figuring and adding
machines. ! found in the street a de-
serted butcher wagon, without horse or
driver, and pressed it into service, and
we loaded on this wagon all OF the MAJ
chimes, my correspondence files and hastily
pressed into service what employees OF
the company had remained, wheeled the
wagon out OF the building and again
through the fire lines to a place OF safety
II cannot begin to describe our ex-
periences in pulling this wagon by hand
from Second and Mission to the Depart
ment OF Justice, a dozen blocks or more
away. ] had hoped to reach the water
front and thus secure a boat to remove
our valuable load to Hercules, where the
factory is located We found it impossible
to 20 any farther than the department,
as at that time other fires had started
along the water front and were working
to Join the main fire, which as early as
II 80 in the morning covered an area OF
20 square blocks We pulled the wagon
containing the typewriting machines
&c. up into a little park in front OF the
Department OF Justice and there ] left
I it with a guard Of several men while /
went to try and secure a team, it being
/ impossible for us to pull the wagon up
4 many steep hills, which would have been
necessary had we gone any further
obtained a wagon at a cost of $50 to take
the tvpewriters from this park to my
house By this time it was afternoon
and the Wells-Fargo Building, Palace
Hotel Call Building, and many other
landmarks Of that locality were all N
flames. | discovered that the fire had
been gaining south and east as rapidly
as il had been working toward the water
front, and / was obliged to work nearly a
mile out Of my way to reach my residence
where | found the greatest excitement
due TO the fact that the fire was less than
six blocks from the house in one direction
and the same distance in another dl-
rection. two separate fires, both working
their way toward Page street, where my
home was located. BY this time 1t wai
impossible TO secure a team at any price
and we could only sit by and wait toi
what we we're satisfied would be the
ultimate destruction Of our home anc
personal effects.
'sThe house in which we lived contains
four apartments, one Of which was occupied
~ a Mr.. Fuller, the owner Of the house
! and treasurer Of the Overland Iranste
, "a These people own over 100 larg
! draws and were unable in the excitemen
n lind a single one. However, about
I o'clocly that afternoon, one Of the drivers
, more faithful than some others, arrives
/ an tbe scene to see if he could aid MI
] Fuller. These people, as well as on
} other family, friends OF ours, had u
S niace 10 90, and it occurred to me tina
! ane NJ the safest places would be tn
/. comnanvis magazine property at ba
! View We consequently packed up a
{ our clothing and what small articles "
t could Get into trunks and vallses an
s ioaded them all on the large dray OF th
overland Transfer Co. We had all de
= cided to walk. as there was no room Q
b tba wagon for any, except the ladies,
= ,rb;cb there were seven in the party, g
d well as a baby 3 months old, and a DO
g af5 We decided not to desert the hou'
d mil we were convinced that it was lo'
l snd the wagon. with our effects, stoo
q Il front Of the house from $50 Wedne
n dav night until 2 O'Clock the followIr
) afternoon. All Of this time the tire wa
h growing closer and closer to the hou'
is rom several different directions, and it
it needless for me to say that l did not cloi
n NV eyes from Wednesday morning uni
d iafe Thursday night All night Wedne
It 'j.S 5aS the men Ia the house alternated wit
g watching tho approach Of the hre az
: renoaining with the women, who we
completely dressed, including hats ar
. coats ready to start at a moments notic
s @Tbe scenes in the streets in froi
of our house would be hard to desenn
n All night Wednesday continual strea
of people were passing in all manner al
s kinds of conveyances, a large malorl'
walking and pulling their trunks Dehn
n them. If it had not been so serious 81
beart-rending the sight would really ha
been amusing, to see people OF all static
IS and walks Of life pulling towards .
s mark and ocean what few belongings tn
r we're able to get into trunks, satcheis a.
other common carriers Many Wou
Walk few blocks and there camp un
the fire obliged them to move on, and
personally know Of people who stopg
haH dozen tinaOs in "a hours, traNen