The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-02

would be upon u.s. Nearly every one
who expressed himeslf thought it al
most certain that we had but few
hours to live, unless some miracle de-
liyered US. This was my opinion and
that Of Mr. Marshall
1t was decided that when the fire
reached the next building to US that
we should divide into parties Of three,
two men to each woman; try to hold
On to our frail line, and commit our
bodies to the rushing water and our
souls to God.
There was no question but that that
woman with the child must have the
first chance, but the trouble was to
see any chance for any one.
Darkness came again, that is dark
ness within, but without lurid, faring
awful light We could not see each
others faces within, it was very cold,
and outside snow and rain was falling,
but little was thought Of cold, hunger
or thirst. We were waiting, waiting,
waiting to know whether it was to
be life or death.
thought of what might be going
on at home-of what the destruction
must be there; of my loves ones and
where they were, and 1 wondered
whether if l was rescued there would
be anything left to live for.
On the roof of the Phillips hotel
were men with megaphones. They
could see the fire, and they shouted
news of it's progress. We had no meg
aphone and it was difficult to call to
them. 1t was found that my voice
and that of another man seemed to
"carry" best to them, and I spent most
of Wednesday night standing on the
window sill receiving and repeating
bulletins
They came like this, hoarsely
through the air:
"Oh Callahan people, the fire has
worked one door nearer. What do
you say? No, the bank is not burning
yet The Beckel does not seem to
have caught yet"
"Oh, Callahan. Another store has
caught but the bank is safe yet. The
wind seems to be rising and blowing
this way"
This bank was the Fourth National,
| corner of Jefferson and Third streets.
1t was said to be fireproof. Our lives
depended on whether it's east wall
could resist the fire.
At / o'clock, ooh Callahan: Fire
seems to be going down. Think the
bank will stand. We believe your dan
ger is almost over"
There were long breaths and MUIR
murs of "Thank God" We had suf-
fered for nearly twelve hours. Was
it possible the worst was over.
No. A dreadful explosion seemed to
reno earth and sky. Sheets of blood
red and ghastly green fire Illuminated
everything, showers of burning en-
bers and sparks rained down, and hot
smoke drifted past l could only
think of the day of the last judgment.
The fire had leaped across Third
street and entered Lowe Bros paint
works, and apparently the whole con-
tents had exploded at once.
It seemed that absolutely all hope
was gone. Great masses Of burning
wreckage drifted down the current,
threatening to fire buildings in every
direction. Some of our people lost
not their courage but their judgment,
and wanted me, to start for the water.
I believe. l may have indirectly been
the means of saving number of lives,
by earnestly insisting that we should
stay till the last moment before jump
ing into the water BY protesting
much more hope and confidence than
1 really felt, and aided by some others,
we kept a number of people from
abandoning a faint hope to go to GER
tain death.
And yet the fire wall held, the wind
shifted, and as day broke on Thurs
day morning the fire was going away
from us and we were practically say
ed, after being for at least eighteen
hours in the immediate show of death.
By 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon
we were able to leave the buildings
where we had been imprisoned for
I 56 hours.
Our first news from home was "Pi-
nua practically Wiped out Remnant