' lOI 



could talk, whistle, and when drunk outrivalled a 

 vaudeville comedian. This specimen had a crippled 

 wing. 



The fire was very intense, and the heat was 

 magnified b}^ the dense smoke-clouds and great showers 

 of sparks. At this time I was in my office, almost 

 directly opposite, and was surprised in the midst of 

 the trouble by the appearance of a large bird, which 

 at first I took for a pigeon, flying out of the fire-zone 

 and lighting upon the window sill. On closer inspec- 

 tion I recognized the sound specimen of the two 

 crows. The poor thing was terror stricken and hung 

 to the heated window for only a moment, and then flew 

 over the corner of the building to an adjacent house 

 top, simply to experience, I am afraid, but a temporary 

 respite from the fiery fate which befell his loquacious 

 companion. The bird had escaped when the heat 

 broke the plate glass window of thie saloon. 



One of the most extraordinary bird escapes was 

 the case of a Canary. Its cage had been crushed 

 by the falling-in of a building. It was absolutely flat 

 except at one corner, about life-size, in which was 

 imprisoned the bird. This still lives and sings, a 

 bright speck amidst the debris of the stricken city. 



My office building lasted, like an oasis in the 

 desert of flame, until after midnight. I was on special 

 duty. I retreated then by the one avenue of escape, 

 already deserted, and ultimately reached the park I 

 spoke of above, and found everything abandoned, 

 birds, chattels, and baggage alike. The military had 

 driven the populace just ahead of the fire as it 

 advanced. Here I had to drop my personal eff"ects — 

 you could have walked a mile or so on the tops of 

 abandoned trunks. 



