The water we used was brought by my son in a wash-boiler
in his automobile. He got it out near the Park. People all cooked in
improvised kitchens made in the street. As we were prohibited from
making fires in the house, I improvised a kitchen on the street. I found
some pieces of board which were blown into the street and partially
covered with brick and stone, from St. Luke's Church and with some
portieres from the house constructed a rude shelter, and put a laundry
stove in it, so we could make coffee, stew, and fry after a fashion.
Some people set up a cooking stove, many set up two rows of bricks, with
a piece of sheet iron laid across. Our door-bell was rung several
evenings, and we were ordered to "put out that light."
About noon on the 20th the blocks between Pacific and Filbert were on
fire at Jones Street, and the fire was again threatening Van Ness
Avenue, but several engines were pumping, from one to another, saltwater
from Black Point and had a stream on the west side of Van Ness until it
was saved.
While the fire was threatening, I went up to my daughter's (Mrs.
Oxnard's) and told the servants to get things ready to take out. I would
go back home, and if it crossed Van Ness I would return, but if I did
not return in fifteen minutes they might consider the danger over. It
did not cross. While this pumping was going on, and when the fire had
approached the east side of Van Ness Avenue, one of the engines in the
line suddenly stopped.
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