d a loaded gun, and
appeared very important, I quickly obeyed his polite order. As I
reluctantly ascended Clay Street in charge of the soldier, I held back
long enough to see the steeple of the Presbyterian Church fall. I stayed
at Gough Street a while, looking down upon my house, expecting every
minute to see the flames coming out of it. I watched from Gough Street
with much anxiety, and made up my mind that I would see if I could not
get back into my house, for I believed I could save it. The heat was so
intense that it had driven the guards away from Van Ness Avenue; so,
seeing no one near, I quietly slipped down the north side of Washington
Street to Franklin. As no one was around there, I continued to
Washington and Van Ness and, putting up my coat-collar and protecting
the side of my face with my hat, I ran along Van Ness to my front door
and quickly got into the house again at 5:40, being kept out fifty-five
minutes. My clothing got very hot but was not scorched. This I did at a
great risk of my life, for these soldiers were very arrogant and
consequential at having a little brief authority, and I was afraid they
would not hesitate to shoot on slight provocation. I felt provoked and
disgusted that I had to take such a risk to enter my own house. When I
returned, Mr. Merrill's house had been dynamited, and the two churches,
St. Luke's and the First Presbyterian, the Bradbury house at the corner
of Van Ness and California Street, and the Knickerbocker Hotel
adjoining, and the Gunn house, corner of Clay and Franklin, had shared
the same fate.

On getting into my house again, I saw that the Neustadter house, at the
corner of Sacramento and Van Ness, was half-consumed, but it had not set
on fire the Spreckels residence, and as at this time Mr. Merrill's
house, which had been dynamited the second time, was so demolished, I
felt that I could consider that my house had passed the critical time,
for I hoped that Mr. Merrill's house in burning would not endanger the
west side of Van Ness.

But now a new danger threatened. The range of blocks from the north side
of Washington Street to the south side of Jackson were on fire at Hyde
Street, and the flames coming toward Van Ness Avenue, with the
possibility of crossing. The Spreckels stable on Sacramento and also the
houses back of the Neustadter residence were now on fire. This, I knew,
would set fire to the three Gorovan cottages, two other two-story
houses, and the dynam