The Burning of the Pacific Press Plant
By M. C. Wilcox
Editor Review and Herald, DEAR BROTHER: How can I write the sad news? Yesterday afternoon at the close of a week of hard labor, many of the employees in the Pacific Press left for the camp-meeting in Oakland, to remain over Sabbath, a few to stay through the meeting. Others went to their homes to rest. A number met together to study the Sabbath-school lesson. All retired to rest with no thought of danger or trouble. But at twelve o'clock the fire-alarm of our little town sounded a clamorous appeal. Little did any one think that it was the splendidly equipped Pacific Press plant that had been selected by the fire-fiend for destruction. Yet so it was. With merciless activity the fire demon wrought. Starting in the northeast corner, in or near the photo-engraving room, in an incredibly short space of time it had spread throughout the building. In two hours it was a mass of smoking embers. The fire department in the town did noble, faithful, energetic work, with their meager apparatus. No fire hydrant was nearer the office than two blocks, and with only seven hundred and fifty feet of hose, but one stream could be played on the fire. Our own tanks were useless, as the tank-house was afire, and the engine room burning fiercely. Pine floors and roof and paper fed the voracious element, and soon the whole building was a ruin, roof in, and paper and timbers burning fiercely. By brave, strenuous work seven typewriters were saved and several desks, and some books and files. The mailing lists (stencils) of The Signs of the Times and Our Little Friend are lost, but we hope that we have a tolerably late list in Brother Tait's desk, which was saved. Our vault, in which were stored many plates, collapsed or blew open from confined gases. What the damage is from fire and crush we do not know as yet, but we hope most of its contents are safe. The contents of our safe are, we believe, intact. Of the buildings, the lower part of our tank-house was saved and our boarding-house entire; the latter was badly blistered. For the safety of the boarding-house, which had not yet been insured, we are grateful. Here the firemen did heroic work. Our principal losses having immediate effect upon our work are as follows:— 1. Our machinery. The earthquake left our machinery almost uninjured. The fire destroyed it all, as well as the place of operation. 2. A large stock of our own books, tracts, and pamphlets, for which there is constant call. 3. We were just completing a twenty-thousand-edition of “Heralds of the Morning,” and the plates were still on the press. These are totally destroyed, as well as many copies in process of binding. 4. Our periodicals. I believe Our Little Friend, containing Sabbath-school lessons up to August 18, had been mailed. The last lesson but one in August was burned, but the last had not arrived. These we expect at once from Washington. Our Senior Lesson Quarterly for October to December was about ready for the press. Our Washington office will have to furnish us new copy at once. 5. All our Signs copy, much of which was of great worth, hundreds of valuable photos, gathered from all parts of the world, fine drawings, together with the drawings for “Desire of Ages,” “Story of Redemption,” “Mount of Blessing,” and others, worth many thousand dollars, hundreds of electro plates, and our valuable reference library, containing volumes we can by no means duplicate,—all, all were licked up by the red tongues of flame. We had some manuscripts in hand for books, some of which had not been passed upon, some in the process of making, which were consumed. We hope that the authors have copies of these. Notable in the list was the manuscript of Brother and Sister Palmer's new book, about half of which was in type, and a little book of Brother Sadler's, which was nearing completion. Excellent articles from our missions were all burned. Some of our outside customers suffered considerably. Among our employees the editor was the chief sufferer in valuable books, manuscript, etc. The entire loss of building, machinery, stock, etc., is estimated at $250,000. Our insurance amounts to $100,000. Pray that we may have no trouble in obtaining it. Little did I think when I placed the Bible inscription on our Earthquake and Fire Special: “And after the earthquake a fire,” that it would prove a prophecy of the Pacific Press; but so it has, and a prophecy so fearful that we are, humanly speaking, still under its garment of ashes. The awful fire has its lessons; we are trying to learn them. The first and most important is, Christ longs to be, must be if we are successful, all in all. He by living faith must be our author, our life-bond, our finisher. All our plans, all our facilities, are nothing without him. Secondly, he would have us learn that institutions are secondary, and principles personified in men are primary; that the thing he wants spread abroad is his mighty gospel message of living principles, not the fame of institutions; that institutions are of worth, and only of worth, as they are used to his glory, wholly subordinate to his principles of truth; that true gospel unity is not based in any way on compromise of truth or principles of righteousness, but on individual life-union with Jesus Christ. Thirdly, that the help we are to get from this world will not be obtained by seeking it in worldly ways and by worldly means, and supporting it by unconsecrated hearts and hands; but it will come when God and his righteousness are first, and then he will move upon hearts to give it in his own wiser way, a way which will bring worldly men to Christ, and not lead his children into the world. Fourthly, that the return of apostolic times means a return to apostolic power; and that apostolic power was primarily power over sin by the indwelling Spirit of God, whose glory he can not give to another. These are the lessons which in humility of soul some—most of us, I believe—are endeavoring to learn. As our chapel, in which the church held meeting, was destroyed, we met at 3 P. M. to-day in front of our boarding-house. It was a good season of worship. After singing “Jesus, lover of my soul,” and “The cross that he gave may be heavy,” prayer was offered by Brother Palmer. Remarks were made by C. H. Jones, A. O. Tait, E. R. Palmer, W. T. Knox, H. W. Cottrell, and the writer. There was a hearty response to the word spoken, and nearly all in the congregation signified their desire to consecrate themselves anew to God and his work. Just what steps will be taken, we do not know. Our periodicals will be issued. It is now hoped that our lists are preserved in our vault. A council meeting will be held to-night of the Pacific Press board and leading brethren. The results I will send later. This report is written on paper fished from the fire. We plead for the prayers of our brethren and sisters in this great and awful calamity. We are of good courage, but we long for the clear leading of God.