Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-11-17


through The infected districts, in The dead Of
night, TO collect and inter the bodies of those
who expired in the course of the day The
distant tinkling of bell, and The glare of torch
es announced the approach Of the dead cart, ,fIand
as II came near the houses with the cross upon
ihem,gihe men attending il uteredS alternately
the well known cry, e Brig out .your deadr'
10 this call, the response OF the Inmates was
often wall of sorrow as they brought their
dead iothe door, sometimes barelyAoyered, but
commonly wrapped up like malnniesNin the
bed linen on which they had breahed their
last. The bodies thus obtained we're lodged
one upon another i'll he vehicle, and being cOn-
veyed 10 the edge OF broad deep pit prepared
10 receive them. the beard at the end Of the
cart was removed, and they were made to fall
as they might into their places. This done,
the workmen Covered them Immediately with
a layer of earth, upon which others in their turn
were thrown in the same manner, until the
dreaded receptacle became full 10 within few
feet of the surface
1.-The mental sufefirgs Of persons whose
imagina,ions followed the objects of their af-
leciions TO such scene must have been great
Il is well knownIhat grief and excitement not
unfrequenty obtained visible mastery over the
understanding. The unwonled course Of things
about them filled the minds of many with ideas
of the supernatural They saw spirits walking
the earth, and could trace out fearful sights in
the heavens; and there were those who believed
themselves commissioned 10 announce the wrath
of the Almighty One man took opon him the
mission of Jonah. Another, naked, except a
slight covering around his waist, and sometimes
with vessel of burning Goals raised above his
head, traversed the city day and night, without
appearing TO tire or rest exclaining, tOh! the
great, the dreadful Godr' But the cause which
served to push religion 10 the extreme of Ganat-
icisln In some, seemed 10 expel all sense of it
from others. In The language Of these, life was
short: its probable end to-morrow; the future
was dream; and the fcol only could suffer the
fleeing movements that mi ght remain 10 pass
in waillng rather than in pleasure. Thus the
darkest hour of calamity became marked by the
utmost license in crime. Oath and impreCa-
tions in one quarter, mingled with The adora-
ations and prayers which asceBded from an0-
ther; the song Of the drunkafd blending with
the hymn Of the devouI; one class eagerly bent
on riot and sensuaIiiy, converting the tavern
and brohel into species OF pandemonum;
whilst another and happily much larger one,
manifested new solctude to dliuse the ben
ils Of piety and charity, which the horrors
around them had done much to purify and exalt
Within a few months afterwards came ano-
ther vial of wrath in The form Of fire upon our
then as now most guilty metropolis. 1t broke
out on the second of September 666, after an
unusually hot and suliry August, on the premi
ses OF baker i'll Pudding Lane, near London
Bridge The habi,ations about ii were unhap-
,,c 81 lal har
with The roofs and partitions Of them covered
with pitch as protection against bad weather,
and being in the centre Of enormous stores in
which tar, hemp, other naval materials, oils,
wines, c0als, rosin and foreign spirits were de-
posted. Sir Thonas Bludworih having TO act
as chief magistrate, proved quite unequal 10 his
functions. The sainrs urged an explosion OF
those hosses through gnnPowder; which lay IN
the path Of the conflagatlon; step, which had
il been taken in time, might have prevented
much mischief Little or nothing efieclual
was done, and the fiery deluge spread Street
after street became pyramids OF flames, and
then heaps Of s,noulderng ruins. By night The
whole slope OF The city towards the nver from
the Three Cranes in the Fintry 10 more than
mile westward, 'was an arch oil fire; sieeples,
churches, public edfces, sinking one after ano-
her oul OF sight, amid clouds ofssmoke, The
glare Of flames, and an incredible noise produ-
ced by the violence Of The wind, the rush OF
the confagraiion aud the frequent crash OF
roofs, as they iumbIed successiyely towards the
ground. The element which thus ragged on
earth seemed also TO have taken possession OF
the heavens, which gowed with changeiul
and terrific brightness, so that the lurid effect
was observed at the distance of forty or fifty
miles. Evelyn, who was an eyewitness ex-
claimed, God grant hat may never behold
the like. saw ten Thousand abodes IN one
flare; the noise, and cracking and thunder OF
The mpetuous baze-the shrleklng OF women
and chIdren--the hurry Of people fall Of tow
ers and churehes-it was like hIdeous storm;
and the air all about so hot and iniiamed, that
at last, ore was not able 10 approach II, so that
all seemed forced 10 stand stlll and 10 lei The
flames burn on, which they did for nearly two
miles in length and one IN breadth" The
melied lead ian in streams along the streets;
and when al last the destruction paused, out o
nearly a hundred churches, and more than hlf-
,aon thnns,uI I,aIlses heSiIeS pubic buildings,