Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-07-08

smoke and cinders-s surrounded BIZ walls Of
fire that rocked to and fro. ard fell Nth I'll
crash, amid the blazing ruins CARVING dawn
with them red bot roofs Of iron, he struggled
against an enemy that no boldncss could awe.
or courage overcome. These brave troops
bad heard the tramp of thousands of cavalry
sweeping to battles without fear; hut now
they stood ia stillterror before the march of
condagratiou, under whose burning footsteps
was heard the incessant crash OF falling hou
ses, and palaces and churches The contin-
uous roar OF the flames was more terrible than
the rear Of artillery. and before the new foe,
IN the midst of the elements. the awe struck
army stood powcrless and atrighkd
When night again descended en- the city,
it presented a spectacle the like Of which was
never seen before, and which battles all de-
scription, The streets were streets Of fire.
the heavens a canopy Of fire, and the entire
body Of the city mass Of FIRE. fed sby the
hurricane that whirled the blazing fragments
in constant stream through the air.. Inces.
SAINT explosions from the blowing up Of stores
Of oil, tar aud spirits, shook the very founaa-
tion Of the city and scut vast volumes of
smoke rolling furiously towards the sky.---
Huge sheets Of canvass on lire. came floating
hike messengers of death through the flames
the towers and domes Of the churches and
palaces glowcd with red bot heat over the
wild sea below, then tottering a moment on
their aasis were hurled by the tempest into
the common ruin Thousands Of wretchcs
before unseen were driven BY the heat from
lie
ccssant tbrong in the streets. Children we're
seen carving their parents--the strong the
weak, while thousands more were staggering
under the loads. Of piunder they had snatehea
from the flames This, too would frequent
ly take fire in tho falling shower, and the
miserable creatures would be compelled to
drep it, and fee for their lives. Oh. it was
scene Of fear aud voc inconecigable and in
describatle, A mighty andtiose packed city
of houses and churches and palaces wrapped
from limit to limit in flames which are fed BY
a whirling hurricane, is a sight this world
will seldom see.
But this was all within The city. To Ma
poleon without the spectacle was still more
sublime and terrific. When the flames had
overcome all obstacles and had wrapped eye-
cry thing in their red mantle, that great city
looked Ike sea Of rolling fire, swept by Ia
Huge domes and towers throwing Off sparks
like Slazing fire brands, now lowered above
the waves, and now disappeared in their mad
dening fow as they broke high over their
tops, scattering their spray of fire against the
clouds. The heavens themselves seemed to
have caught the con1agration, and the angry
masses that swept it rolled over bosom Of
fire columns Of fame wouldrisc and sink a.
long the surfacc Of the sea, and huge volumes
of black okosuddenly shoot into the air,
as if volcanoes were working below. The
black form Of the Kremliii alone lowered a
bovc the chaos, now wrapped In fame aud
smoke. and then began merging into view
standing amid the sence Of dcsolation and
terror Ike virtue in the midst Of burning
world, enveloped but unscathed by the de-
vouring elements. Napoleon stood and gaz
ed on this scene in silent awe Though near
iy three miles distant, the windows and walls
Of bis apartment were so hot that he could
scarcely bear bis hand against them. Said
he, years afterwards IA ys
1T was the spectacle Of the sea and bill
| lows of fire, a sky and clouds of fame. noun
| tains of red rolling fame, like immense waves
of the sea, alternately burning forth, and cl-
evating themselves to skies of fire, and then
1 sinking into the ocean below. Oh it was
the most naked, the most sublime and the
most terrific sight the world ever beheld
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