The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-07-05

IhE uHrWl AZ lrhHN gave MA4t anu llt GOO
my marshal lay and painted in utter eEhaus-
ton, But the night Of tempest had been sue
ooeded by . day Of tempest, and when night
again snyeloped the city IL was one broad
flame, waving 10 and fro in tho blast The
wind had increased 10 a perfect hurricane,
and shifted from quarter 10 quarter a. II on
purpose 10 swell tho sea Of FIRE aud oxiin-
guiHtI thu last hope, The f--.r4s- ..t.i..s.sl.
ing the 4iremlinj and already the roar ~ the
flames, and the crash ~ the1sFiinF houses,
aud the cracking Of burning Gmbers, ware
l,eFns 20 the saFs -sf il4e appalled, Emperor.=
Ha arose and walked 10 and fro,siopping con-
yulaiyoly and gazing on the terrfr scene
Muat Eugene and Boril Ter rushed into his
presence apd on t,eir kncca bTsougEf Hm
to lec but be- still hung to that naughty pal
ace NJ if it were his empire
But at length the shout The Krcmlin Is
on FIRE was heard above the roar Of tho
conn,gration, and Napoleon reluctantly con-
scented 90 Lave. lie descended 10 tho street
with HE staff and looked about for a way of
cgrcss, but tuo AaLacs blockadcd every pas
= sage, Al length they discovered posiern
gate leading 20 the Mo-kwn, and entered still
further into the danger. IS Napoleon cast
his eye around the open space girled and
archcd with Ere, smoke and cinders, he saw
one single street yet open, but all on fire.
Into this he rushed, and, amid tho crash Of
falling houses and raging Of the flames over
burBing ruins, through clouds Of rolling smoke
and between walls Of Grr, be pressed on, and
at length, half m0ocatcd, emerged in safety
In the imperial palace Of Petrowsky, nearly
three miles distant MOriier relieved Of his
anxiety for the Enperor,r r,re,louhled his efforts
10 arrest the conAagraton. llis men cheer
fully rushed into eyeFy- danger, Breathing
nothing but smoke and ashcs--canopied by
fame smoke, and cindcrs-surround hy
lyallA of lra thai F.-lcri - and I'm, Hrri-
With a crash amid the blazing ruins, carry
ing down with them red hot roof Of irun-he
struggled against m enemy that no holiucss
could awe or courage overcome. These brave
troops had heard the tramp Of thousand. Of
cavalry sweeping 20 battle. without f,nr hut
noW they siaal ia siill tarror hsiari tha march
OF the counnrrntion, under whose hnrning
footsteps was heard the iuccssan, crash OF
falling haises. and palaces. aad -ehaEeAes.-
Tho continuous roar Of the flames was more
terrible than the roar Of the artillery. and be-
fore this new foe, IN the midst of the elements
the awc-struck army stood powcrless and at.
=GiaLiad- d--.--
When night again descended on the city,it
presented spectacle the like Of which was
never seen before, (which hafllcs all dcscrip-
ton. The streets were streets of fire. the
heavens a canopy of.Grc, and the entire body
of the city a mass of fire, fed by the hurri.
cane that whircd the blazing fragments in a
constant stream through the air. Inccssant
explosions. from the blowing up Of stores Of
oil, tar, and spirits shook the very founda
ton of the city, aud sent vast volumes of
smoke rolling furiously towards the sky
Huge sheets Of canvas on FIRE came floating
like messengers Of death through the flames
tho towers and domts OF the churches and
palaces glowcd with rod-hot heat over the
Wild scn bolow--then tottcrng moment on
'N'Ai 'h"''f N'l' uNll'l nv lut NilhIl'Ai lNAp
the common ruin. thousand of wretchcs,
before unseen were driven by the heat from
the cellars and novels, and strcamed in an
incessant throng in the streets Children
were seen carrying their paronts--the strong
the weak while thousands more were stag
.goring under the loads of plumber they had
snatched from the flames. This too would
! frequently take frc in tho Falling shower, and
the miserable creatures would be compelled
! to drop IT. and Zee for their lives. oh, il
was scene Of fear and vo, inconceivable and
/ indescribable A mighty and close packed
city of houses and churches, and palaces,
wrapped from limit to limit in flames, which
arc fed 10y whirling hurricane, isa sight
this world will seldom sec.
But this was all within the city To Ma.
poleon, without, the spectacle was still moro
sublime and terrific When the flames had
overcome all obstacles, and had wrapped ev.
teEythinR in their red mantle, that great city
looked like sea of rolling FIRE, swept by a
tempest that drove it into vast pillows. Huge
domes and towers, throwing off sparks like
]
waves, and now disappeared in their madden
ling flow, as they broke high over their tons
scattering thor spray of fire against the
clouds. The heavens themselves seemed %
have caught the conhagration, and the angry
masses that swept it rolled over bosom of
fire. Columns of flame would rise and sink
along the surface Of this sea-hugc volume.
of black smoke suddenly shoot into the air, n.
if volcanoes were working below The -hlael,
form OF the kremlin alone lowered above the
teiiaesI nov wrapped in fame and aiatkt, .nt
then began merging into view-standing amid
the scene of desolation and terror like virtue
in the midst of burning world, enveloped
but unscathed by the devouring clements
Napoleon stood and Eazed on this scene in 81
lent awe. Though nearly three miles distant
che windows and walls of his apartment wer,
so hot he could scarcely bear his hand on
them Said he, years afterwards