The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-06-18


/ This wasting Gre, and soothe its burning Bid
The longing soul be patient, till at last
! Unfettered, unrestrained, it drinks in heaven
! gull glory, and is satisfied!
,Tzse Involuntary Experimental
| Ssc.
/ The destruction by fire Of the distillery Of
Mr., D.. in Dublin, some time since, will
be in the recollection of many Of your Irish
readers. A circumstance happened to Inc on
the night of that event, which, as believe il
to be altogether unprecedented, will now re
! late. | am a medical man residing in Dub
lin and, on the night in question, was retur-
ming about half past eleven o'clock from the
ineighborhood of Harod's Cross, where | had
been TO ssperintend the administering OF hot
bath to patient, when the reflection OF the
| fire on the sky to the northwest attracted my
attention, End drew me to the spot. Mr.. BIS
distillery consisted principally of one long and
! lofty building, the western end OF which was
connected with a considerable pile Of stores
and offices that abutted on it at right angles,
/ with large addition, nearly similarly situa-
| ted at the eastern end, which was just then
i'll progress of erection. When ! arrived on
| the spot the courtyard presented very an
mated spectacle. Three engines poured their
streams on the center pile Of building, while
! two others played on the cross and window
! lattices of the adjoining stores, which We're
momentar lily catching fire, and as fast extin-
guished. The courtyard was in swim with
water which flashed back the light wit h an
unsteady, but dazzling reflection, as the fire
men splashe through it ankle-deep. The
captains of the several gangs, mounted on
| their respective engines, stood over the heads
Of the laboring crowd cheering on the exer-
tions of the bumpers below, or shouting their
dire ctions to the liremen alott, where they
appeared plying their hatchets at an immense
height among the smoke and enbcrs. Excl
ted by the animation Of the scene, | took an
active part in the eXertions OF those around
HE, and soon became thoroughly heated as
well as thoroughly wetted, i'll the service
Among other duties undertaken by the volun-
teers with whom | had associated myself, was
the removal of a number Of casks, to get at
which it was necessary to cross platform OF
masonry built round a large copper boiler III
the unfinished end of the building. Over this
platform there was scatfolding resting at
one side on the party wall which separated
the new portion of the works from that which
was already on fire; and through the holes
in this party wall in which the end Of the
beams were inserted the flames were now
communicating. | had crossed twice in safe
ty, and was about to venture third time,
when one of theby ISLANDERS who had witness
ed my cxertions, directed my attention to
the dangerous condition Of these tilnbers, sew
eral Of their points of support being already
burned away, so that that the scatfolding
hung smouldering and half suspended from
the new brick-work, and threatened to pull
down great part Of the walls Oh each side
in its descent, which could not now be far
distant. thanked my friendly warner for
his advice, and had taken it so far as to re-
tire q few steps from the lncOnvement neigh
borhood Of the flames, when one OF the fire
men Of the n Insurance Company got
up on tue opposite side Of the platform, and
signed for some one to come to his assistance.
gave a look at the nodding timbers above;
they seemed still too deeply bedded in the
masonry Of the one building to give me all
apprehension Of immediate danger. | ran up
the ladder that led to the platform on that
side; but just as | gained the SIDE heavy
fall Of masonry took place from the angie Of
the pile, nearly overhead. | escaped by the
merest chance but the ladder was dashed in
to fragments, and the rush of smoke and flame
that followed through the breach thus opened
completely hid the prospect from the side on
which had assembled. | became confused
and rushed forward, hardly knowing where
ran but had scarcely taken three steps
in advance, when heard the prolonged tear
ing crash Of the timbers overhead, and next
moment saw the beams topple, and the bricks
and dust rise about their ends-in another i'll
slant | must have been crushed to pieces
pushed perhaps with the red end of beanl)
for they were already descending before me
when the mouth Of the open vessel which, as
have mentioned, was bedded in the mason
Try at my feet caught my eye. 1t was not
more than three feet across. The chances
were that the long timber would fall athwart
not into l.. There was an ample concave be-
low, as appeared by the broad reflection Of
light on the new copper of its sides. Without
bestowing thought onh how | was to get out
dropped at once to the bottom Of the hollow
chamber. The metal reverbrated; and the
echolng sphere rung round me for moment
with brazen clang-then crash, crash, with
the din of thunder, down came the blazing
timbers- driving rolling -rebounding m ash
ing all before them! 1 thought the copper
would be smashed fiat; but the masonry in
which it was bedded protected it. One beam
pitched end foremost on the exposed neck of
the vessel the metal yielded and drew out
as before the first strike of huge punch--the
whole concave groaned and thought it was
ali over with me. lnstinctively l strove to
cling to the side Of the vessel-there wasnoth-
ing to hold on by, and | reeled back to the
little spot of footing in the bottom, conscious
for the first time, that lcaS III q trap, ont Of
7rhich there agoS no escape. l had no time
- L 1 1
INC on the head of the vessel, and falling in
through its mouth, drove me again to seek
for shelter at one side. How | chung so long
l cannot tell but did succeed in fastening
myself to the overhanging concave, until a
considerable quantity of bricks and mortar
had fallen in. Immediately after, the main
rier between the space Immediately above
me and the Aames-gave crack, and tum-
bed over to the other side, causing such a
conclusion as made the very mortar leap off
the floor, in a cloud Of dust, that for a time.
obscured everything around me. Expecting
each moment to be my last with the instinct
Of one who awaits blow which he cannot
avoid, | shut my eyes and stopped my head.
shrinking together, as may well be imagined,
and trembling in every limb. The first thing
lhal FouseU me was INC SIdie VI HSuI from
the flames, which now, uncon6ned by any
partition, rolled overhead, tapping and labor
ing in the air with such breadth and intensity
that their reflection made the whole concave
in which stood as bright as the inside of
gilt cup. l gave myself up to despair when
contemplated the fiery torrent which now
over-canopied me-embols were falling from
It's lorders like flakes of snow-a sound like
the rosring of hungry hons proceeded from
the midst Of 1.-THE heat when | turned my
face towards it, was intoIerabIe; aud l felt
to look at the sphere OF burning metal around
me weuld melt the eyes out of my head
But it was only the first fury of the fire, toss
ed about as it was by the fall of the gable,
that supplied body of fame so huge and in