The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-05-10

UtlNeth NE ana dcalhs thefo was Z
rush which for a moment separated
us. had no TIME or room % turn
but next moment / fell her grasp still
irmer and closer. One blow, and the
spliniers few q second blow, a plank
gave a third blow, aud the blessed
daylight poured in as a fourth blow,
and a chasm yawned, wide enough for
the passage 81 myself and my charge,
Aiier US, hundreds passed out rapidly.
] found myself among a crowd Of
shrieking women, who were calling on
an. officer standing in q bafouche
drawn by six horses, to save their
husbands, sons, brothers. suddenly
man with a scorehed beard, his eyes
streaming with tears. came and took
from ne the woman had sayed. !
was so blinded with smoke and leyered
with excitement. thar | had scarcely
given her a thought. All ] knew was
that HAD saved an ela womon, ana
by Gods grace, opened door 81 e.
cape for some hundreds OF otherwise
doomed creatures. When | looked
round, | found the merehenL whom ]
had before seen--he was the scorched
and weeping mhn--,hedding tears ot
Joy over a beautiful girl who bad
tainted. The old woman bad been
divided from me in the tumuh. The
merchants daughter il was who had
then clasped met was her whom ]
had saved. Beautiful she locke as
bent over her and received her fathers
blessings.
The tall officer was the emperor.
/" Ny children" he kept saying to the
mob, 81 viii save all | can. Bring
that brave man TO me"
/ am not ashamed to repeat those
words though I did not deserve them,
"Englishman," Ne said to me in
French, the Russian nation owes
you a debt Of gratitude; it is for me
to repay il; come to me tomorrow at
the palace
| bowed my thanks, and handed my
card to one Of the emperor's staff.
When the fire was subdued, and
they began TO dig for the bodies, the
scene was agonizing. Heaps of charr-
ed and trampled corpses lay under the
smoking beams-so some stiAed, others
trodden or beaten to death. Some
were eharred, others half roasted,
may only burnt in the chest and head
the holiday clothes still bright and
gay. In the gallaries, women were
found sufIocated and leaning over the
front boxes. In one passage they
discovered a crowd Of dead, all erect,
like so many shadows marshalled from
the other world. More than hun
area we're round SIM alive, bat de,,
gerously burnt. Most of these after.
wards died in the hospitals.
One little boy was discovered cow
ering under a bench he had crepi
there when the burning root began .lo
break up and drop among the strug-
Cling multitude. The beams and
dead bodies had SO fallen as to form a
shelter over his head, and there he had
remained till we disintered him.
Tie official returns set down the
number of the dead as three hundred
but my agent told me that while he
himself stood there, he counted ffty
wagons pass, each laden with from tel
70 fifteen corpses, and many people
made a much higher estimate.
| need not say much about my visit
TO the palace suffice il to mention
that the emperor rewarded me with
an order that | highly prize. On The
same day the priests offered up public
prayers for tie souls Of the sufferers
on the site Of the burnt theatre ]
was a solemn spectacle, and.as | rose
from my prayers, full.of gratitude tC
God for my dehverance, a rough hand
grasped mine.
II was the merchant whose dapghte
I had saved. Tears streamed from
from his eyes as he embraced me anC
then kissed my forehead and my cheel
in the Oriental manner of his nation.
"My little father,' be said, 8"
would rather have found thee thai
have cleared a thousand red roubl'
notes. Little Catharine whom yol
saved, has been praying for you ever
since. Come, you must dine with US.
| will take no denial, for DO not ow
you more than my life? Come,
droshky there - quick to the Fon
lanka Calharine will leap for jo,
when she sees you"
|. That visit was an eteniful one {
me, for on my third voyage from tha
date ] married Catbarine Masloyitcl
and a loving and devoted wife | loun
her. She is kissing my check as
pen these words.
But il is not 10 dwell upon my ow
personal good fortune aid happines.
that ] have written this plain rcmem
branee. Il is, that / may do villa
little ] can TO impress upoa those wh
may read il. that a rush from an
building on fire is certain 10 be fatai
and that an orderly departure from
is certain deliyeranee. Tie theatre
concert-room, church or chapel, doe
not exist, through Which a fire coul
spread 50 rapidly as to prevent ia,
whole assembly from going out un
scathed, II they would 20 free frou
panic. The Santiago case was an ex
tremely exceptional one. The ahol