The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-01-08
SETTING THE RIVER ON FIRE.

he was standing when Solomon AIRY, a
clever colored man, came along the
river road.
When Joe saw Solomon, he began to
cry out Justify, "It's going to rain
See that big black cloud! It's going
to rain !" This he repeated several
times in provoking way. Solomon
passed on without seeming to notice
the unkind jest.
A miller who was at work near by,
heard what Joe said, and exclaimed,
"Joe hold your tongue. If you were
my boy, would set you at work. An
industrious boy is less likely to be ILL
hammered, and to speak unkindIy.--
You are one Of those boys that will
never set the river on fire."
Joe was little confused, but he
said, half saucily, eyes / will"
Ina few moments some round shin
ing patches came floating down to the
place where he stood.
"Oil," he said to himself. and kept
on fishing.
Soon larger patches of oil floated past,
and looking around, he saw that the
river above him was more than half
covered with it. This appearance was
no new thing on that river, for there
were coil-oil depots, and several oil
factories up stream, and the escape of
the refuse and other oils would some
times completely cover the surface of
of the water with scum.
Joe drew in his line, for it was no
use fishing. The oily patches he called
floating islands, and he watched them
as they grew larger, and united one
with another, forming, to his fmagina-
ton, continent, stretching from bank
to bank.
"How smooth the river is" said he
Then bright idea struck him. ''The
miller said will never set the river on
fire. This oil will burn, l should
think. 1 have matches here I'll try
it,"
Joe struck light; and touched the
match to the Oil, which blazed up at
once, much to his amusement and graf
ificatiOn.
The flames spread with great rapid
ity, and soon Joe's delight gave place
to sensations of grief and terror.
The scene was awfully grand. The
river was one mass of flame, above
which rolled upward volumes of black
smoke in thick clouds. The heat a.
long the banks, which were lashed con-
tinually by the pillows of flame, was
intense, and the houses and stores that
stood by the river were in the greatest
danger. Great crowds gathered at the
place; CONSERVATION reigned among the
people; firemen and parties of men
ran here and therc, and como of thona
tried, by means of engines, to keep the
fire down but it is impossible to extin-
guish an oil fire with water, and, in
deed, oil fires are the most difficult to
master.
Where was Joe all this while?
Feeling theft flames, he threw himselfin-
to the bottom of his boat but that was
in danger, every moment, of taking
fire. 1t is impossible to keep himself
from being burnt, and what was quite
as alarming, the turbid smoke threat
ened to stitie him. Once or twice he
raised his head above the boats edge,
only to feel the fury of the fire 4; and so
dense was the smoke that nothing
could be seen on shore. Overcome
with fear and pain and difficulty of
breathing, he sank down unconscious.
When he came to himself he found
himself on shore, surrounded by a
crowd, some of whom were preparing
to carry him home, and among them
stood Solomon AIRY, very interested
spectator. Joe looked to the river, the
smoke had partly cleared away; there
lay his boat, burning to the waters
edge.
And to Solomon AIRY did Joe owe
his life. Returning by the rivers bank,
Just as the fire was kindled, Solomon
saw the peril in which his young perse-
cutOr stood and undertook to save him.
He had heard that an oil fire on the
river was sometimes checked by means
of a boat, cutting off the flames above
from those below and having found
boat he managed to get it of, though
to reach the boy he must pass through
a sea of fire, and put in jeopardy his
own life. The miller, who understood
his movements, jnmped into the boat
with him, while all wondered to see
the two men rowing so fast amid
waves of flame and clouds of smoke.
Finding Joe lying in his boat, they
lifted him into theirs, and with a few
burns which they did not mind, they
bore him still unconscious, to the
shore.
Joe suffered many stings from the
burns which covered his face and
limbs, but these were not so bad as the
stings of an accusing conscience. He
felt much modification in remember
ing how foolish and unfeeling he had
been, and the long weeks of sickness
and confinement that followed, were
spent in resolutions to live a better life,
and in thinking what return he should
make to Solomon for his noble action in
his behalf.
"You did set the river on fire, my
boy" said the miller when he came
to see him ''you made big noise in
the world. But if you keep these reso-
lutions, you will make greater noise
in better way; for who knows, in
this free country, whether you will