The Republican journal., 1870-08-11
THE GREAT SAGUENAY FIRE.

The Quebec Canadian contains a letter
from one of the survivors and witnesses of
the terrible coni1agration on the Saguenav, q
a translation of part of which is given below
The fire occurred, we believe, at the end of
May:
We We're preparing to sit down to dinner
-my old father, my wife, my children and
myself. | then perceived Il thick smoke ris-
ing from the Point Bleue side, and soon after
became certain that a considerable contia-
grafton, rendered more active by n tempest
uous wind, had already enveloped the parish
of Roberval. We fastened to get out our
household furniture and to throw some linen
and clothes into cellar; but in a few minutes
the fire caught my house. | entered to save
little clock, but was obliged to break out
again in order to get out. Thus attacked by
the fire, | cast myself into the damp dung Of
my pigs which | saw roasting near me.
At the end of some time | was surrounded
by the fire from all sides. was sutfocated by
the smoke, and for moment lost all con
seriousness. The flames which caught me
restored to me the desire for sel-preservatiOn.
A jet of flame prevented me from getting in
to the cellar, where had few moments be
fore deposited some effects. | then went to
the side Of the barn, where there is a fountain
In order that | might not sutfocate, | threw
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reached the fountain, and threw myself in
head first. But was far from being out Of
danger. My barn, half filled with unthrcsl,-
ed grain and straw, took fire, and | found
myselftwo perches to leeward of this furnace ;
the flames swept the place where | was
the wooden frame of the fountain took fire
pulled off a splinter and with it thrust away
the sparks that fell on my head, which from
time to time plunged entirely under water.
At the end OF Il couple of hours the flames
abated, and was able to sit on u cross-piece
of half burnt wood. | was seized with n
trembling, and | seemed as if about to die
However, at the end of half an hour ] was
able to walk on the ashes around me, and re-
Joined my wife and children, whom | found
by the side of the cellar where we had placed
our goods, and where they had taken shelter
My father, one of the children, and one of
my sisters in-law had disappeared, we knew
not where.
Night approached, and we set out for
Roberval, hoping there to find shelter; but
all the houses were burned. We slowed our
selves for the night in the nearest cellar we
could find most of Us We're obliged to re-
main standing for want of space, and to hold
the children in our arms. Next day we set
out from this den to try to find our wander
ing friends and relations. About noon | met
my father holding my smallest child by the
hand. About eight the evening before he
had reached the bank OF a small lake to
which he was attracted by the croaking of
the frogs. There he made Il little raft on
which he placed the child, which he covered
with his trousers, in the first place to prote ct
ii from the fire, and alterward from the cold,
which that night was intense.
My sisterin-aw is intirm and unable to
walk, She dragged herself to the foot of a
rock where she found twenty -four other per-
sons, who like herself were saved miracu-
lousy, the fire having completely destroyed
the wood on the top. We brought them in
on q litter, and about noon we found the
burned bones Of our neighbor, Oslo Forth,
and of his son. We We're fortunate enough
to find sack of flour which | had been able
to put into a field at the beginning of the fire
1t was then noon, and none of the persons,
more than sixty in number assembled on the
ashes of the chapel near my residence. had
eaten for twentyfour hours Without that
provision Of Providence the weak persons
and children would have died of exhaustion
before they could obtain succor.
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