Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-29
DOPING THE FIRE.FIEND.
An Adventure during the saguen"y
COnffagrutfon.

The Canadien publishes letter, in
which the following recital appears OF
the adventures of sufferer BY this ter
rible catastrophe. JOB Bilodeau relates
his experience thus;
We were prepared to sit down to din
ner--my old father, my wife, my children
and myself then perceived thick
smoke rising from the Pointe Bleue side,
and soon after | became certain that
a considerable conAagration, rendered
more active by tempestuous wind, had
already enveloped the parish of Rober-
val. We fastened to get our household
furniture, and to throw some linen and
clothes into cellar; but in few min
utes the fire caught my house. entered
TO save little clock, but was obliged to
break out a window in order to get out.
Thgs 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 sufocated by the
smoke, and for a moment lost all
consciousness. The flames which caught
me restored to me the desire for
selfpreseryation a jet of flame pre-
vented me from getting into the cellar,
where / had few minutes before depos-
tied some effects j then went to the
side Of my barn, where there was a foun-
tain. In order that might not suffo-
cate, | threw myself several times on
the ground. AT last / reached the foun-
tain and threw myself in head first. But
was far from being out Of danger Ny
barn, half filed with unthreshed hay
and straw, took fire, and found myself
at two perches to leewards of this fur
mace; the flames swept the place where
l was; the wooden frame Of the foun-
tain took fire; / pulled off a splinter
and with 1t thrust away the sparks that
fell on my head, while /, from time to
time, plunged entirely under water. At
the end Of couple Of hours the flames
abated, and was able to sit on a cross
piece Of half burned wood. was seized
with 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 rejoined my wife
and some of the 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 RoberYal, hoping there 70
find shelter; but all the houses were
burned. We slowed ourselves for the
night In the nearest cellar we could find;
most Of us were obliged to remain stand
ing 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 wan
dering friends and relations. About
noon / met my father holding my small
est 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 eroadng Of the frogs.
There be made a little raft on which be
placed the child, which he covered with
his trowsers, in the first place to pro-
tect it from the ere and afterward
from the cold, which that night was
intense. Ny sister-in-law is inhrm and
unable 10 walk. She dragged herself 10
the foot Of q rock where she found
tWenty-four other persons who, ike my
self, had been saved miraenlously, the
FIRE having completely destroyed the
wood at the top. We brought them in
on a litter, and about noon we found the