Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-22

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An Ottawa, Canada, correspondent Of
the New York World, who has recently
been travelling over q portion OF the
"burnt district" relates the following
among other incidents of the great fires,
by which large districts in Canada have
been recently devastated
Driving on we were soon almost over
powered by the stencil from the carcasses
of cattle which had persisted in the flames,
their white bones standing out In bold
relief against the biackened ground.
Little mounds by the roadside marked
where other Carcasses had been buried.
And now we come to another scene OF
desolation, where there had been, but
few days before, comfortable and happy
home. Leaving the road we drive INTO
field toward two white tents, afew hundred
wards distant. On our right were the
cellar walls on which snug farm mousse
had stood and the remains OF neat little
garden, where flowers had doomed and
fruit trees blossomed and borne fruit. we
halted near the smaller of the two tents,
and out of the larger one came the farm
er's wife, a nice looking woman with
pleasant voice, and with rosy little four
year old girl clinging to her skirts IL was
q sad story she had to tell. The night OF the
18th ult, the house, barn, ut-bulldings,
and wood-pile were fired, as 1t
seemed simultaneously, and IN many
places. From the house a few articles OF
clothing and two feather bets, aud from
the barn "a road wagon ard horse were
saved, and that was all. The barn con-
tanned two years crop Of hay and grain,
having been hauled in that evening and
left upon the cart. Ninety cords OF wood
ready for market were consumed. VI
eight COWS, two were burned TO death,
and four 30 badly injured that they must
be allowed to go dry, leaving but TWO to
furnish milk for the family. Nineteen
sheep persisted together, and were found
in dreadful heap the next morning.
Two porkers shared a similar fate. The
money value of marketable produce alone
destroyed here exceeds 1900. The
scene was described as terrible one.
Fire rained down from overhead, and
forked tongues of flame shot hither and
thither. The stumps in the fields were all
ablaze, and the ground strewn with burn
ing fragments ave knew not what to
do or winch way to turn" said the poor
woman.
Finally she harnessed the horse to the
placing in it her uncle and aunt, an aged
couple, three of her own children, and
the few clothes and beds saved from the
house, she started to seek the shelter OF
her mothers house, mile or more away.
She had not gone far before five more
children were added to her load, and to
make room for them this brave woman
stood upon the step at the side OF the
wagon and drove the horse down the val
ley, with the fire racing and roaring on
either side, and sometimes close upon her.
Indeed, the cotton dress she wore was
burned off of her, as well a. the hair
from her head. The clothes and bedding
in the wagon took fire and had TO be
thrown out. Then, as the fires closed in
and the smoke grew denser, death come
to the old man, as told In former letter.
Twice he fell into the road and was lifted
into the wagon again, but the third time
he was unavoidably left to bis fate. Not
q dozen rods from where the old man per-
ished the wagon halted by the roadside.
To go further was impossible. To remain
seemed like tempting death but still
there was hope. The children and the
old woman were placed under the wagon,
and an attempt was made to shut out
the flames by hanging up sheets and
blankets. The horse, which was one the
farmers wife had been in the habit of
driving, seemed to understand the situs-
ton, and stoed perfectly still, though the
fires burned the hair from his body. and
the roaring Of the wind and the flames
was enough to strike terror into the heart
of the bodest The faithful animal turned
his head now and then, as though to see
If the party were safe, but never moved
an inch. Had he ran or even gone few
yards farther on nine lives more would
have been added to the death-roll. The
children escaped with but slight injuries
from the fact that they were dressed in
wooden clothing. They Suffered neither
moan. nor cry" save that the youngest
four year old girl, would sometimes say,
as the sparks fell upon her, I'm burning
up" The old lady was badly burned
from having on cotton dress, and her re-
coyery is considered doubtful The party
remained some six hours in this painful
position, when, daylight appearing and
the fire having somewhat subsidized, they
were enabled TO reach place OF shelter.
II was learned later that the mothers
house had been burned before the dsugh-
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