Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-17
one Lady severely Burncd.

We have to record another distressing
work of the fire fiend, leaving ashes, desti-
tuition and houseless and homeless taml-
". 1t is one of the saddest casualties OF
the kind, taking into the account that no
larger amount of property was involved,
that we have had to chronicle for long
time. The sufferer, with his family, WAS
thirty years a resident of this city, where,
as an industrious, prominent and honest
blacksmith, be made friends OF all who
knew him, and where, by integrity, tru-
gality and honesty, he accumulated enough
of this worlds means to procure HIM
home. which he did adjacent to the city,
where he expected to glide down the de-
clivity of age in peaceful and unclouded
serenity.
There are few of our citizens who do not
remember David Read, the sparks from
whose heated forge and the echo OF whose
ringing hammer were seen and heard day
and night in his industrious avocatlon for
SO long time In our city. Some years
since he retired to the country, purchased
a farm, and in an excellent farmhouse,
seventeen miles northwest of Nashville, on
the GAINESVILLE turnpike, settled himself
and family, as he had supposed and
hoped. to pass his life. With compe-
tence enough to prevent want and not
enough to produce harrassing care, which
has been defined as the happiest condition
| of man, he lived in peace and quiet, enjoy
ing the love of his family and the esteem of
| his neighbors. But alas for the vanity of
human hopes. On last Saturday Mr.. Read,
who is over sixty years of age, retired forest
and enjoyed that sleep which is described as
being so sweet and refreshing to an old
man. The house was two-story double
frame building with porch running its en-
| tire length, and dining-room and kitchen
in the rear A married daughter, Mrs.
| Garret, and her child were with the family.
| Near four in the morning, the old gentle
man hearing loud roaring, told one OF
the daughters to go to the door and see if
| there was storm. She went, and return
| ing said no, that it was clear. The
roaring still continued, and Mr.. Read
arose and opened the door leading to
| the diningroom. Instantly volume of angry
flame leaped across the room. Snatehing
up the child, he dasned forward under the
flame, saving to Mrs. Garrett, "Come on,
I've got little Davie." He succeeded in
escaping from the burning chamber, and
Mrs. Garrett also, though the lady is seri'
ously burned The entire family escaped
very narrowly with their lives. Had they
been asleep at the time, they would all have
been burned to death. They escaped with,
out even their clothing, and few moments
after reaching the open air, the building
with its entire contents, was consumed
Nothing was saved, not even the necessary
wearing apparel. No one was injured, ex
cept Mrs. Garrett, and though severely
burned, she will recover. Melancholy a:
is the sad event, we can imagine nothing
bordering more on moral sublimity thar
the picture of that venerable old man, ms
roof cracking over his head, with his patri
archal hair and beard famed by the fire
fame under which he rushed, with his
grandchild clasped to his breast, crying to
its mother, Come on, I've got little
Davie; :" nor can we fancy a scene more
sadly picturesque than the lone group
standing alone, before the gray of dawn
had streaked the east, beside the embers
of what had been their home. We know
of no case which calls more upon the people
for aid, and we hope that our citizens vii
see that the old man and his family are
again provided with shelter.