Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1870-09-07
misftllansous Staining.

+. Mlisttllan.ous Staining. 20
THE FIRE IN OTTAWA. '".' %
Terrible Ravages Of the Fire Fiend-The
Latest and Most Complete Accounts.
From the Toronto GlObo. .i-Et r-i rg
The Ottawa Free Press of Thursday
thus describes thu first outbreak; 7; ef Ia
The fire had been smouldering in the
fields and woods around Chelsea for come
days past, and the terrible gale of wind
that sprung up yesterday famed it to a
blaze, and it twas driven rapidly to- MIR,
Gilmour's rafting ground. AT about
eight o'clock the fire caught in Gilmour's
pihug ground, where some five million
feet of sawed lumber was piled. The
scene is said to have been terrific. The
blaze from hundreds of large piles Of dry
lumber united in one grand sheet of fame
Illuminating the country for miles on all
sides. Mr.. Hamilton, Mr.. Donnelly and
a number of other gentlemen in that vi
cinity, had to seize their children and fly
for their lives. No time had they to save
anything but the clothes they had on,
and the unfortunate women and children
ran to the river and crowded on the plank
cribs, which were cut loose and foated
down the stream with their living freight
to Gatineau Point, where they arrived at
one o'clock this morning. In the mean
time the flames spread with fearful rap
idity till they soon extended throug b the
whole Of Irouside village. and some fifty
houses Of the men employed in the iron
mines and smelling houses were in flames
in a few moments. 10 lgUssi -.I ss.:,i
Their wretcLed owners barely escaped
with their lives. The smelling house
soon caught. and in short time it was
at loss of some fifty thou
sand dollars. The bridge on the Gatin-
eau road were destroyed. and it is feared
that the Gatineau river bridge was also
5.., r.r ..saa-.t ..
The laborer's huts in the neighbor-
hood of the iron mines are gone and there
is a more sad and terrible record still of
human life sacrificed in vain struggles
with the remorseless destroyer. Thus we
read the shocking story that Mr.. Grant,
at Stittsville, was burned alive; Mr.. +.
and Mrs. Harten also, lost
their lives: an old man of eighty and
his wife, living in the bush, are missing
and are supposed to have perished; Mr..
Pink, and Mrs. Harvey were burned to
death, and Mr.. j. kearnahan is reported
TO have died from injuries received in try
ing to escape. At. Templeton hundreds
,f persons were made homeless, flying
bareheaded and barefooted to the nearest
place of shelter. At Bells corner. out Of
.birty houses, only one house and two
are left standing. and there are
,ther little groups Of homesteads were
perhaps one solitary building alone haF
escaped the ravages of the flames. Horses
md cattle driven mad by the smoke and
,eat rushed blindly into the fire, and thus
.dded to the losses of the farmers, sever
Il of whom hitherto in the enjoyment of
wealth and comfort, are utterly ruined.
At Bells Corners Station the engineer
lad come down to the village to his tea,
md was unable to get back to his train
N account of the heat and smoke. The /
ireman who was in charge of the engine,
aw the danger, and kept it moveing up
md down the track to avoid the flames
Though the smoke and heat nearly
lrove him mad, and by his bravery saved
he engine. A stage driver. at the in
tagation Of a passenger whipped his
,orses to urge them to get beyond the
inc of fire. The smoke and heat were
ntolerable and with the greatest difficult
y he managed to get to the sand banks.
vhere his whihle.tree broke, and such
vas the rapidity with which the fire trav
led, that before he could get it fixed the
ire had get half mile ahead of him.
D These incidents give some faint idea of
he rspidity with which the fire travelled
nd the difficulty of escaping its fury.
Our correspondent describes how, as
be flames approached Ottawa, panic
eized upon the people, and measures
rers hastily devised for the protection Of
he city. There appears to have been
efficient justification for prompt and act
We precautions. The Rideau Canal was
pened and the country flooded for some
listance, whilst every point Of danger
vas watched by persons armed with such
ppliauces as they could command to re.