The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-26

stract tne lOllOWlnS.
PHENOMENA OF THE FIRE.
There are some phases OF the great
calamity which fell upon this region
last week, worthy of scientific investiga
ton. The testimony of the cooler
headed survivors of the fires at Peshti
90, the Sugar Bush, and Williamson
vile, is united as to one phenomenon.
They say the fire did not come upon
them gradually from burning trees OF
other objects to the windward, but the
first notice they had of it was a whirl'
wind OF flame, in great clouds, from
above the tops Of the trees, which fell
upon and enveloped everything.
THE ATMOSPHERE SEEMS ONE OF FIRE.
The poor people inhaled it, or the in
tensely hot air. and fell down dead.
This is verified by the appearance of
many OF the corpses. They were fonnd
dead in the roads and open spaces,
where there were no visible marks Of
fire near by, with not a trace OF burning
upon their bodies or clothing At the
Sugar Bush, which is an extended
clearing, in some places four miles in
width, corpses were found in the open
road, between fences which were only
slightly burned. No mark Of fire was
upon them, but they lay there, as it
asleep.
This phenomenon seems TO explain
the fact that so many were.
KILLED IN COMPACT MASSES.
They seem to have huddled together in
what were evidently regarded at the
moment as the safest places, away from
buildings, trees or other intlamable ma
terial, and there to have died together
Fences, around cleared fields, were
burned in spots Of only few rods in
length, and elsewhere not touched.
Fish were also killed in the streams.
We hear the universal testimony that
the prevailing idea among the terror
stricken people of those places was that
THE LAST DAY HAD COME.
They needed not to be terror-stricken
for such imaginings. What other ex-
ne %e caaa %s. Os Osf sEea aa e at shai @%
warning sound coming from the dis
tance, when the sky, so dark just before,
burst into great clouds Of fire, the beasts
of the forest came running for succor
! = the midst OF the settlements, and a
great, red, consuming, roaring hell OF
fire fell upon all around. The dreadful
scene lacked nothing but the sounding
Of the last triumphant, indeed, the ap-
proach of the awful roaring and the
premonitions from the distance supplied
even that to the appalling lmaglnlngs OF
the people.
Incidents Of the Fire.
From the Green Bay Advocate, Oct. -
DEATH or 4 BRIDEGROOM.
On Thursday, the 5;h instant, Mr.. j.
G. Clement, formerly painter IN Fort
Howard late o: Peshtigo, was married
to Miss Trudell, daughter OF Theo.
Trudell, Of Menomonee. The bride
mother visited them at Peshtigo on
Sunday, the Sth, and left at 1 Z. NJ.
When the fire struck Peshtigo Mr..
Clement took his wife in his arms aud
started Tor the river. They met man
with a blackboard, going TO save his
wife and family, but seeing the task was
hopeless, he started to 90 back. Mr..
Clement asked him I'd save his wife,
and he would 10 the best he could for
himself. The man took Mrs G., and
Clement ran behind, holding on to the
blackboard, but finally tell IN the road
and died from sufnCation The bride
begged to b.. allowed to get out, hnt
was held in and taken 10 the river,
where she arrived unConocloh-, but wa
restored and saved. lie wa buried by
the OId Fellows OF McnDmonee on Fri
day.
SAVED ~ 4 COW.
Mrs. IIedenworth, a woman sick
with a fever was on log In the river at
Peshtico. with a child. Her husband
had gone back TO the town for some
purpose, and when he returned his wife
and child were gone. The fact was that
a cow came swimming along and rolled
over the log. She caught the cow by
the horns, and the cow swan out with
the woman and child. They were
found and secured in the river again.
Many persons are said to have been
drowned by cattle rolling the logs over
KILLED THEMSELVES.
In the Lower Sugar Bush, Mr.. c. K:
Townsley was found lying on the ground
a child on each side Of him, the throats
of all three cut, and knife lying on his
breast. The father had evidently, when
he saw that escape was impossible,
chosen to die with the knife rather than
endure the horrors Of torture by fire.
About ten rods from them lay Mrs. T.,
with an infant child on one arm and a
bible an the other, and likeness Of one
OF the other children on her breast.
Vim. Curtiss was found in well with
the bucket chain around his neck.
POSITION OF BODIES.
The family OF John Greyer, an old
Frenchmau in the bush, was found the
charred remains OF three in the ruins OF
the house, and another still sitting on
a stump near by.
+ A Swede sitting on a chair in the
Peshtigo Companys boarding house,
was urged to flee for his life. but sat
there and burned with the house.
James Carr was burned in front o!
the church, trying ID escape, on the
. Marinette road.
Mrs. Creamer died by the stable, try
ing to get away.
John Plush died in his accustomed
place by the tavern door. Another man
died with his hands on the handle OF
woodvard's force pump.