Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-16
A Cool Hand,

A Cool Hand,
AN INCIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN FIRE.
A man named Allison Weaver, who
reached Detroit from Port Huron on the
18th, had a curious escape from being
roasted alive in the north woods, His
story is thus told in the Detroit Free
Press
Weaver is q single man, about fifty
years old, and served all through the war
in an Ohio regiment of infantry. Up to
two ks ago he was at work for man
named Bright, ten miles from Forestville,
as fireman for a single mill. Two or
three days before the approach of the
flames, which eventually destroyed that
section, Bright and his family left for
Forestville, and the next day all the men
employed about the place either followed
his example or made haste to reach their
homes. On leaving, Bright informed his
men that the fire would sweep that way,
and warned them to lose no time In max
ing their escape. Having no property to
lose or family to care for, Weaver deter
mined, a. he says, ito stay and see the
circus out" meaning that he intended
saving the mill if possible. He has a
stubborn sort of spirit, and the fact
that everybody else went, induced him to
stay. AS soon as the men left he set
to work and buried all the provisions
left in the house, and during the day
also buried the knives, belts, and other
light machinery of the mill, as well as
stove and a quantity of orockery-ware.
There was plenty of water in the vicin-
ity of the mill, and be filled several bar
rels full, besides wetting down the house,
mill, stock, and everything which would
burn, scattering several hundred pailfuls
OF water on the grounds around the build
ings. When night came and the fire had
not appeared. he began to jeer his absent
comrades. But his self-conceit soon left
him. About 10 o'clock the heavens were
so bright that he could see the smallest
objects around him, and there was a roar
ing in the forests which sounded like
waves beating against rocks on the shore.
He began to suspect that he would soon
receive the visit predicted, and according
ly made preparations for it. In levelling
up the ground around the shingle mill,
earth had been obtained by digging here
and there, and Weaver went to work and
dug one of these pits deep enough for him
to stand up in. He then filled it nearly
full of water and took care to saturate the
ground around it for distance of several
rods. Going to the mill, he dragged out
four-inch plank, sawed it in two, and
with the parts tightly covered the mouth
OF the little well. 81 cslkelated that it
would be tech aud co." said he, "but it
was the best could do" At midnight
he had erything arranged, and the
airing then was awful to hear. The
clearing was ten or twelve acres in ex
tent, and Weaver says that for two hours
before the fire reached him there was
constant flight across the ground of small
animals. As he rested a moment from
giving the house another wetting down,
horse dashed into the opening at full
speed, and made for the house, where he
stopped and turned toward the fire. Wea-
yer could see him tremble and shake in
his excitement and terror, and felt pity
for him, After moment the animal gave
uttersnce to a snort of dismay, ran two
or three times around the house, and then
shot off into the woods like a rocket.
Not leug after this the fire came. Wesv er
stood by his well, ready for the emergen-
cy, vet curious to see the breaking in of
the flames. The roaring increased in vol
ume, the air became oppressive, cloud
of dust and cinders came showering down,
and he could see the, flames through the
trees. 1t did not run along upon the
ground, nor leap from tree to tree, but it
came on like a tornado, a sheet of fame
reaching from the earth to the tops of the
trees. As it struck the clearing he
jumped into his we'll and closed over the
planks. He could no longer see, but he
could hear. He says that the flames made
no halt whatever, uor ceased their roaring
for an instant; but he had hardly got the
opening closed before the house and mill
were burning like finder, and both were
down 10 minutes. The smoke came down
powerfully, and hi5 den was 40 hot that he
could hardly breathe. He knew that the
planks above him were on fire, but, remem
bering their thickness, he waited till the
roaring of the flames had died away, and
then with his head and hands turned
them over and put out the fire by dashing
up water with his hands Although it
was q cold night, and the water had at
first chilled him, the heat gradually
warmed it up until he says that he felt
very comforts BILE. He remained in his
den until day Wight, frequently turning
over the planks and putting out the fire,
and then the worst had passed. The
earth around was on fite in spots house
and mill were gone; leaves, brush and
logs were swept ,lean away as if shaved
off. and swept clean with q broom. and
nothing but SCOT and ashes were to be
seen. After the fire had somewhat cooled
off, Weaver made sn investigation of his
cdcheS aud -four that consid cradle of his
property had been saved, although he lost
all his provisions Except piece of dried
beet, W hlch the fire had cooked as in an
oven without spoiling. He bad no other
Resource than to remain around the place
that day, during the night. and the great
er par OF the next day, when the ground
bad cooled enough 90 that he could pick
his way to the site of the burned village.
He was nearly twelve hours going the
twelve miles, rs trees were falling, logs
were burning, and the fallen timber had
in some places heaped up breastworb
o er which ne one could climb.
MARY Clemmer Ames in the Independent