Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-11-10

Allison Weaver, who reached Detroit from
Port Huron on Wednesday, had narrow und
curious escape from being roasted alive in the
north woods. Weaver is single man, about
fifty years old. Up to two weeks ago he was
at work for man named Bright, ten miles
from Forrestville, as fireman for shngle
mill. Two or three days before the approach
of the flames, which event ually destroyed that
section, Bright and his family left for For.
lestvillc, and the next day all the men en-
ployed about the place either followed his
cxumple 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 timei in making their escape. IIav-
ing no property to lose or family to care for,
Weaver determined, us he says, "to stay and
see the circus out" meaning that lie intend
saving the mill if possible. Ho has a stub
born sort of spirit, and tho fact that every
body else went induced him to stay. AS
soon as the men left he set to work and bu.
rcd the knives and other light machinery of
the mill as well as stove and quantity of
crockeryware. There was plenty of water
in the vicinity of the MILL and he filled scve-
raj barrclsiul, besides wcttng down house,
mill, stock and everything that would burn,
scattering several hundred pailfuls of water
on the grounds around the buildings
When night came, and the fire had not
appeared, he began to jcer his absent com
rades. But his self conceit soon left him
About 10 o'clock the heavens were SO light
that he could see the smallest objects around
hiul, and there was roaring in the forest
which sounded like the waves beating against
rocks OH the shore. He began to suspect
that he would soon receive tho visit project.
ed, and accordingly made preparations for it,
In leveling up the ground around the shin
gle mill, earth had bcccn obtained by dig
ging here and there, and Weaver went to
work and dug one of these pits deep enough
for him to stand up in lie then filled it
nearly full Of water, and took care to satu-
rate the ground around it for distance of
several rods. Going to the mill he dragged
l-ansAa ~ssopr,incb ip,lapls sawal it y two and
saw that the parts tightly oovarju NJ nou.A q
of the little well. "l culkclatcd it would be
tech and go, said he, "but it was The best
could do" At mdnight hc had everything
arranged, and the roaring then was awful to
hear. The clearing was ten or twelve
acres in extent, and Weavcr says that for
two hours before tho fire reached him there
was constant flight across the ground OF
small animals AS he rested moment from
giving tho house another wcttipg down, "a
horse dashed into the opening at full speed.
and nude for the house, where he stopped
and turucd toward the fire. Weaver could
see him tremblc and shake in his excitement
aud terror, and felt q pity for him. After a
moment the animal gave utterancc to snort
of dismay, ran two o. three times around the
house, and then shot off into the woods like
rocket.
Not long after this fire came. Weaver
stood by his we'll, ready for the emergency,
yet curious to see the breaking in of the
flames. The roaring increased in volume,
the air became oppressive, cloud of dust
and cinders came showerng 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 lorna
do, sheet Of hamo reaching from the earth
to the tops of the trees. AS it struck the
clearing he jumped into his we'll and clos
cd over the planks. He could no longer see,
but could lear. He says that tho flames
made no halt whatever, nor ceased their roar
ing for an instant: but ho had hardly got
the opening closed before the house and mill
were burning like tipdcr, and both were down
in five minutes. Tho smoke came down to
him powerful, and his den was so hot that
he could hardly breathe. Ho knew that the
planks above him wore on fire, but remember
ing 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 tho fire by dashing up water with his
hands. Although it was cold night, and
the water had at first chilled him, the heat
gradually warmed it up until he says hn felt
very comfortable. Ho remained in his den
until daylight, frequently turning over tho
planks and putting out the fire, and then the
worst had passed. The earth around was on
fire in spots, house and mill were gone, leaves,
brush, and logs 5 ere swept clean away as if
showed off and swept with broom, and moth.
ing but SCOT and ashes were to be seen.
| After the fire had somewhat cooled off,
Weaver made an investigation of his caches,
and found that considerable of tho property
buried had been saved, although he lost all
his provisions, except peco Of dried beef,
which the fire had cooked as in an oven with.
put spelling it. Ho had no other resource
than to remain around tho place that da,',
during the night and the greater part of tho
next day, when tho ground had COOLED enough
10 that ho could pick his way to tho site of
ho burned village. lie was nearly twelve
| hours going the twelve miles, as trees were
falling, logs were burning, and tho falling
timber had in somo places hcapcd up breast
| work, over which no one could clmb.-Dc-
| t,oH Post
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