The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-13

Lake to the river, and igniting them
and all their costly contents as if they
were so msch tinder, q horrible sigh,
was presented, for now the thousand;
were hemmed in between the fire and
the river The stampede was sickenlne
beyond the power OF words to tell Men
and horses were jammedo on the bridges
women and children clinging alike to
each other and the most precious OF
their household effects: some Of them
with the clothes nearly torn from their
bodies ran blindly about screaming and
moaning. All distinction OF class and
nationality was lost. This narrator
crossed the Wells street bridge and
reached the track of the Galepa road.
He does not remember how be crossed
it. 1t seems TO him afterward. that he
was lifted upon the human waves and
thrown blinded and confused into the
opposite street. Here the smoke was
pouring in dense blIows over the walls
and through Wells, Lasalle, Clark, and
Dearborn streets. As he turned to
look back a fiery cincture stretched all
round on the south and west, and
through the smoky cross-streets burned
the red glare Of the oD.rushing tiend
with distended jaws and lurid lips.
The streets looked like vast ovea-doors.
At last
THE MORNING DAwNED,
and upon what q scene! The sun rose
lurid as seen through the smoke which
hung above the city like curse. That
which q: night had been awful in its
grandeur, looked deSolate and wan in
tie early light. The burnt districts
looked Ike hell with the fires burnt
out All along the path OF the storm
was marked with black and shoulder
ing ruins. As one passed down South
Water street ard up Market TO the
river, carefully picking his way through
the yet smoking embers, from beneath
which flames would occasionally start
up as the motion of the foot admitted
air 10 the wood below, a most horrible
and sickening sight blasted the eyes
Men, driven by the blind instinct which
makes them, though hopeless, return
TO the scene OF that disaster which has
ruined them, sought the spots where
once their homes had stood, and sitting
down on some pieces of fallen timber,
actually wept and wrung their hands
in anguish. One OF these wretched
beings sought his home, and, in step
ping on half charred beam, caused II
to spring up, and tom beneath 1t came
sickly odor. He madly turned and
pried away the timber, and saw beneath
il the dead body OF his son, a young
man OF about twenty years of age, who,
probably returning to the house to save
something he prjz,d, had fallen in the
flames and been burned TO death
roasted alive
Throughout the day the fire
CONTINUED WITHOUT CESSATION.
1t seem as though the elements had
become demoniac. The wind blew
hurricane a. though for the express
purpose Of aiding the fiend OF fire, who
would enter q street with roar az
though goadrd on by demon yet more
malignant than himself WHO was drlv-
ing him to frenzy. Then the fire rushed
on at the houses, seized them, and they
were whirled away in smoke and flame,
or sent with cracking walls and burst
ing beams topping to the ground. Yet
amid the rage their fall could scarcely
be heard In streets bordering on the
river, as those in the rear Of kInzle and
South Water, walls fell with suIIen
roar into the water which seethed and
toamed for a moment and then closed
above them unrutfled.
IN WABASH AND MICHIGAN AVENUES,
and in all the places where the richer
class OF citizens i've when the fire came
the distress was awful. Women who
had never known What care was, and
were, a. one would sup
pose, utterly incarablr OF bearing with
sncn n Calamity as the de
struction Of their homes, yet here there
were many instances OF herosm and
love worthy 10 be sung IN story. Mr..
Id, OF Wabash avenue had been de.
serted by her servants as soon as 1t oe'
came certain that the house was
doomed; they had gone of, taking with
them whatever they could lay Their
hands on. She, her daughter and her
invalid husband were alone in the
house, and the flames were rapidly aP
preaching. There was no help to be
expected, 70. everybody was bent only
on saving what be could Of his own
property. There was not moment to
spare, and the two women actually car
ried Mr. Id away in their arms end
brought him in sa1eiy beyond the reach
OF the fire. Such instances were nu.
merous alike among rich and poor.
Throughout the day the conhsgration
RACED, and all hopes Of eXtinguIsnlng 1t
seemed 10 be lost, for the wind yet con.
tinued to blow with terrific force; and
when night again came
SEw HORROR WAS ADDED.
Rands Of drunken and infuriated men
roamcI the streets, chanting rIbald
songs and bent on pilIare. II seems
singular, yet all experience shows It to
be true that in times Of great disaster
men are not cbastened, tu; the worst
part Of their natures is reused 10 action.
The become moral man;acs These
men and halfgrown boys broke into
several stores and houses, probably IN
search rather Of whisky than Of plum
der. In come instances barrels Of IN.
toxicating liquor were rolled into the
streets, the heads knocked in, and then
took place scenes which bafhe descriP,
lion in their utter and disgusting bes-
TALLY. Men drank til they tell down
10 their tracks, ard then others took