Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-26

West, and by industrious habits had &C.
cumulated a snug property. He had five
children, the eldest being eighteen and
the youngest five years old. In the cellar
of one house we found eight bodies. One
of man was in STOPPING position over
that of child, rs though he died trying
to shield off the flames. This was very
likely the body of Mr.. Williamson, the
owner of the mills, who with his entire
family is said to have persisted. In the
rear yard of the next house were four
bodies, apparently those of mother and
four children. They were scorched, not
burned crisp,and one cheek of the young
est, girl of six, retained an expression
of calmness that seemed to indicate q
painless death by suffocation. But the
MOST HORRIBLE SIGHT OF ALL
was at Boardman's well. Mr.. Boardman's
house was the largest in the village, and
in the centre of the yard, midway be-
tween the house and the barn, was loca.
ted large but shallow well. Several OF
the neighbors were supplied with water
from this fountain, and it is likely that IN
the midst of the confagration, when all
hope was cut off, the neighbors, insane
with terror, thronged with one purpose
wheel pump had been removed, and the
wretched people entered the we'll as the
last refuge. Boards had been thrown
down to prevent their being drowned,
hut evidently the relentless fury of the
fire drove them pell.mell into the pit to
struggle with each other and die, some by
drowning and others by fire and suffoca-
ton. None escaped.
THIRTY-Tw0 BODIES WERE FOUND
THERE.
They were in every imaginable posi-
ton, but the contortion of their hands,
and the agonized expressions of their
faces told the narrowing tale. They
must have fought with the fury of wild
beasts, and their death pangs must have
been excruciating. The fixed glare of
the eye-sometimes staring and strained
almost ont of the sockets-the clenched
hands. extended, grasping or pushing,
the set jaws and leering teeth, disheveled
hair and bruised persons, made ones
blood freeze to look upon.
One fair young woman was bent near
ly double, but clasped to her breast was
a sweet young babe, whose lips seemed
glued to the fond young mothers in the
last long kiss of death. Three little girls,
one of them with golden blonde tresses
falling to her waist, were found clasped
together, so tightly that considerable
force was necessary to separate them.
These were undoubtedly stifed to death
and sunk away with deep, profound sleep
that kuows no waking. One old man was
found head downward below the water :;
a little boy was near him with bis hands
clenched in the old mans white hair.
Three women were almost doubled, with
heavy bodies pressing upon them from
above. Those upon the top of the well
were badly disfgured BY the fire. This
was indeed a pit of destruction. The wa
ter was about five feet deep and the we'll
was walled in nicely with stane, having 8
Of fully four feet.
Ia the road were two children and
man roasted to crisp. One cellar con-,
tained three bodies. All the houses
along the roads down to Sturgeon Bay
were reduced to ashes, and in them or
rear by were the blackened corpses of the
lL-f4ted reeidents. Twelve only are as
yet known to have escaped. These ran
to the lake and plunged 20 their necks in
the water.
Death and horror has made a clean
sweep in that settlement and vicinity and
far as the eye can reach. No words can
express the facts as they stare at the spec
.ator on the spot.