Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-23


ing the insignificant safe and its mutilated con
tents. The consequence was, that the conten Is
of the latter were saved, while 81 800.
600 in currency was burned to pow
der, and hopeessly lost The specie was
scattered over the basement floor, and fused with
the heat There are Jumps of fused eagles, val.
ued at from $500 to $1,000, blackcned and
burned, but nevertheless good as refined gold.
The employees have been compelled to rake the
ruins of the whole building, and have recovered
altogether about live-sixths of the whole amount.
1t is probable that days will pass before they
will be able to find the remainder. The build
ing was, as before stated, fraud of the most
barefaced description, and consequently an ever
lasting disgrace to the country. That a vault
containing treasure to the amount actually lost
should I've supported only on two iron pillars,
which gave way and let ii fall in ruins, and
should yet make boast of being ire-proof, is a
piece of irony the most acute. But this vault
was only one of the frauds. The fre-proof
doors of the post office vault, in which were
stored the records, proved Trailer still. The
hinges of the massive portals which were to
protect the government records were only
affixed TO a single brick. When, therefore, the
walls expanded with the heat the sturdy doors
fell out of their own weight, each hinge carrying
with it the single brick TO which it held, while
the remainder of the wall was firm as possible.
or course all the records we're hopelessly ruined.
This vault was fire and burolarproof. Experts
are not the only persons who can judge of the
value of vault whose doors had such feeble
hold. The building is one of large number
built on the same plan, and the condition of the
lower vault suggests great weakness in those
erected in other cities.-Chicago Tribune.
INCIDENTS OF THE WISCONSIN FIRE.
On Sunday night last, Mr.. James 3. Clark
of Detroit was at Uniontown, Wisconsin. Fires
were blazing through the forests and along the
prairieS in every direction. At shutdown there
ttrbip ot O OF in
creased to furious gale, blowing toward the
lake. The whole surface Of the country to the
westward, eastward, and southwark seemed to
be one mass Of fame, which almost reached to
the lowering clouds, and rushed alOngat race
horse speed. Even where Mr. Clark was the
heat was intense. Beyond, toward the lake.
was the settlement of WillamsonS Mills, COM
pfising about IA families. The fire suddenly
made rush like the flash of train of gun
powder and swept in the shape of Il crescent
around the settlement. 1t is amOSt impossible
to conceive the frightful rapidity Of the advance
of the flames. The rushing fire seemed to eat
up and annihilate the trees. He says the roar
mill. As we stood looking on, say ut about 10
O'Clock, we heard another strange sound.
Straining our eyes toward the ire-about seven
miles dStant-we could just discern something
mo ing; now it would appear like a black
mass, then it would separate into fragments
1t came toward us directly from the lurid wall
Of fame So intense was the glare of the light
all about us that our eyes were dazed; they ran
with wafer, and we could see only by constant
ly using our handkerchietS. At last we made
out by sight and sound that the moving mass
was stampede of cattle and horses tn undering
along toward us away from the flames, below
ing, neighing and moaning as they galloped on.
Finally they came rushing past with fearful
speed, their eyebalS diated and glaring with
terror, and every motion betokening de-
lirium of fright. Some had been badly
burned, and must have plunged through long
space of flame in the desperate effort to eS
cape Following considerably behind came
solitary horse, painting and snorting and nearly
exhausted. He was saddled and bridled, and
as we first thought, had bag dashed to his
back As he came up we were startled at the
sight of young lad lying fallen over the ami
mars back the bride wound around his hands,
and the name being clinched by the fingers. Lit
tic effort was needed to stop the iaded horse,
and at once release the helpless boy. He was
taken into the house, and all that we could do
was done; but he had inhaled the smoke, and
was seemingly dying. Some time elapsed, and
he revived enough to speak He told his name
Patrick Byrnes, aud said: "Father and mother
and the children got into the wagon. | don't
know what became of them Everything is
burned up, | am dying. Oh is hell any worse
than thiSp
The poor fellow lay in critical condition when
| left. The next morning we drove down to the
settlement. The first house we came to was
that of Patrick Byrnes, father Of the lad before
spoken of. 1t was heap of ashes. The brick
chimney, the cooking stove, and iron portions of
farm tools were the only remnants of the place
The forest was burnt down close to the ground
the stumps only being left, Smoldering and
smoking. Everything was hot Even the road
was baked and cracked by the heat. About
w a
Alongside the road in a gully lay the bodies of
six persons and two horses, roasted TO a crisp
The iron tires of the wheels, and braces and
bolts OF the wagon were scattered about Here
the fire surrounded and engufed them. Evil
IDENTIFY the animals in their mad struggles had
reared, plunged, and fallen headlong from the
road TO where they died,
We hurried on. All along the road lay the car
cases of cattle, sheep, hogs and dogs, burnt to
crisp. The smaller animals were almost entirely
consumed Now we came to the village. Nothing
was left but piles of ashes, smoking and smoul-
dering. In the cellar of one house we found
eight bodies. One of a man was in a STOPPING
position over that OF a child, as though he died
trying TO ward 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 q
mother and her children. They were Scorched,
not burnt crisp, and one check of the youngest,
a glrl OF SIX, retained an expression OF calmness
that seemed 10 indicate a painless death by
Sunocalloh' but tne most horrible OF all was at
boormans well. Mr. Boorman>s house was the
largest IN the village, and IN the center OF the
yard, MIDWAY between tne mouse and Darn, was
large, but swallow well. Several of the neigh
uors were supplied with water from this foun-
tam, and It Is likely that in the condagration,
when all nope was cut on, the neighbors, insane
with terror, thronged with one purpose to this
well. The ordinary chain and wheel pump used
in that place had been removed, and the wretched
people had leaped INTO the well as the last refuge.
Boards had been thrown down to prevent them
being drowned; but evidently the relentless fury
OF the fire drove them pel-mell into the pit, to
struggle with each other and die-some by
drowning and others by IRE and sutfOcatiOn.
None escaped. Ihlrty-two bodies were found
there. Ihey were In every Imaginable position I;
but the contortons OF their limbs and the
agonized expressions OF their faces told the
awful tale. All the houses along the roads down
TO Sturgeon pay were reduced to ashes, and in
them, or near by, were the blackened corpses of
the Inflated residents, Twelve only are known
TO have escaped. THESE ran to the lake and
plunged to their necks IN the water.
THE COURAGE AND FAITH OF CHICAGO.
A C,;ooco ,,,sinoss ,,,or ,,,;+os 90 ~. NJ.
a Oui0a'5' ""s''i''' ma" "ii'oS " lhe new
YORK Post:
We are coming on well, There is A lull after
the storm. all ewes are now on the fntura ond
our city is A scene Of activity ,nnsuaI even for
rs Residences are convertinT INTO oe9oae "a