Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-11-08
THE GREAT WISCONSIN FIRE.

The GREAT MISCONS1N FIRE.
[The following letter taken from
the Ripon (Wisconsin) Free Press,
was written by Mrs. R. Beach, one of
the sufferers, and who was formerly
teacher in the Warren Union School.
EDITOR CHRONICLE
APPLETON, Wis, Oct. 2Ist.
Ay Dear Friend ~ received your
kind letter of sympathy and enquiry
yesterday, but too late to answer by
return mail. Yes, we escaped, and
barely escaped. with our lives. 1 will
give you a brief account Of the hOrri-
hle calamity, and our wonderful de.
liyerance. For two weeks we had
been threatened with fire in various
directions, but the ground had been
so thoroughly burnt over, and each
time the danger had been so success
fully ayerted, that we were beginning
to feel comparatively secure. StiH,
the watch was not intermitted, and
every puff Of wind made US look at
each other anxiOusly. On Sunday,
Oct. Sth, we went to church as usual,
celebrated the Lords Supper-post-
Poned from the previous Sabbath on
account of the fires, which prevented
our having service. To several who
were there with US, it was the last
communion on earth. In less than
Twelve hours, they had passed by q
fearful road into the other world. The
day wore away, the smoke, which
had hung over us for days, growing
more dense as night approached, and
strange heat, as from furnace,
blowing in puf1s into the house when
ever the door was opened. l was
alone with my little Robbie, three
years and a half old, and became very
uneasy, / hardly knew why, and
went repeatedly to the door and peep
ed into the darkness, which more
neatly resembled thatsof Egypt than
any thing / have ever seen. 1t was
bLdcksRess, not darkness. While l
was expecting my husband home
from church, the church bell near US
gave the FIRE alarm. 1 ran to the gate
with Robbie in my arms, and looked
in every direction but saw blackness
all around with no sign of fire, but
the heat-and after a minute fash
in the West, which died away as sud
denly as it came. stood Just inside
the gate, a moment, with my nearest
neighbor, (whose father, by the way,
lives Just out of Ripon1 ,Ihearing steps
upon the sidewalk, but seeing no one,
I said to her i'I wonder where Mr.
Beach can ben when he answered
from the sidewalk, "I am here trying
to see in what direction to CO." A
lurid light appeared just then where
/ had before seen the flash. He went
into the house, changed his clothes
for some worn-out things which he
had been using for a fortnight to fight
firen in and went away, telling me
not to be alarmed, for the wind being
S. E., must blow the fire quite away
from the town. / had been noticing
before this, a strange sound, like sigh
ing, which about this time, changed
to q roar like the dash of breakers
against the rocks. In few minutes
man who lived near, came with En
anxious face and enquired Tor Mr..
Beach-telling me that the danger
was very great and I must leave as
soon as possible. / told him could
not 90 till Mr.. B. came honle, but
commenced getting Robbie ready.
Before 1 had quite finished Mr.. b.
came in, and exclaimed, There is a
hurricane bearing upon the town, the
woods are on fire and we can do moth
ing-gather together a few clothes,
and we viii gO.n / went quickly but
calmly to work, and made a bundle
in a large shawl while he went to the
gate to look again. Quicker than i
can tell il, the inky blackness chang
ed to a light like blood. Mr.. B. came
in and took Robbie in his arms, and
told me to keep close to him. and run
for my life. AS he opened the door-
leaving everything behind but our
selves, and what we had on-the oil
cloth in the hall smoked under our
feet. The whole air was one sheet of
flames. A hail Of fire fell upon us as
we ran bareheaded (Our bats blew off
before we were fairly out of the house,
toward the river, hoping to reach a
fiat opposite our church, leading to
the river. When we were half over
the bridge, my husband made me
turn back, and 1 saw that we were
rushing into flames, il possible, worse
than those behind us. We ran back
a short distance and sprapg from the
DIloko,lW lActc tA1C " tbcA CtfA4C uEdIAI
10 my waist, and stopped 10 rest a
moment, for we were nearly exhaust
ed, and waded out to some logs, be-
tween which We took refuge in the
water to our necks. Mr.. B., as we
left the house. had takena large UNI
brella, saying, This will help keep
off the fire.n This be wet and raised |
over our heads as soon as we got into |
the water. The wind broke il into |
pieces, but the cloth held together, SO
that by constantly wetting it, and
holding it like an old-fashiOned ex-
tinguisher, he was able to keep the
flames from his own head and the
bahy's, while ] Kept my own head /
covered and saturated by means of
Robbie,s waterproof cape and hood,
which 1 could fill with water by
crouching under the logs every few