Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-10-27
The Prairie Fires.
OF AN EYE WITNESS


toward the lake, was the settlement OF
Williamson's Mills, comprising about IA
families. The fire suddenly made rush
like the flash of train of gunpoN der,
and swept in the shape of crescent
around the settlement. 1t is almost i'm
possibleto conceive the frightful advance
of the flames The rushing fire seemed
to eat up and annihilate the trees. He
says the roar of the blast was as loud as
the whirr of a great mill. As we stood
looking on, say at about ten o'clock, we
heard another strange sound. Straining
our eyes toward the fire-about seven
miles distant-w could just discern some
thing moving; now it would appear like
black mass, and then it would separate
into fragments, swaying to and fro, and
bobbing up and down. 1t came toward
US directly from the lurid wall of flame.
So intense was the glare of light all about
US that our eyes were dazed they ran
with water, and we could only see by
constantly using our handkerchiefs. At
last we made out by sight and sound that
the moving mass was a stampede of cat
tie and horses laundering along toward
us away from the flames, believing, neigh
ing and moaning as they galloped on.
Finally they came rushing past with fear
full speed, their eyeballs dilated and glar-
ing with terror, and every motion be-
tokening delirium of fright. Some had
been badly burned, and must have plung-
ed through a long space Of flame in the
desperate effort to escape. Following
considerably behind came solitary horse
painting and snorting and nearly exhaust
ed. 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 a young lad lying fallen over
the animals neck, the bride wound
around his hands, and the name being
clinched by the fingers. Little effort was
needed to stop the jaded 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
Bvrnes, and said: "Father and mother
and the children got into the wagon. !
don't know what became of them Ev.
erything is burned up. lam dying. Oh,
!; is hell any worse than this !"
The poor fellow lay in critical con.
dition when | left The next morning
we drove down to the settlement. The
, first house we came to was that of Patrics
Byrnes, father of the lad before spoken
Of 1t was heap of ashes. The brick
chimney, the cooking stove, and iron por
, tions of farm tools were the only rem
: nants Of the place. The forest was burn
down close to the ground, the stump'
only being left, smoldering and smoking
Everything was hot. Even the road wa
baked and cracked by the heat. Abou
: mile further on we came to horrible
spectacle Alongside the road in gul
: ly lay the bodies of six persons and tw,
I horses, roasted to crisp. The iron tire
e of the wheels, and braces and bolts O
e the wagon were scattered about. Her
u the fire had surrounded and engulfe
G them. Evidently the animals in thei
mad struggles had reared, plunged, an
y fallen headlong from the road to wher
d they died.
3 We hurried on. All along the roa
= lay the carcasses of cattle, sheep hog,
: and dogs burnt to crisp. The smalle
" animals were almost entirely consumed
u Now we came to the village Nothin
% was left but piles of ashes, smoking an
Ii smoldering. In the cellar of one hous
X we found eight bodies. One of ma
II was in STOPPING position over that of
70 child, as though he died trying to war
u off the flames. This was very likely tn
u body of Mr.. Williamson, the owner {
IL the mills, who, with HIS entire family,
10 said to have persisted. In the rear var
u of the next house were four bodies, al
% parently those of a mother and her chi
dren. They were scorched, but not burr
to crisp, and one cheek of the younges
~ girl of six, retained an expression
" calmness that seemed to indicate pai
= less death by suffocation. But the mo
~ horrible of all was at Boorman's wei
Mr.. Boorman's house was the largest
'' the village, and in the center Of the var
" midway between the house and barn, W
- a large, but shallow we'll. Several of Il
neighbors were supplied with water fro
this fountain, and it is likely that in Il
r confagration, when all hope was cut O
: the neighbors, insane with terror, thron
=, ed with one purpose TO this we'll. T
- ordinary chain and wheel pump used
~ that place had been removed, and t
" wretched people had leaped down in
III II