The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-10-20

sonsEs n TIE TRAGEDY. fi;I1,1T5s
historian of the great Gre Of, Chioauo
Will have, as thrilling al theme .as the
plague Of London. Already thronch
the smoke of the yet smouldering con
hagration, we begin to catohs seiinpses-of
the many episodes Of individual suffer
ing ordaring that heightened the pic.
tuIesque horrors OF this heavy calamity.
friends in human shape were not want
ing. IN the midst of this awful ruin, to
ply the torch and to add robbery and
murder to theiwoes of this stricken peo-
PIE. The significant despatch relating
that several Of these wretohes had been
nung or SHOT ct once, ''as was most cnn-
Yenient, shows the temper in which
sneir maraudlng was regarded. Still
more tragic wns tho fate of another
sconndrel. who attempted to despoil the
cashier of bank ass he was emerging
with his arms fulli,of bonds and bills
Huving prostrated tho offiuial with n
blow, he was securing the plunder, when
an opportune policeman arrest ed him
The villain shot his captor. and dar ed
into the crowd. But the bystnnders fell
upon him furiously, md without waiting
!or even the summary pruotice of the
lamp post, tore him, it is said, literally
limb from limb
man in West Lake street, on Mon.
day, hnd been detected in throwing
bralds. and was Immediately executed.
The crowds are described as not being
noisy, each man acting Us with a fixed
purpose Not SO o sight in East Mndl-
son street, where some poor wretch WAS
hanged by his heels. Being caught in
the act OF setting fire to some building,
ne was conducted to the tree The
crowd thinks ordinary hanging too
lonlent denth.i so it is determined to
suspend the poor wretch by the teet.
lie is, therefore, pinioned around the
arms, the rope being meanwhile fus, eund
to his feet. AS this is dune, tic un
happy wretch begs that he may be
allowed to die by stranguIation. This il
not allowed. The other end having
been passed over the bough of the tree,
he is triPped OFF his feet aud hauled up
feet hrst. When his head is about three
teet from the ground, thu end of the
rope ls fastened round the trunk of the
tree. Some fend, not content with this,
raises q huge stone; md bushes It with
all his might at the head Of the hanging
man. 1t WAS good aim, for the nose IL
seen to be broken. Others participate
IN the sport, and soon the head is not
distinguishable, but is one mass of gore
and pulp. In Halsted street, u youth
about sixteen was caught kindling FIRE,
with the intent of spreading the flames
through the city. When last seen, he
had one arm completely wrenched out
OF the socket, and was then brlpg con.
Quoted to the plaoelof execution. The
mob had got possession of these two
last cases, bnt as rule the hanging was
dono in q purely justi6able manner. no
cruelty being used bnt merely to make
an example to the other desperate char
acters.s q. .up.tl "a, .a3 1f5'i
Scattered all over the devastated part
of the city are the sorrowful wrecks of
what were popularly believed to be Gre-
proof buildings, in most instances they
were composed of brick and stone walls,
with iron girders, stringers, jolsts, ETC.,
and their owners fondly prided them
selves, like the builders Of Babylon, On
possessing o. sure refuge and bnlwnrk
against one OF the devouring elements
hre. n In many instances, less than twen-
ty minutes snffloed to transpose them
fromistately edifices or palaces into pitt
full masses'and piles of crumbled brick
and stone and warped and blsckened
iron. This conhsgration has abundnut-
~ proven that stone buildings are but
tr.Ale more to be trusted than wooden
ones, and that nothing known to mo-
dern architecture possesses so much
power to reaist intense heat as brick
'cemented with well.tempersd mortar.
Onthof dozens especially examined, not
one stone vault seemed perfect. bnt
many brick ones were almost wholly un-
hurt; .tr' f, r.tt
Pedigrees don't oount for nuoh i,