The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-10-25


as If legion Of devils had taken
possession Of the belfries. The
whole city awoke in terror and
rushed into the str. efe, only to
find them filed with people run.
ming to and fro, with women sitting
on curbs and stoops crying with
grief, and sobbing over their chill
drcn who lay i'm their arms asleep.
and all unconscious Of the dread
dlsas,er which had befalIen item or
looked up with wondering eyes at
their mothers faces. What was
,, it all about Q What made the sky
so red Why were the streets 80
full of people2 They couldn't
make it ont at all, and then they
went to sleep again, while their
mothers wept and prayed and
wondered what had become of the
child's father.
AT some places the fire did not
go in a direct line, but left some
honses-as fires will do-alrnost
unharmed in the midst of the
flames. A gentleanS, who was in
a house in Market street, Just be
yond the river, describes the scene
as he saw it from his huusctop.-
Up towards the burning district
and far beyond the sky seemed to
be on fire; the clouds driven past
10y the gale seemed masses of an.
gry flames rushing towards him.
and bearing destruction to the
whole city. Below the fire roared
and ran along from house to house
like a snake grasping all things in
its hungry jaws. The air was filed
with sparks and FIRE. brands, which
whirled and danced, we're driven
before the wind, or shot up sudden
ly towards the heavens like rick.
cts. The noise was almost deafen.
ing; the rattle of carts and engines
as they drove madly through the
streets, men and women emerging
from the smoke, which rolled in
heavy volumes down the way, and
bearing with them whatever they
could lay their hands on their
heads and faces as they cleaned in
the iurid light, he describes as a
scene never 10 be forgotten. 1t
was grand, but an awful picture.
In its passage the fire had burned
down many lumber yards, and the
freight depots Of the Chicago and
st. Louis, the Pittsbnrg ands For,
Wayne, and the Chicago Rail
roads.
AS 1t approached the river II
became evident that it would cross
1t, and soon that fear was realized :
for the wind carried brands across
the narrow stream to the northeas,
side, and there, falling on the
wooden buildings adjoining the
gas works, set it on fire, and then
the flames, having secured a foo.
hold, rushed on to their work OF
further destruction. The gas house
was destroyed, and the city was
lighted only by the fires which
we consuming itself. Then came
panic such as city has rarely
seen: Vague rumors of pillage
hlled the air, and deeds of violence
and horror were more than dread
ed. The people rushed pell-mell
from their houses rather than re
main with them in darkness-tbe
most hated and detes:ed thing in
times of disaster and catastrophe
They ran in crowds about the
streets, meeting crowds rushing
from opposite directions, and, in
their fright, trying to push their
way through the dense masses
which encountered them, were
trampled down and many of them
crushed to death in the desperation
Of tho moment.
An awful spectacle was present.
ed when the fire, having s~ep,
down the river, reached Lake
street. An eyewitness of the
scene says that the body Of the
flame presented a front Of half q
semi.circle, and behind it was a
raging, roaring hell of fire half 9
mile deep. Nothing materia
could Withstand the surge of this
tremendous sea of flame. On its
advance northward i; had driven
the inhabitants into Lake and
Sonth Water streets and on to the
bridges, much as a prairie fire STAN
pedes affrighted animals. The
streets We're filled with distract
ed people, panic stricken and bud
died in a mob alniost as terrible
to behold as the roaring ccnfagra
ton. Until now some instinct
seemed to have pointed ont this
section as beyond the reach of the
fire. But when it was seen tina,
the ocean Of flame was irresistibly
whelming everything, all depend
ence on human means of succor
was lost. Looking down on this
awful assemblage, lit as it was by