The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-11-28


them loose on Sunday afternoon to care
for themselves. They started off in the
direction Of the village, but probably per-
ished in company with scores Of other do
mestic animals, Langworth's well had
been without water for week, and his
only resource was small creek about
forty rods from the house. BY digging
hole in the bed Of the stream about bar
.rel Of water would collect during the day,
and this he was using for drinking and
cooking purposes.
Just before dark Sunday night, Lang
worth states that his yard was almost
overrun with rabbits, woodchucks, coons
and other small animals, while more than
hundred squirrels were to be seen about
the house and barns. The animals moved
about in stupid way, blinded by the
smoke, and would hardly move away when
approached.
There was no sleep for the farmer that
night, 1t was as much as he could do to
breathe, the smoke creeping in and filling
the house until mis- lamp could scarcely
be seen across the room. Soon after mid
night he ascertanied that the wind had
changed and freshened, and in an hour
more he could hear the hoarse roar Of the
fire and the terrible crashing of the giant
trees as they toppled over. Between his
place and the fire was a swamp nearly
half a mile across, and be had great hopes
that his would act as guard to prevent
the further spreading Of the flames. In
ono sense it did. The fire did not sweep
across it, but ate its way around it, the
wind seeming to fan the flames each way,
and when the farmers clock marked the
hour six Monday morning, the smoke was
so dense and the roar and noise Of the fire
so loud that he decided to leave. Having
little money to care for. and being roor
In houichold goods, he decided to make
the attempt to save some Of the bedding.
Taking some small articles, as photo
graphs, a small picture or two, the fami-
ly Bible and his faithful clock, Langworth
placed them on a feather tick, wrapped
this up in a blanket, and was ready to go.
Stopping out of doors to take an obscrva-
ton, he could not see ten feet in any d.
rection, and the air was as hot as the at
mosphere of al engine-room.
As he stood near the door, peering this
way and that, great fame suddenly shot
up from his barn and haystacks. As he
returned for lis bundle, thousands Of
spark and scores Of burning twgs and
branch", swept III at the open door, and
he lcapcd ut and ran for his life. There
is Il waso,..road from Langwolths place
to Tia village, md he sought this means
Of escape. Behind him were the roaring
flames, sweeping everything before them,
and traveleg SO fast that he had to strain
every nerve to keep ahead. Where the
fire met with an open space or small
! swamp, its progress was checked for
moment, and the farmer could get clear
of the flying sparks. But no obstacle
could long stop the progress of the flames.
What they could not burn they would
leap over until they caught mass of
grass or heap of leaves, and in mo-
ment the fire was eating each way and
progressing forward nearly as fast as a
man could run Almost stifed, his throat
so parchcd that he could not swallow, and
his lungs feeling as if a knife was at work
there, I.angworth stumbled forward,
scarcely hoping to make his escape.
What he expected soon occurred. The
flames which had been sweeping down
from another direction, suddenly jumped
across the road in front of him, half
dozen trees flaming up at once. Behind
was the main fire, to the right was solid
sheet Of flames, and the only avenue Of
escape was to plunge into the woods, al
ready taking fire on the left side.
1t was now race for life, with the
chanc against escape. Turning to the
left the farmer hoped that by making
sharp run for it he might head of the
fire, turn its path and again reach the
road, He had almost accomplished this
object, when he encountered a "swalc" OF
considerable extent, and found that he
must turn toward the main fire and en-
deavor to work around the "swale" be-
fore the flames should reach it. Sparks
and cinders were falling all around him
The ground was covered with dry leaves
the wind sweeping through the trees in
gusts, and several times Langworth had
to leap over the running flames. In one
of his leaps he tripped and fell, plunging
headlong iuto soft mud and water This
was most fortunate occurrence for him.
as his clothing had already been scorched
by the flame. He ran forward at his
greatest speed, hearing the fire roaring on
all sides, and when he reached the end
of the marsh the flames blistering his
cheeks as he passed around the swamp
and struck the high ground.
In turning and twisting, and bewlder-
ed by the smoke, he had lost all knowl-
edge of the country, and now he ran for
ward with but one idea Of keeping in ad-
vance Of the fire. As the forest was here
more open, and the leaves had been well
cleaned off by the wind, he was not so
closely pressed. Almost every moment
he ran across Wild all fleeing for place
of safety, and losing their fear of man in
the general desire to escape the more re-
lentless foe pressing behind. At length
Lapgworth passed beyond the roar of the
flames, and felt that he had escaped the
fate which for time seemed ceatain, He
knew not which way he was travelling,
and cared not SO long as he could keep in
advance of the fire. The smoke was so
thick that he had to press forward like
one blindiolded. Failing into holes, stun
bling over logs, he pushed on, and was at
length clear of the woods. He found the
fire everywhere. Swamps were blazing
logs smouldering, trees and shrubs burn
ing and the short grass and dry turf was
being eaten up as if it were dry peat. He
had to pick his way between and around
the lesser fires, making detours where the
fences were blazing, and at last arrived at
the outskirts of St. Charles, to find every