The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-12-23
A TERRIBLE EpEsorE.
FEARFUL STRUGGLE WITH MANIAC IN
THE BURNING WOODS.

late fire in Wisconsin relates some thrill
ing incidents Of these disasters. Subs
Joined Is the experience of lady
Night was coming en-, and since noon
we had nothing to eat. ! did net feel
hungry, but was tormented with thoughts
of what might happen if we should not
reach place Of safety, for feared that
Louis would give out, and that was one
OF the reasons that made me carry him.
Ny arms sched and my limbs were
scratched, bruised, and bleeding. Still, 1
made good headway, and coon came to
natural clearing, on the thIther side of
which we sat down TO rest.
| BY this time night had come op, and
what night No moon, no stars, but
the cloudy heavens lighted up afar with
/ the horrible fires of the burning woods.
| The clearing in which we sat was the
dried up bed of q stream, which for some
unaccountable reason, had not thickly
! wooded shores, and we were at least two
hundred feet from the edge of the forest in
/ flames. All this time Louis, manly
little fellow that he was, had not sTeti
asked for food, nor had he cried since l
| III NScli IOOllSNly DlUl-
I had heard my husband speak of
spring which had run dry, but that was
in north easterly direction from our
! house, and Notwithstanding the fact that
l was lost, yet l had a general Eolion
that l was approaching Wolf river. The
stars could give me no information, for
could not see them. What to do scarce
! ly knew and when the heat Of the fire
became such that could not doubt that
it was near | determined TO press on away
from il, and taking Louis hand sci out.
Hardly had risen from the ground when
in the direction of the woods on the other
side of the clearing, 1 heard crashing
noise-a mingled gnasbirg and hoarse
barking-which Instantly recognized as
that of wolves l scarcely had time TO
snatch up Louis and run behind a pine
tree; whose trunk was at least six feet in
diameter, before | heard them scrambling
up the side of The hill, and felt them rush
by me.
looked out and could see their eyes
coming toward me ike the wind They
did not stop for an instant, and when they
passed, there came in their path herd OF
deer, uttering cries. that seemed almost
human in their intense agony. They ran
bliDdIy, for something more terrible than
wolves WAS behind them they struck the
tree and were hurled back by the shock,
some Of them falling back upon those be-
low.
The stampede seemed TO last ten min
utes, and when it was ever, and /, trem-
bling with fear, dared once more to emerge
flom my refuge and look across the clear
ing, saw the woods at its edge already
burning, saw It Iurid through the smoke,
and felt lis terrible heat upon my face
| turned and fed in the wake of the
wolves. My shoes were stripped from
my feet, and my ankles were torn and
bloody. Fallen trees lay in my way, but
l clambered over and crawled under them
in my desperate fight. | was agonizad
with terror and despair, and finally sank
10 the ground with my boy. in my arms.
must have tainted, for | knew nothing
of what passed until | was rudely shaken
by the shoulder and heard wild gibber-
ing laugh. I opened rDy eyes, and above
me stood my mother with drawn knife
in her hand The woods seemed all
ablaze, although the air was not so intol'
erably hot as it had been. The forest
beyond the clearing must have been burn
ing at It's edge, and the strong winds car.
rying the smoke upward and over our
heads. My mother looked down upon
me with eyes blazing with insanity.
'Ho, no !" said she, 'fine time of Q
night for a mother and child to be running
through the woods Fine night, this
Night lit is day Look at the red
light-'tis the light Of dawn! lie jour,
le jour. du judgment est ar1TUcd' And the
rocks are burning Call upon them to
fall upon you! The clouds of thunder
and the day of doom The Lord is com
ing, and the wheels of His chariot burn
with His mighty drivingt Let US go up
to meet Him ia the mid air Let US ride
ON the smoke and thunder and sweep the
stars from the heavens! Come, you
shall 60 with me = And she seized Lou>
is, who had thrown himself upon me, and
was chnging in terror to my breast
1 sprang AZ her., and with al the
strength of ten mothers In my arms
struggled with her. Torn, worn and
bleeding, as l was, the thought of my
child and my husband gave me the Strength
of a giant. l overpowered the mad
woman, and, forgetting that she was my
aother-that she was ANYTHING but the
would>be murderess of my boy-1 seized
her by the throat when she was dowr
rolling on tho ground, and would have
strsngled her.
Her insanity had almost made me mad
felt then what Il murderous maniac feels
But when thought my mother was ly'
ing almost dead and powerless, and thu
fire would soon advance and perhaps over
whelm US all, my hand was stayed, ant
when my mother rose to her feet all he
wildness was gone.
She was ready and willing TO do any