The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-28
Wsfht:;ing &eeister.
UNDER THE FLAMES.
An Old Veteran Who ssStayed 10 See
IL Out"

A man named Allison Weaver, VIII,
reached Detroit, from Port Huron, hat
narrow and curious escape from bring
roasted alive in the north woods. Iii.
story is told in the Detroit Free Press o
Thursday: Weaver is a single man
about fifty years old, and served al
through the war in an Ohio regimen
Of infantry. Up to two weeks ago h,
was at work for man named Bright
ten miles from Forestville, as fireman
of Single mill. Two or three day:
before the approach Of the flames
which eventually destroyed that section
Bright and his family left for Forestville
and the next day all the men employed
about the place either followed his ex'
ample or made haste to reach THEN
homes On leaving Bright informed
! his men that the fire would weep tha
way, and warned them to lose no time
in making their escape. Having nc
property to lose or family TO take care
of Weaver determined, as he says, "to
stay and see the circus out" meaning
that he intended saving the mill if pos
sibe. He has a stubborn sort OF q
spirit, and the fact that everybody else
went induced him to stay.
As soon as the men lett he set to
work and buried all the provisions left
in the house, and during the day buried
the knives, belts and other light machin-
cry of the mill, as well as a stove and a
quantity of crockerv ware. There was
plenty of water in the vicinity of the
mill, and he filled several barrels full,
besides wetting down house, mill, stock
and everything which would burn,
scattering several hundred pailfuls OF
water on the ground around the build
ings When III yht came and the fire
had not appeared, he began to jeer his
absent comrades. But his self-conceit
soon left him. About ten o'clock the
heavens were so light that he could see
the smallest objects around him, and
there was a roaring in the forests which
surrounded like waves beating against
rocks on the shore. He began to sus'
pect that he would soon receive the
visit predicted, and accordingly made
preparations for it. In leveling up the
ground around the single mill, earth
had been obtained 10y digging here and
there, and Weaver went to work and
dug one of these pits deep enough tor
him to stand up in.
lie then filled it nearly full of water and
took care to saturate the ground around
it for distance OF several rods. Going
to the mill he dragged out n iour-inch
plank, sawed it in two, and saw thatthc
parts tightly covered the mouth OF the
well. Il kalkerlated it would be tech
and &c" said he, "but it was the best
could do" At midnight he had ev ry
thing arranged. and the roaring then
was awful to hear. The clearing was
ten or twelve acres in extent, anu
Weaver saws that for two hours before
the fire reached him there was 4 con
slant flight across the ground OF small
animals As lac rested q moment from
giving the house another wetting down
a horse dashed into the opening At iul
speed and made tor the house, where hC
stopped and turned toward the fire
Weaver could see him tremhle an,
shake in his excitement and terror, AM
felt a pity for him. AI!er Il momcn
| Il 4 4, To n
iismav, ran two or three times aroun'
the house, and then shot off into the
woods like n rocket.
Not long alter the fire came. Weaver
stood 10y his well, ready for the emer
gencv, vet curious to see the breakn:
in OF the flames. The roaring increase
in volume, the air became oppressive,
cloud of dust and cind,rs came shower
inc down, and he could see the flame
through the trees. 1t did not run along
upon the ground nor leap from tree tC
tree, but it came on like a tornado, {
sheet Of flame reaching from the cart!
to the top OF the uees As it struck
the clearing he jumped into his wei
and closed over the plankl. lie c0uId
no LONGER see, but he could hear. lie
SAYS that the flames made no halt what
ever, nor ceased their roaring for an IN
slant, but he had hardly got the open
ing closed before the house and NIL
were burning like finder, and both were
down in five minutes. The smoke came
down to him powerfully, and his der
was so hot that he could hardly breathe
He knew that the planks above HIN
were on fire, but remembering then
thickness, he waited till the roaring Of
the flames had died away, and then
with his head and hands turned then
over, and put out the fire by dash'ng
np water with his hands Although II
was a cold night, and the water had a
first chilled him, the heat gradually
warmed it up until, he says, that he tel
very comfortable. He remained IN NJ
den until daylight, frequently turnins
over the planks and putting out the hre
and then the worst had passed. lh'
earth around was on fire in spots, house
and mill were gone, leaves, brush, an'
logs were swept clean away, az II shave'
off and swept with broom, and no'h
but SCOT and ashes were to be seen.
After the fire had somewhat cooled
off Weaver made an investigation o
his caches and found that considerable o
the property buried had been saved
although he lost all his provisions ex
cent a piece OF dried beef, which the mr.
had cooked as in an oven without spoil
inc it. He had no other resource thai
to remain around the place that day
durinp the night and the greater par, o
next day, when the ground had coole'
enonob so that he could pick his way L