White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1871-10-19

than seyenty-five thousand people exposed to tn.
wind and mist Of the lake. who had been but
few short hours before surrounded by the com
forts Of home.
II il impossible to describe the scene presented
Inv tl,eee now hoiseless homeless and in MANY
cases pennilsss people. flither had been brought
the old, the infrm and the sick. rescued from
burning homes. It was indeed pitiable sight t.
see the palc, emacicated and suffering men, wo
men and children, removed from comfortable
couches and laid out in the open air with perhaps
only a blanket or two under them, and only the
-hazed sky for q covering above them. The
amount Of suffering thus entailed upon the help
less sick cannot be estimated.
sLEEPLEss NIGHT AND HOPELESS DAVIS.
All night the fire fiend continued its dread work
of devastation. Strangers had been hurried from
their quarters in the hotels and compelled to take
their chances in the general chaos into which
every thing was thrown by the untoward calam-
ity to the city.
All night the hurryng throngs had been driven
before the fast-traveling flames. Goods taken
from burning houses to localities supposed to be
safe were soon endangered again, and had to be
removed to still more remote sections of the city,
or abandoned At last as prey TO the flames. Sud-
denly, enyeloped In dense e.ouds of su.socating
smcx., great crowds rushed into the lake or the
river. The number of lives thus lost must have
been great. Reliable persons state that they saw
numbers of people throwing themselves into the
lake TO escape more horrible fate by being strang
led by the sitting clouds of hot smoke from the
raging ea,dron of fire the south side of the river.
Ii the nignt nao oecn ole 1 ~ a'a. au IN essse J
found them hopeless and despairing. The wind,
which had been blowing from the first breeze
that announced almost 'o gaie, ste'itu ~ S"'ncI
strength with the coming day, and careered over
thedoomed city; creatihs whiIiwinaso oi nre, "hicn
seemed 10 ciutch every ooyec', anu !eacu iar OUT
IN guest OF more food 10 appease its ihsauate
No pen can adequately describe the awful sub
iimity OF the scene. Inc ngnt from tne nlSI ouila
ings haa ho' .aaeo away, ceIofe 'nc ust
vance eo!nns u 'ue "eie wv nnsS away IN .he
eor'n o,',se., Ieaslns 'n i'S 'ra'A ""' s'""i"s
n'sI IN 'n mrh. .,,a homsss.ss and ho,s,.ss nsons
c,; m, nEn' 'ne no"seIesS am. no,neiess Pe9Pe,
enci Win anNey anu nsqueh,E s'al,ieu cy
iresn aiarns, uae watcnet .ne suo,iliie anu a"iui
cohnagration as u nsrrled M IoLwaru 10 iresh con-
q"eS'S o'oi '"e Pi"""oS' "'AS VI l"'
THE SCENE AT NIGHT.
If the day had passed SO sadly and SO terribly
the night came ON with still gloonlier prospects,
Toward evening some train loads of provisions
had arrived and an effort was made to supply the
immediate demands of the most necesstOus. The
pangs of hunger were in many eases appeased
But the smouldering ruins still fitfnily blazed
here and there with strange wild light. mark
ing out distinctly the devastating track of the
tornado of fire that had swept through it,
Further away loomed up the grand. and glow
ing light of the fire cloud as il rolled away beyond
the river to the northward The clatter. the noise
the buzz hum and confusion which had prevaiIed
during the previous night. had sobered down some.
what The exhlerating effects of the 6rst great
storm of excitement had passed away Ex6ans.
tion had succeeded; the 1.-the movement had ceas
ell. Men moped around; women sobbed them
selves into uneasy slumber wherever thew could
find place under the broad canopy of heaven.
Inc waiiings OF distressed and homeless children
came oorne In snpdued murmurs on the night
.! M,na. foheemen, weared Dy the'r constant ex-
ertion lost their watchfniheSs, and moved about
WIN vacant, hsuess AR, whiie the gnouis that
manned the scene OF disaster plnndered at will.
Devils, wearing the form OF men, went about rob-
bing the helpless and insulting the feeble and de-
fenseiess Ihe SICK, carried from homes OF COM
fort and laid under the trees in the parks and on
the beach, expired, unattended by groups Of sor-
rowing friends.died alone, with the earth TOR
couch and the sky for a canopy.
Even amid these terrible scenes, which were
to move the very stones to cry out in an
agony OF sympathy, there moved amid the wreck |
and through the smoke filled streets, beings wear
ing the forms of men, but with minds and hearts
filled with more than satanic malignity, with de-
Iiberate purpose and prepared torches, to assist |
the uneontrollable coniiagrafion to more speedy |
triumph. hear that fwoof these GEM OF destruc-
fion were caught with saturated shavings, in the |
net of setting fire to n house, and hanged imme-
liately on lamp post. II is also stated, and l
shall he only too happy to confirm the report, that
live other human ghouls were caught. while NAL
~--- ~N----------s
shot.
But why multiply horrors! Why seek to con-
Iey ~ the minds OF Others the distress OF our Ownf
! he details OF this unparalleled calamity would
i'll volume. Your correspondent, wcaried by
xafehfnlness, was glad to welcome the dawn of
mother day, which would bring to him relief.
THE GHoULs AMONG THE RUINS
M soo,er w,s tbe exta,t of tbe 5;s,stsr k,,o,,n
broad than the gbonjs of the rae. who .v.r
amt scan.s of J;sast.r o,J n;sfartnn. has.n 20
,athsr Tb;e,es nnci.J With tha root sts;at.~ :"
,nlt;tr. and h,st;Ir ,,I;.5 th.;r v.a.;.n sne,
n that drs bonr of caIam,;tv V;Ii,;ns s.;y.S M
~ +h Aaa;n1r ;nhoi;tamt a: tha, na,na 60. .,ai;
.,;n,, ho,nss and andaay"ro.i 10 tnL ,rnnt i..I
r.. thsn, savsJ fran, III. ,en.r,i 49,
men and exnress Jr;xsrs and c,r ,,,a,, s.a,,,
a !" h.v. lot ali con.c;snc. and char,..,i f.Im-
ms nr;ces far convevinc n load fram The s.ane If
sst trr,ct;on 70 = ..fs i;S,.n.s W.n uho haa
,r"e snms Of money cnSeavorno to convey % r.
way to places of safety, were beset by thieves.
ven in the street, in the garish light of their con-
uming houses, and robbed OF their remaining all.
One instance is known Of hackman exacting
rom distracted husband $50 to convey his in
aid wife from his burning home to a place Of
afety. Twenty-Five dollars was regarded rs .
cry moderate charge for an express wagon to
AXE load ten squares, $50 and 500 were fire.
uently demanded and paid for the use of wagon
nd team of two horses for half an hour. II seem-
- I-If Il - l. IL 4