The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-11-17

There is melancholy interest attach
cd to the incidents Of the fires in the
Northwest. correspondent who Eaf
al Pesbtigo when that village was burn
ed says: The sharp air of early Oeto-
her had sent the people In from the even
ing church services more promptly than
usual, although numbers delayed to
speculate ON a great noise and ado which
set IA ominoualy from the west The
housewives looked tremblingly at the
fires and lights within aud the men took
last look at the possibilities without
for many il was truly last glimpse
The noise grew in volume, aud came
nearer aud nearer with terrific cracking
and detonatons The forest rocked
and tossed tumultn0usly dire alarm
fell upon the imprisoned village, for the
swirling blasts cam down from every
side. In one awful instant, before ex-
pectation coald give share 10 the horror,
great fame shot up il the western
heavens, and in countless fiery tongues
struck downward into the village, pierce-
ing every obieat that stood I'm the town
like a red-hot bolt. A deafcning roar,
mingled with blasts Of electric flame,
filled the air and paralyzed every soul
in the place. There was no beginning
10 the work Of ruin the flaming whirl-
wind swiFled in an instant through the
town.
Moved by n commons instinct, for all
knew that the woods that encircled the
town we're impenetrahle, every habita-
tion was deserted to the flames, and
the gasring multitude hoeked 10 the
river.
Three hundred people wedged them
selves in between the rolling booms,
swayed 90 and fro by the current, where
they roasted In the hot breath of flame
that hoyered above taem, and singed
the hair ON each head momentarily ex-
posed above the water. Here despair
ing men aud women held their children
till the cold water came as am ally 10 the
flames, and deprived them Of strength.
The wrctched throng neck deep in the
water. and the stiil more haplcss beings
stretched on the heated sands, were
pierced and hlisiercd hy these burning
particles. They seemed like lnncets Of
ned-hot steel, penetrating the thickesi
covering.
Long after the flames had died ont,
when there VIA no more 90 feed on, the
hot sands rendered moving about an
exquisite torture, and long into the dis
mai midday the survivors were confined
30 the narrow circuit near the river. As
the day wore on, help came in slowly
from the norihward. Several railroad
gangs had escaped annihilation. and one
gang. led by an eN-prize-hghter named
Mulliean, came with promptnoss and
efficiency 90 iho res nc through miles Of
burning prairie and blockaded roads,
When the work Of rescue began il was
found that great number had escaped
by the bed of the river and the northern
rnad to the port. and, as the day adj
vnnced, half-nnked straRglcrs. unkompt
and hlackcncd. began 10 stream into the
sparse settlement As the molten sands
cooled Oh. the woiul work 81 recognition
began. Pcering into blackoned faces,
mothers. fathers. brothers tremblingiy
sought out missing ones.
Some, in the immeasurcnhlo anguish
az the moment, had dashed themselves
against the sands and lCt ont the life
with their own hands that the licking
flames coveted. Men, too distant from
the river to hope for rescne or safety,
had cut the throats Of their choking
children. and were found in groups
sometimes unccarrcsl Ivy the flames I'm
The streets. full twenty corpse were
found with no appapent iniure or abra-
sion. Fainous tradcsmen. in the sudden
rush Of flame. had thrown their valuables
into wells for security every well in
the city was turned into n flaming pit,
and the very waters half cyaporated by
the heat Survivors attest that women
and children. cut of from the rivers.
were put into wells and covered with
bedding. have looked into every ven
in the ash covered clearing, and there is
no possibility that living thing could
have endured the flames that boiled aud
secthod in them.