Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-25
Phenomena Ofthe Northern Fire.

which fell upon this region worthy Of scientific
Investigation. The testimony OF the cooler
headed survivors Of the fires at Prshtigo and
Sugar Bush anti Wiiiamsyilc is united as 10
one phcnomen"u.
They say that The fire did not come upon
them gradually from burning trees and other
OBJECTS to the windward, but the first noice
they had of it was whil'wind Of fame. in
great clouds from above the top Of the trees,
wh!ch fell upon aud cuvcoped everything.
The atninsp herr seemed one of fire. The poor
lrppl: inhaled It. 0r TIN. intensely hot AIR, and
fell down dead Thi, is verified by the appear
ancc OF many Of Ihc corpScs They were tonnd
dead in rh" roads and open spaces. where there
were ~ vi>bI. marks of fire near by, with not
trace Of burning upon their bodies or clothes.
At the sugar bush, which is an extended cleal
ing ia >oluc places four miles in width, rorpscs
were found in the open road, between fences.
which We're only slightly burned No mark Of
IRE was upon them. but they laid as if asleep.
This phenomenon seems tn explain the fact
that 80 many were killed in compact masses.
They seemed 10 have hudd!ed together in
what were evidently regard at the moment, rs
tn" safest places. away from buildings trees, or
other inflammahle Materials ami there 10 have
died together. Fruc", around cleared fields
were burned in spos of only few rods III
,cngth. aud elsewhere nor touched. Fishes
were killed in the streams. us ut Peshtlgo.
We hear The universal testimony that the
prevailing idea among the t"rror->trickrn PEG.
I.lc of those places was that the last day had
come They needed nor TO be terror-Stricken
Tor snch iiaginingS. What other explanation
cd he given To That imminent tltIe. when
there was an olnin"us warning and sound com
Ing from the distance: when the sky. ~ dark
Just before. burst into great clouds ol fire, the
beasts of the forest calnc running for >uccnr
into the midst OF the settlements and the great,
red. consuming. roaring he'll Of lire Tell upon all
around? The drcli'u scene lacked nothing but
the sounding Of the last trumpet and. indeed.
the approach of the awful roaring and the
lremonitions from the distance supplied even
that to he appalled, inaeiniugs Of the people
The Espy theory. we think it is, that con
tinrd and widespread fires will bring on rain,
seems to he exploded in this instance. These
fires had lasted nearly or quite four weeks,
riivag!na Forests over great area. and still not
1t drop II rain TIE rain only came with u
chang. OF wind Ia the northward. and several
DAYS after the worst buruing> were over with. -
T.'"" BtV -ldro1te,
Curious AFrAIR-Detective Kendall
O'Day"r returned to this city yesterday after
noon. having in charge the colored confidence
man, VILLAIN Hail. who few weeks ago, de
coycd James Turner. OF Richmond to Peters
burg IN chase after large amount OF gold
coin, which de latter named person tnnly cN-
pectcd IL Purchase Tor about half OF It's
value in currency. Hall was arrested al
Princess Anne. Somerset county, Maryland, on
The l4;h last. having arrived at that place the
day before IN company with one Mark WickS,
alias Jackson. and small boy. name not known
To liz.
.Aiicr getting ashore at an inlet near Princess
tunc the trio put the yacht INTO the hands OF
an old colorci man. telling him that they might
return in five or six weeks. prrhey might never
for his trouble. They made arrangements to
reach the railroad, on their way North, and had
ACTUALLY gotten to the station, when their arrest
was caused by citizen, llr. Samuel Adams:
on the suspicion that they had stolen the yacht
They we've taken to jail and examined, and on
the person of Hall was found 81 lao in money,
god watch. and some papers. among which
was nate. which finally caused his ldcn!ltca- |
ton rs the ab>cnnding swlndler.
Atyr finding so large a sum OF money upon
the person of Hall the Maryland officers began
10 think hat some grave crime had been per
pctratcd by which he had acquired it, and they
AT once determined to find on more about their
prisoners Hall told them That his name was
y illiam Lawson. bu; gave no satisfactory eN
plauation of his possession of the money, and
they telegraphcd to Burwcli (who was in Gus
toiy here for ahetting Hall in the >windIeJ to
the address contained in the note and
Burwell gave the information TO Captain Il. ID.
Wise and a. soon as possible Detective y Dwyer !
w;,S started out, having Turner along to Identity
J-It'
the man. and with a rrqulSltl'n i"r Hall re-
turn.
The Money iound on Hall hal been taken in
charge b. the Commonwealth attorney. Nr.
Henry Page and Hall obtained cou'lse! and had
it attached in his hands; Turner. upon his ar
rival, got out counter attachment The own
cr-hip of the mouey will. therefore. become the |
object Of Il civil suit, and will remain IN Mr.
Page hands. for the present.
Hall gives new version to the Swindie. lie
say. that bcihg in Florida some time ago, he
became acquainted with the fact that some
blacks down here had about $1,000 III gold
coin, which they had gotten by some foul means
aud that they wanted 10 sell it. but were afraid
To cSpOse it for sale, believing that TO do so |
would cause their arrest He states that he
induced then to come on to Virginia with him.
and left them in Petersburg, while he went to
CANADA, morgaged his properly there and re-
turned with $500 in money.
After returning he found out that his Florida
friends would not sell ont for thi, amount, aud
50 he came to Richmond and got Burwcll to
raise $500. and Burwell got Turner to raise
$500 more. with which TO conclude the pur-
chase lie says that after getting to Peters
burg and when about to end negotiations: hc
found that Turner was putting up job on
him. and he anticipated him by getting the
trunk Of gold somehow, not explained. and alb,
sconding. =,
Leaving Petersburg, Hall, in company with
Marks. went to Ci!y Point by rail- from thence
to King Mills wharf by water. and overland
from Kings Mills to Williamsburg, and f'om
Williamsburg to Yorktown. At Yorktown, ne
says, he purchased the yacht from Garrett De,
hart, and turning mariner. proceeded to sall
for Chess Neck on the Eastern Shore of \lr-
gina. and from Chess Neck to Puncher Land
ing, Maryland. stopping on the way at some un'
known and uuiphabitcd island (?l in the CheSa-
pcake and buying his gold. Somewhere on
his route he picked up the boy mentioned