The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-31
sE mrcHAEE,s sEsEPLE:

sOfaoial.
ST. MIcHAEL's sTEEPLE
An Incident OF its History-The Hero
isr, Of q slave-A Thrilling Rominis.
cenee.
rerom the New York Evening Post.i
The romantic story of the bells OF st'
Michaels Church In Ohsrleaton, 8. c., wnlon
We copied day or two ago from Mrs. Oar
son's book, reminds us of an incident In rela-
ton to that Church, which probably has never
been printed, or If 1t has, Is old enough and
interesting enough to be told again. We neara
It related long since by an old lady who VIII
messed 1t when she was young glrl' perhaps
eighty yeers age. -
This lady, who was from Massachusetts,, was
on q visit at Charleston IN the latter part Oh
the last century. Il was az time wnen taere s
occurred fire which burned up conslaer-
sois norton of the city, and which for many
years marked an era In Its history as rtne
lime of the Great Fire;' though, doubtless,
that ancient date has been wiped out by events
mora recent and moro disastrous. St. micnaers,
however, was then, as 1t has always coI.inaso
to be, the pride of the citizens ol Cnarleston.
who truly claimed that lt served, tIom h hs
heioht. as beacon TO sailors approaching tne
coast. and was the last thing sighted, far out
at sea. by those who were outward pouno:
And not only was it their pride, but It almost
seemed to them that Providence had the bsau-
tIfnI old church In It's special keeping, Wnen,
the morning after the great fire, they turned
their eyes upward to see Ito lofty splre almost
niercing the clouds, while benealn and an
around 1t lay In blackened ruins tne isirest
and largest part OF their beloved Guy, anu tne
aahes OF so many OF the homes OF the stficken
people. ., o.,.,oa doot-uc.
tion. and that by an act or heroism, which is
now. perhaps, forgotten 10 Charleston, opt ID
recalled By q naive Of Massachusetts az q
pleasant "Reminiscences OF his cnllonooo, ano oi
the venerable woman who TOLD OF .tne brave
act OF which she was an eyewitness.
While the fire was raging and the whole city
seemed doomed to destruction, the Mayor ana
Aldermen sat In solemn and anxious council
TO devise ways and means to stay the GONNA.
grafton, and to provide for those who had
lost all their worldly possessions, and VINO
stood halt naked and shivering BY the smould-
ering ruins Of their homes. The news came
to them presently that st. Mlchael's was In
danger, TOR the nre was approaching the
square where 1t stood, and storm OF great
burning brands was showered down upon its
root and hurled against Its steeple. Men upon
the root put out the fiery missiles as they fell,
and could reach and disl0dge those thst
fastened themselves upon the lower portion OF
the spire; but the danger was that some burn
ing shingle, borne far up In the air by the
gale, would make lodgment out OF reach,
insuring, not only the destruction OF the
church, but spreading the flaming messengers
far and Wide from this great height over parts
of the city as yet untouched by the rain OF IRE.
The fear was well-founded: 1t was not
long before flying brand caught and fasten-
cd itself upon the topmost neigbt OF the spire.
vain hope that 1t would drop before It's blaze
caught upon the surrounding woodwork but,
held TO it's place, perhaps BY the wind, 1t
kindled brighter and brighter Till 1t was plain
that unless some human hand could pluck 1t
down, the spire and all that would be Involved
In It's destruction were doomed. The helpless
crowd looked up and watched the brand, but
among them all there was not one man fear
less enough or active enough to attempt TO
scale the giddy height. The mayor and the
council stood In the square below poWerless
and despaIring like the rest, but oferlng
large reward to any one who would attempt
the daring feat OF dlBodglng that speck OF
dame that flickered In the gale at the very
summit of the steeple, and grew each moment
But presently man appeared In the belfry
Of the church, and leaning over the railing
looked upward, as If measuring with his eyes
the distance of the many feet OF almost per-
pendloular ascent that still lay between him
and the spot Of fame above him. Then ne
mounted upon the railing and stretched hls
hands above him upon the steeple. from t1e
crowd Of thousands below went up one single
mighty shout that almost shook the air about
him; then great silence fell upon the multi
tude as they held their breaths, and their up
turned faces grew white In the ruddy light as
they watched his progress. Slowly, painfully,
carefully and steadily he crept up and up,
raising himself from one slight prolectlon 70
another, invisible to those below, but which
served him for foothold and which his hands
could grasp. All around tor many squares the
Are ragged unheeded, and men forgot their
blazing homes as by the light OF their burning
thew watched this solitary figure creeping
hundreds OF feet above them, up st. MicnaePs
steeple. At length the brand was within bis
reach, and holding on with one hand only ne
seized tho blazing mass with the other and
hurled 1t clear into the square below, and the
spire stood out black once more against the
sky with no light upon 1t except the re-
fection from the burning houses.
But not yet did the crowd dare to shout out
their exultation that st. MlchaePs was saved,
for It's saviour still clung, q moving speck be-
meath the golden ball, the sight OF which the
sailors greeted so far out to sea. Slowly,
painfully, carefully, steadily he began the
more difioult descent, and not till he had
stepped safely and firmly over the railing and
into The belfry of the church did the mighty
shout of men, who hailed q great dellrerance
and recognized an ACT Of daring heroism, rise
above the roar of the surrounding fire. St.
Mlchael's was saved and the man was safe.
Az the church door the Mayor and corpora
tIon. and a surging crowd of people, met him:
Who he was that had performed that fearful
feat none knew; they could only see . that m ,hs It
lurid light 30 many feet above them In the
air, they had not seen that he was black. ne
stood at the church door, and they saw not
only that he was black; he was slave.
But none the less had he saved st. MichaePsi
and, as the burgesses OF ak ordered their last
measure Of wine to be given to the gooa
horse Roland, who brought the good news
from Client, 80 the Mayor of Charleston gave,
on the spot, his freedom to the negro slave,
WHO had plucked the burning brand from Inc
very summit of st. Micbael's spire and saved
the city and the church.