The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-12-18
The burning of Moscow
Br THEIRS. PRESIDENT OF FRANCE

The burning of Moscow.
BT THEIRS. PRESIDENT OF FRANCE
The army hoped TO enjoy Moscow,
TO find peace there, and, in any case,
good winter cantonments II the war
was prolonged However, on the
morrow after the day on which the
entry had been made, columns Of
flames arose from a very large build
ing, which contained the spirits that
the Government sold on it, own ac-
count to the people Of the capital
People ran there. without astonish-
meat or terror, for they attributed the
cause of this partial fire to the nature
Of the materials contained in this
building. or to some imprudence COM
mitted by our soldiers In fact, the
fire was mastered, and we had time
to reassure ourselves.
But all at once, the FIRE burst out AT
almost the same instant with extreme
violence in a collection of buildings
that was called the Bazaar This Ba-
zaar, situated on the northeast Of the
Kremlin, comprised the richest shops;
those in which were sold the beauti-
fnl stuffs of India and Persia, the rar-
tiles of Europe. the COLONEL commodi-
ties, sugar, coffee, tea, and, lastly, prec-
.ious wines. In a few minutes the
fire had spread through the Bazaar,
and the soldiers of the guard ran in
crowds, and made the greatest efforts
TO arrest its progress. Unhappily,
they could not succeed, and soon the
immense riches of this establishment
fell prev TO the flames. Eager to
dispute with the fire the possession of
these riches, belonging TO no one at
this time and tosecure them for them
selves. our soldiers, not having been
able to save them. tried to drag out
some fragments. They might be seen
coming cut of the Bazaar, carrying
fars. silks, wines Of great value, with
out any one dreaming of reproaching
them for so doing, for they wronged
no one but the FIRE. the sole master cf
these treasures One might regret it
on the score Of dicipline, but could
lot cast a reproach ON their honor On
that account. Besides, those who re-
mained Of the people set them an ex-
ample. and took their large share of
these spoils Of the commerce Of Mos
cow. Yet it was only one large build
ing-an extremely rich one, it is true
that was attacked by the fire, and
there was no fear for the :own itself
These first disasters, of little conse-
quence so far, were attributed to a
very natural and very ordinary aeei-
dent, which might be more easily ex-
planned still, in the hustle of evacuat-
ing the town During the night of
the 18th of September, the scene sud-
denly changed As if every misfor-
tune was to fall at once on the old
Moscovite capital, the equinoctial
wind arose all at once with the double
violence natural TO the season and TO
level countries where nothing stops
the storm. This wind, blowing at
first from the east, carried the FIRE
westward, along the streets situated
between the roads from Tvcr and Smo- |
lensk, aud which are known as the
richest and most beautiful in Moscow,
th5se Of Tverakaia, Nikitskia, and |
Povorskaia. In a few hours the fire. hav-
ing spread fercely among the wood
en- buildings, communicated itself from 1
one toanether with frightful rapidity. /
Shooting forth in long tongues Of
fame. il was seen invading other
situated in the west.
Rockets were noticed in the air, I
and soon wretehes Were seized carry 1
ing combustibles az the end of long
poles. They were taken up: they !
were questioned with threats of death /
and they revealed the frightful secret,
the order given by the Count of Ros-
topchin to set fire TO the city of Mos
cow. as if il had been the smallest
village on the road from SmOlensk. I
This news spread CONSERVATION
through the army in an instant. To
doubt was no longer possible, after
the arrests made, and the depositions
collected from the different parts of
he town. Napoleon ordered that in
each quarter the corps fixed there
should form military commissions, to
Try, shoot and hang on gibbets the in
:endiaries taken in the act. He or
Tered likewise that they should en-
oloy all the troops there were in the
own to extingnish the Ere. They
'an to the pumps, but there were
lone to be found This last circum-
stance would have left no doubt, if
here had remained any, of the fright
ul design that delivered Moscow to
he flames.
In addition to the fact that the
means for extinguishing the fire were
wanting, the wind, which every mo-
nent increased in fury, would have
letied the efforts of the whole army.
With the violence of the equinox,