The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-12-18

from the east IL passed to the north
west, and the stream Of FIRE changin.
its direction Immediately. went Il
spread its rayages where the hand o
ineeadiarics had not been able 10 car
~ it,
This immense column Of FIRE. beateI
down hy the wind on the roofs o
buildings, surrounding them a. soo1
as it touched them, increased every
instant the cenquests it made, spread
the flames with frightful roaring. in.
terrupted by terrible explosions, and
hurled burning beams into the dis
tanee, which spread the scourge where
/ it was not, or fell like bombs into the
middle of the street. After having
blown for some hours from the south
east, the wind, changing its direction
again, and blowing from the south
west, carried the fire into new quart
ers, as if nature took a cruel pleasure
in shaking ont by turns ruin and
death Of every kind over this unhap-
py city, or rather, on our army which
was only guilty, alasl of heroism, at
least if Providence did not intend 10
visit on it the lawless designs of which
it had been the unwilling instrument
Undor this new impulse, given from
the southwest, the Kremlin, till then
spared, was suddenly endangered.
Fiery sparks fell into the midst OF the
ammunition of the artillery spread on
the ground ald threatened TO set it
on fire. aiUre than four hundred wa
gons Of ammunition were in the court
of ihe kremlin, and the arsenal con-
tanned some hundred thousand pounds
Of powder. 4 disaster was imminent,
and Napoleon, with his guards might
be blown into the air. The officers
who were with him. the soldiers of
the artillery, knowing that his death
would be theirs, surrounded him, and
pressed him with earnest enreaties to
come away from the burning crater
The danger was most threatening /;
the old artillerymen of the guard, al
though used TO cannOHade like those
of BorOdino, almost lost their pres
enee Of mind. General Laboiseire
approaching Napoleon, pointed out to
him the anxiety Of which be was the
cause, and, with the authority Of his
age and devotion, told him that It was
duty to let them save themselves
alone, without increasing their per
plexity by the uneasiness that his
presence excited. Besides, several
officers sent to the neighboring quar-
tsrs reported that the fire, rapidly in
creasing, hardly allowed one TO cross
the streets or breathe, and that they
must leave at once if they did not
wish 10 be buried under the roof Of
this i'll fated town.
Napoleon, followed BY some of his
lieutenants, went ont Of that krem-
lin which the Russian army had not
been able TO prevent him from enter
ing, but from which the fire expelled
him after four-and-twenty hours Of
possession, deeended to the quay Of
the Moskowa, found his horses ready
there, and had much difficulty in
crossing the town, which toward the
northwest, whittier he directed his
course, was already in flames. The
wind, which constantly increased in
violence, sometimes caused columns
Of fire to bend TO the gronnd, and
drove before it torrents Of sparks,
smoke and sitting cinders The hOr-
rible appearance of the sky answered
to the no less horrible spectacle Of
the earth The terrified army went
out Of Moscow.