Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-02-08

! ''Ni'Ao Vi '''if 'f'''iNo VI Pi'pti'Ns IL
duccd to absolute want, these thousands
of helpless creatures were compelled to
leave home, country, and protection, and
perish from want by the roadside.
This accomplished, the next step in
the programme was to remove the great
body of troops, preparatory to the final
destruction of the city. An accident,
however, precipitated this part of its
doom. The night after the departure of
the women and children, a fire broke
ont, which soon spread. Orders were
given to extinguish it, but it reached the
Hotel de Vile, which was stored with
gunpowder. The explosion extended
the fire A great number of the prison.
crs, including the officials and more
noted citizens, were confined in the
Church of Notre Dame, and were burned
i'll the destruction of that building. The
fire spread furiously, and in its progress
overlook soldiers laden with oil ; thou
sands were hemmcd in between streets
of blazing fire, and perished. The vim
dictive commander had no regret, other
than that an accident should have antici-
pated his orders, and that the world
would not give him the full glory of
having applied the torch. He did what
was next best to secure this destruction,
and that was to have the fire applied to
all parts of the town not within the
range of the existing conflagration.
Again and again was this work renewed.
Buildings that escaped the fire one day
were fired the next and SO for seven
days and nights did the hellish work
progress, until there was not habitation
or building left in the whole of the
once proud city of Dinant.
The aged Prince who, from his perch
at Bouvignes, could see nothing left of
the once stately city of Dinant, with its
numerous churches and public buildings
not even of its walls, with their eighty
towers-save blackened ruins and smok-
ing embers, was not satisfied. He or
dered laborers from other cities of his
dominions to level the broken walls of
the burnt buildings, excavate the foun
dation-stones, and cart away to distant
places everything incombustible that
might be used in rebuilding any portion
of the city. The ruins We're thus re-
moved; officers were stationed there to
collect everything of value, no matter
how small, that had escaped the pillage
and the fire. The dust and ashes and
cinders were actually siftcd, in order to
leave no relic to be found thereafter
upon what had been the site of the brave
city. In the list of articles found by the
officers, and by them inventoried and
sold ON account of the Government, were
many of the character following:
"a little chain of silver, with bell.
"Two little silver cups, weighing, to-
gether, one mark. -
GA pair of brides gloves"
can agnus encased in silver"
GA necklace with ten little paternos-
ters of amber"
The work of destruction continued I'M
til the next spring, and then, when there
was not stone upon another, and each
timber and stone had been carried far
away, the vengeance of Philip "the
Good" was satisfied, and Dinant was no
more.
Still worse, if that could be, was the
treatment of Liege. Liege was an
ecclesiastical principality over which
Philip had placed his relative, John of
Bourbon, as reigning Bishop. The peo-
pie rebelled against this worthless
Prince and more worthless prelate; were
several times punished severely, and,
finally, for an attempt to make the Bishop
prisoner, Charles, who had become
Duke of Flanders and Burgundy, wiped
the city out of existence.
The churches of Liege were rich be-
yond those of any city outside of Rome.
They were adorned in the most costly
manner. The fame of their wealth ex-
ceeded perhaps the reality; but it
Served to lead the soldiers, once set free,
to seek their first plunder in these re-
ligious houses. They entered the
churches sword in hand. They robbed
the inmates and murdered them at the
same time. They ascended the altars,
arrested the service, and tore the sacred
vessels from the hands of the officiating
priests-frequently avoiding discussion
by numbering the latter. In one in
stance, soldier, while waiting for the
completion of the mass, robbed the
priest while the latter was elevating the
Host. The affairs and all parts of the
church were soon cleared of their valu-
ables. Tombs were broken open, and
the graves searched for treasure. The
converts, and there We're many, were in
vaded, the nuns subjected to every vile
outrage, and then murdered. If any
persons escaped with life, it was because
the soldiers were too intent upon rob-
berry and spoil. The old and young,
men and women, met the same fate.
Charles, who, since the destruction of
Dinant, had succeeded as Duke, went in
person to the Cathedral of st. Lambert,
and driving out the robbers, rescued
that temple. His Lieutenant in like
manner rescued the Church of st.