The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-03-26

=
ed sunrise. Al the moment / saw iG
ire engine passed me at fall speed,
and presently the FIRST siga of the
eommotion which q condagration
causes ia the streets became evident.
No man undergoes this exp, rience,
when de has been away from home
maEy hours, and sees the red glare
rising ID the direction Of his own
house. without a pang Of anxiety, if
cot Of terror. How well founded was
this sensation in toe present case was
made evident ere had walked anoth-
er two hundred yards; yes merciful
powers J it vas my house that was
on FIRE !
can scarcely record what follow
ed; only know that somehow
found myself in the midst Of the po-
lice and fremen. That | explained
to the superintendent who | was, aud
under his escort / soon ascertain
ed that eli the Inmates of my house,
my children, their governess, and the
servants. were in safety, and had
been taken int) q neighbours at the
rear that as soon as | found this to
be the case, |, accompanied by the
superintendent, mounted 10 The top of
al adjacent building, whence The
tiremen were directing the hose upon
The flames.
Once to this vantage point my
mind reverted TO the white chesI.
Was it sill there? Yes; the flames.
though bursting out from the win.
duws of the upper stories, back aud
front, had not vet done more than
wrench and crack portions Of the
glass case. For time it seemed as
II this would be the most that might
happen. The water seemed to be
getting the upper hand, and as il fell
10 torrents upon the hot roof, such
clouds OF steam were thrown up With
tie the smoke as would have CON-
pietely hidden everything from view,
hut that our position had been skill
fully selected, and was veil 20 wind. !
ward of the burning mass. But pres
emily, amid the roer of the flames.
there came dull heavy rumble for /
moment, aud then with tremendous
crash the roof fsll ia. With it of
course went the fragments and frame I
work OF the glass case, aud the now
ebarFed aud blsckened chest itself. r.
bad my eyes upon it at the moment. |
aud down 1t went deep into the utter
obscurity of the dense smoke and
steam which always succeeds to this
climax Of conilagration For sew
erei minutes nolhiog was to be DIS
,erued through the ogerw helming
wreaths of black gray fumes. But
presently, though the light from The
ire bad heeu quencbed. there began
70 be visible, by the aid of the in
creasing light Of the morning., the
depth- Of this pit Of Acherou. Yes,
it was not so very deep after sll. for
the ere having originated on the sec
DOd floor, the falling roof hai only
crashed down as yet ss far as the
drs p1:ass -.sesn---snd thera- Nhan- a..
eyes bad become accustomed TO the
spectacle of the indescribabIe debris,
plainly beheld, resting slantways
across stubborn remnant of wall. |
what had been the white chest; ia
was nov split and smashed, and its
contents we're revealed.
Good heavens what was it that |
looked down upon? / turned nv
face away for moment with shud- /
der, for there, protruding through the
splintered fragments of its once
creamy-white wooden case, was
huge leaden coffio, which 10 its turn,
melting and bursting with the heat,
displayed within the uumistakable
form of a shronded corpse | was ia
the act of drawing my companions
attention to it in horror, when sud
fe0ly there few up around it with
redoubled fury, such mass of fame
and smoke, that 1t was entirely hid
den, and sooH the fire had so spread |
snd burst out again, that the horri-
bic spectacle of this uninteniional in
cremation was shut from sight, and
the house was finally burned to the
ground
/ pass over what Immediately fol-
lowed after | had made nv way
back to the abode where the men,
bers Of my family were sheltered
Ia few days they were snugly SET
tied in another home, fortunately not
very much the worse for the terrible
scare. In due course the time arriv-
ed for looking into my losses, and
while ! was doing so received let
ter from Mr.. Gavliug, who bad come
to town requesting an interview.
was glad of this, for | saw il must lead
to some explanation Of the strange
surrounding the agree
ment | had signed Ny curiosity as
10 the contents ofthe white chest had
been rudely satisfied. it was trse, but
what had been the reason for placing
sleb 81 object in such place. and
mis- | was determined to fad out.
Unexpectedly Mr.. Gsyling disclosed
i TO me Immediately when we net.
Il have asked for tbis iaterview,
'ir." be saia abruptly, because an
! ruined man"
But iaterposed. Il am told
Tou were fully insured"
That has nothing to DO with it.n
le answered; "Ho insurance can re
'toTe the tbree thousand year whiea
lose by what has happened. I am
simply going 10 tell ycu certain facts;
because, when yon have heard them,
shall put it to you whether VOC
will or not. ont of your ample means.
eel that some compensation is due 10
ne. The fact IL, that it has been
Turing your tenancy of nv house,
md through accident, or negligen ee.
N the part of some one for W hom you
re responsible, that my ruin has
'een brought about
II don't understand you.n
Listen, sir" be went on, 'and you
viii, | was brought up to the sea
nd followed it till mid-life, for was
ntirely dependent on my own earn
aga NV only relative at this time
vas an old uncle, also sailor. and q
post eccentric man, as you will pres
ntly see. Fifteen years ago he sud-