The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-22


advance.
For over a mile the old mother walked,
aided as much as possible by her son
but of necessity their progress was slow.
The eXertion proved too much for her.
She sank to the ground exhausted. Her
son assisted her to rise, and urged her
to make an effort to keep up little
longer; but she begged him to leave her
and save the rest of the family.
The flames were drawing nearer and
nearer. They could hear the cracking
and the crash of great trees as they fell.
He tried to persuade the children to run
on by his side but terrified by the awful
scene, they clung screaming to him. and
refused to move. For a time. in his
desperation, he tried to carry them all.
But the fire was advancing so rapid
ly, he saw that he must abandon his
mother, or the whole family perish. She
now earnestly pleaded with him for the
sake of the little ones, to put her down
and flee for his life. She was not afraid
to meet death. 1t would be but a mo-
ment's pang, then heavenly JOY forever.
With grOan of agony he acquiesced,
yet drew her as far as possible out of the
direct line of the fire. Then, clasping
her in his arms, he cried, ''Oh, mother,
how can l leave you ?''
'Go, go, my son! As you have been
faithful to me, may God deal faithfully
with you and yours. Don't grieve that
you left me.''
am describing an actual occurrence.
1t seems almost impossible that a gener-
Gus, dutiful son could leave his aged
mother to die by the cruel torture of the
flames, but the safetyOf his own children
and of his wife. appealed to his heart,
and at the moment it seemed to him
better that one should be left rather than
that the whole family should perish.
Ward started forward, but before pass
ing out of sight turned for one more look.
His mother was kneeling, with hands
claSped and eyes raised in silent prayer,
The approaching flames illumined her
pale face, but it was calm and peaceful.
He stood like one in trance till his
wife, who had pushed ahead, besOught
him to hasten on. She didn't know
which way to go, for the fire seemed to
be everywhere. His mother also saw
his hesitation and motioned him away.
Ward could hardly endure that last
sight. He turned desperately away,
came rapidly to his wife's side, and plac-
ing the children at her feet, flung him
self into a Tree 20 obtain a more extend
ed view.
After a glance round. he sprang down
and told her there was but one chance
of escape. That was to climb the top
of the mountain, where there was some
barren Iedges on which there was moth
ing to burn.
1t was desperate struggle on the
steep rocks, over fallen trees and thro'
the brush. But the children had be-
come more accustomed to the scene, and
as they got further from the fire. their
courage returned, and their own practice
in mountain climbing aided their par
ents. At last they reached the summit
in safety.
But it was a sad, exhausted group
that gathered there. The little ones
cried with hunger and thirst and on
that barren rock the parents had no
means to satisfy either. All day long
they looked down from their high perch
into what appeared like a gulf of fire.
Now it ran along the ground, now leap
from tree to tree, then, as if driven by
a tornado, it came on in one broad sheet
of fame the roar increasing till in ter
ror the children covered their eyes and
, stopped their ears.
The parents also felt as if the awful
grandeur of sight and sound was more
than they could bear; for they hardly
dared tOhOpe that they were safe above it.
by the oldest boy shouting,
"Oh, father, the sky is on fire too y
Ward looked up and saw a broad flash
of lightning dart out of a dark cloud
that was rising rapidly in the west.
Thank God - he cried ''the rain is
coming at last"
Soon the heavens were OvercaSt.-The
/ lightning darted back and forth, heavy
/ thunder rolled overhead, and the increas-
/ ing wind famed the flames below till
| they ragged with redoubled fury, as if
/ seeming to realize that their power
would soon be gone. Then came the
| blessed rain; not in gentle showers, but
/ in heavy torrents, that poured incess-
antly on the kissing, steaming forests,
! till they Law drenched beneath it.
John Ward drew his family close un-
der the rocks to keep them dry, but
caught in his hat the cool drops to
/ uuench their thirst. As the night wore
on and the violence of the storm pass
ed by, they all got some rest save the
father who mourned for his mother as
he kept watch over his poor little home
less flock.
The next day dawned clear and beau
tiful. the air washed pure from the
binding smoke, and as soon as they had
risen and thanked God for their escape
they started to make their way back t.
the settlements.
1t was a tedious, difficult journey.
When almost back to the site of their
old home they heard voices approaching
| Ward shouted and was answered by Z
loud cheer. In few moments doZeI
of his old companions gathered rOunC
congratulating him on their escape, anC
anxious TO hear their story. They haC
lust started in search of them; but a
they saw the wide sweep the fire haC
taken, their fears for their safety wer
greater than their hopes.
John Ward and his wife now foun'
that the kind acts done for these neigh
bors in the past were returning, ''afte
MANY davs'' ''like bread cast upon tn
waters. - The men lifted the childrel
in their arms, and all proceeded to tn
homes that escaped the fire. Here eacl
We'd with the other making them wei
come. Money and clothing had bee
sent from larger towns to those WHOM
the fire had made destitute. Mrs. War
found her baby and Mrs. Stacey safe an
well the latter full of JOY, as she ha
| just received the glad tidings of he
husbands safety.
The burned houses were soon rebuilt
: and but for the dear old mother, whoI
: he had been SO cruellv forced to leave [
: the flames, John Ward could, after al
l hardly have been called sufferer frOl
' the loss that had befallen him.
This is not fancy sketch. The ac
4 | ual facts of the terrible disaster / hay
a family pictured are more harrowiT
e than l could bear to describe. La
!. guage cannot adequately depict the ay
1 ful scenes that were witnessed in tn;