Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-09-15

| out toward tue ihke abu teTftoie "ihN
began 10 arise. A number OF us went
back into the woods TO investigate. We
soon found what was the matter, and,
hurrying back, told my family that
| we were going to be burned out-that
il was impossible to save anything. IL
was not more than twenty minutes be.
fore cloud OF smoke enveloped us and
we were left in total darkness. Those
who could flee to place OF refuge did
so. and my family started to go, but
were caught by the flames before we
had gone more than fifteen or twenty
rods. We managed to get into corn
field, and remained there from about
o'clock In the afternoon till 3 next
morning. nearly suffocated and unable
to see anything about u.s. IL Yves per.
feet mass OF blackness. After the fire
swept over il almost everything was
gone. Here aud there WAS farm
dwelling yet stan ding. Near y all the
stock, cattle, sheep and horses were
killed, and we saw them lying by the
roadside. The people we're left almost
entirely destitute of clothing and pro-
visions. In one instance that ] know
of fifty pounds of flour were oil the
provisions that could be obtained for
! seventy. five people. In another place
there were one hundred and four peo-
pie left with about the same amount OF
-four. There was no meat or provision
Of any kind. | owned saw mill and
Touring mill, and the consequence was
that people began to come IN from all
about there to appeal to me for aid As
soon as possible came away and sent
them some relief from Sand Beach.
From there came down, telling them
would see what could be done. A. !
was leaving that day they had found
fifty eight bodies. have not been able
to learn the details of the loss of life in
the town OF Paris, but the report is tnat
there was great number"
Another experince 10 escaping is as
follows: The wife was confined To her
bed, sick; the husband was tired with
fighting fire. There were several chill.
dren. At noon on Monday il was evi.
dent that they must ily for their lives.
1t suddenly grew dark, 70 dark that the
man had difficulty IN getting the horses.
By the time he got them it was so dark
from the smoke that he could not see
to harness them; besides the smoke
blinded the eyes and oppressed the
lungs. He got the horses harnessed to
the wagon; then he went into the barn
for a neck yoke, and when he came out
he could not find the wagon aud team.
For a minute or two lac had to feel about
for them like "a blind man. Then he
went into the house and carried his
wife out on her bed. bed and all, and
put her In the wagon. The children
got in and n girl of fifteen drove the
team of three miles, IN the darkness
and blinding smoke, over q bad road.
with trees falling and horses perfectly
frantic with terror. Ilow she did IL
she hardly knows. The man being left
behind. 10 make n last effort TO start
his cattle. escaped on foot. Before he
left the barn aud farm we're literally
covered with flying cindsrs. the glass Of
the windows broke with the heat, the
believing, moaning cattle gathered to.
gether and staggered almlcssly about,
aud ns he got into the road the build.
iugs, fences. stackS-the whole place
burst into flames, which made an awful
yellow glare in the smoke. With all
this the wind blew with frightful yio.
tEAft 8Ah kAHNa HftAAfAfsAfH hif
smoke settled down about him in dense
darkness, SO that he staggered from suf
location. Then the smoke would rise
before a gust Of air, and an awful bills.
tering heat took the place Of the smoke,
The woods along the road took fire he.
hind on each side and in front Of him,
hut he got through safely. happy to
find that the wagon with his family had
successfully preceded him.
The dence smoke made il dark as
night in the daytime and awful in the
night, but the roads were the only paths
of safety. One man riding toward the
fire, found ii suddenly behind him, and
only escaped by abandoning his horse
and buggy to the flames. Those who
escaped came in with their clothing
scorched and often with blistered hands,
faces and feet. On space Of seven
miles on one road six persons dead and
dying were found. One family consist
ed OF the husband, nearly dead. with
hair and whiskers gone and face and
hands peeled, but his fee, protected by
high boots his wife, lying near, had
her clothing burned of up to her waist
and her legs singed their two children
which they -ere trying To save, we're
dead. Probably a number OF parents
could have saved their own lives. but
they died in trying to save their chill.
dren. The awful fury Of the FIRE is
shown in its effects upon the earth. In
places the soil is actually burned to
depth of several inches. Acres and
acres of land have been divested Of
every living thing, clear down TO the
very roots in the ground, leaving the
country as bare as a desert and sirewn
with ashes. In many cases one cannot
tell by the looks the difference between
ploughed field and one on which there
was dense wood. There are square
miles of land already for the plough,
cleared as thoroughly as il years OF
labor had been expended upon them.
And there are other square miles where
the pioneer can now make farm by
removing a few scattered chunks. not
wholly consumed, and putting up fences.
There are nIanea wheFa tha faIaOrauh