Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-15

A little girl icneit so5bing and terrified.
Down in the valley south of the post
broad glare was already shooting up
ward and illuminating the sky. One
among dozen little shantics and log
houses, the homes of the laundresses Of
the garrison and collectively known as
Sudsville, was mass of flames. There
was rush of officers across the parade,
and the men, answering the alarum of
the trumpet and the shots and shouts Of
the sentries, came tearing from their
quarters and plunging down the hill.
Among the first on the spot came the
young men who were of the party at
Capt. Rayner's, and Mr.. Graham was
ahead Of them all. II was plain to the
most inexperienced eye that there was
hardly anything left to save in or about
the burning shanty. All efforts must be
directed towards preventing the spread
Of the flames 10 those adjoining. Half
clad women and children were rushing
about, shrieking with fright and excite
ment, and few men were engaged In
dragging household goods and furniture
from those tenements not yet reached by
the flames. Fire apparatus there seemed
to be none, though squads Of men speed
ny appeared with ladders, axes and
buckets, brought from the different COM
pany quarters, and the arriving officers
quickly formed the bucket lines, and
water dipped from the icy creek began
10 f1y from hand to hand. Before any
thing like this was fairly under way,
scene Of semi-tragic, semi-comic inten-
sity had been enacted in the presence Of
= rapidly gathering audience. 'It was
worth more than the price Of admission
10 hear Blake tell it afterwards" said
the officers, later.
A tall, angular woman, frantic with
excitement and terror, was dancing about
IA the broad glare Of the burning hut,
soaring her hair, making wild rushes at
the flames from time to time as though
Intent on dragging out some priced OBJ
iect that was being consumed before her
eyes, and all the time keeping up a vol
ley Of maledictions and abuse in lavish
Hibernian, apparently directed at q cow
ering object who sat in limp helplessness
npou little neap of firewood, swaying
from side to side and moaning stupidity
through the scorched and grimy hands
n which his face was hidden. His cloth
\ ing was still smoking in places; his hair
and beard were singed to the roots; he
was evidently seriously injured, and the
sympathizing soldiers who had gathered
around him after deluging him with
snow and water were striving to get him
to arise and 60 with them to the hospital.
A little girl, not ten years old. knelt sob
bing and terrified by his side She, too,
was scorched and singed, and the sol
diers had thrown rough blankets about
her; but it was for her father, not her
self, she seemed worried to distraction.
Some of the women were striving to re-
assure and comfort her in their homely
fashion, bidding her cheer up--the father
was only stupid from drink, and would
be all right as soon as "the liquor was
on Of him." But the little one was be-
yond consolation SO long as he could not
s0r wonA not speak in answer to her en-
treaties.
All this time, never pausing for breath,
shricking anathemas on her drunken
spouse, reproaches ON her frightened
child, and invocations TO all the blessed
saints in heaven to reward the gintleman
!. who had saved her boarded money-a
smoking packet that she hugged to her
4 breast--Mrs. Clancy, "the saynior laun-
dress of Company b." as she had long
styled herself. was prancing up and
down through the gathering crowd, her
ehrill voice overmastering all other
clamor. The vigorous efforts of the men,
directed by cool headed officers, soon
beat back the flames that were threaten
ing the neighboring shanties, and leveled
To the ground what remained of Private
Clancy home. The fire was extinguished
almost as rapidly as it began, but the
torrent of Mrs. Clancy's eloquence was
stlll unstemmed. The adjurations of
sympathetic sisters to How'd yer
whist, the authoritative admonition Of
some old sergeant to ''Stop your internal
noise, and the half maudlin yet appeal
ing glances of her suffering lord were all
insufficient to check her.
II was not until the quiet tones of the
colonel were heard that she began To
cool down: "We've had enough Of this,
\ Mrs. Clancy; be still. now, or we'll have
to send you to the hospital in the coal
cart" Mrs. Clancy knew that the colonel
was man of few words, and believed
him to be one of less sentiment She was
afraid of him, and concluded it time to
cease threats and abuse and come down
TO the more effective role of wronged and
suffering womanhood-a feat which she
accomplished with the consummate ease
OF long practice, for the rows in the
Clancy household were matters of garri
con notoriety. Tho surgeon, too, had
Z come, and, after quick examination OF
. Clancy's condition, had directed him to
b taken at once to the hospital; and
{ thither his little daughter insisted on
following him, despite the efforts OF
some OF the women to detain her and
dress her properly.
Before returning to his quarters the
colonel desired TO know something of thu
origin of the fire. There was testimony
enough and to spare. Every woman il
= Spdsviile had theory TO express anG
'S"Ay' "ger to be heard at once and 10 the
y. 1.sinent .hof all others. II was not unit
70 aid summarily ordered them to go tc
A.heir homes and not come near him thai
( the colonel managed to get a clear state
ment from some Of the men.
Clancy had been away all the evening
drinking as usual, and Mrs. Clancy wa
4 searching about Sudsville as much fo
eympathy and listeners as for him. Lit
tte Kate, who knew her fathers haunts
bad guided him home and was striving
% get him 70 his little sleeping corne
before her mothers return, when in hi
3 drunken hslDlessness he fell against th,