davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

blazing and consuming themselves with the
surface of our planet, if at all, in cosmic
dust. But where were the rest of the
assets Of these bankrupt comets? Did
anything out of the usual order occur on
the face Of the earth about this time?"
Mr.. Donnelly answers his own question
by describing the great forest fires of the
Northwest which broke out on the morning
Of Sunday, October s. 1871, and most graph
lcally pictures the scene as follows:
THE FURNACE LIKE AIR.
The summer of 1871 had been excessively
dry; the moisture seemed to be evaporated
but of the air. and on the Sunday above
named the atmospheric conditions all
through the Northwest We're Of the most
peculiar character. There was a
parched, combustible, infammable. furnace
like feeling in the air that was really alarm
Ing. 1t felt as II there were needed but a
explosion. 1t was weird and unnatural.
l have never seen nor felt anything like
1t before or since. Those who experienced
1t will bear me out in these statements"
How much like this drought of 1871 has
been that of the past summer for daily
for weeks al time we have heard of the
great need of rain in the Northwest.
AT that hC;:r, continued Mr.. Donnelly
''half past nine O'clock in the evening at
apparently the same moment, at points
hundreds of miles apart in three different
states-Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois
fires of the most peculiar and devastating
kind broke out, so far as we know by
spontaneous combustion"
In going into the details of the confia gra-
tion the writer describes the very country
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
FAITHFUL TAIL Of A COMET
Destruction and Death in the Terrible Wake OF the
Erratic Planetary Visitor Which Bears
Bela's Name.
fgnaus Donney Says Chicago Was Caused by Such
a Tail-How FIRES That in the Windy City
Resemble the Terrible Fires OF Today.
They Spontaneous Argu-
That Comet Now Due Is Really the Guilty
Party-Strange in the Resemblance.

where the great fires Of last week have
been raging.
He quotes largely from the History of
the Great Confiagra tion" and the descrip-
tions bear such a close resemblance to these
of which we have within week been read
ing that for comparison they are placed in
parallel columns with the reports IN the
Herald on last Monday, Tuesday and We'd
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

partially burned and
torn from their bodies.
One mother was found
nursing her child to
prevent it being suffo-
Gated. In four miles A
bodies We're found, some
burned beyond recogni-
ton, and others I'M
SCARED, having died
from suffocatiOn. 1t
was a four or
five mile run back
to Skunk lake, which
is little more than a
mud hole, the mud
and water covering
not more than an acre.
The train had gone
but a short distance
before it was surround
ed by the devouring
flames. Hot blasts of
flame struck the cars,
setting them on fire in
places and breaking
the windows on both
sides.
The baggage car was
soon a mass of flames,
which streamed back
over the tender and the
engine, setting fire to
the engineers clothes,
and scorciling his face
and hands.
At the spot where
once was the abode of
Frank Anderson moth
ing remained but a cell
lar and several bodies.
The wife lay in the
yard. Near by was
the body of one OF
her children. In the
cellar We're four other
children and the hus-
band. He was burned
to a crisp.
1t was the most aw.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

out of the very heav-
ems, consuming in.
stantly everything it
touched.
No two give a like
description Of the
great tornado as it
smote and devoured
the village. TT seem
ed as if the fiery
fiends of hell had
been loosened." said
one. ut came in
great sheeted flames
from heaven said
another. There was
a pitiless rain of fire
and sand" The at
rnosphere was all
afire.' Some speak of
great balls of fire
unrolilng and shoot
ing forth in streams"
The fire leaped over
roofs and trees. and
ignited whole streets
at once. No one
could stand before
the blast. 1t was a
race with q e a t Ii,
above. behind. before
them.
1.-The heat increased
so rapidly, as things
got all afire. that
when about 400 feet
from the bridge and
the nearest building I
was obliged TO lie
down behind n log
that was aground in
about two feet of
water. and by going
under the water now
and then and holding
my head close to the
water behind the log
managed TO breathe.
There were a doZel
others behind tn
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
Bimeta|Iism and MonometaI|ism.
What They Are, and How They
Bear Upon the Irish Land
Question.
Blythe MOST REV. DR.. WALSH,
Archbishop OF Dublin,

Archbishop Of Dublin.
Bishop Walsh's pamphlet is consid-
cred one of the best contributions to
the Silver question ever published. It's
value cannot be too strongly empha.
sized.
The last census shows very large num-
Der of our farms mortgaged. In so far az
the annual interest approaches the amount
Of rent paid by the Irish tenant, to just
er iden tical with his, and since, with the
fall in the value Of farm products the
amount OF the farmers mortgage, as we'll
some respects more affected by the appre-
citation Of gold than the Irish tenant. Arch
diligently, SO clearly. and with so much di-
rectness that his pamphlet cannot fail to
have very large and useful circulation in
this country.
The price OF the pamphlet is only rs cents,
and it is for sale, with a number Of other
books on the silver question and the tariff,
by the REPRESENTATIVE.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

THE FIRE IN THE ACKNOWLEDGES.
Is 1t only coincidence or is there under
Mr. Donnelly's theory, some connection be-
tween the fires in the Northwest and the
story from the Adirondacks, which is pub
lished in the Herald of last Tuesday?
which says:
The sun has not been seen here for nearly a
week. SO dense is the smoke overhead from for
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

nesday. -..-..
THE FIRE OF 1871.
At shutdown there
was a lull in the wind,
and comparative still
ness. For two hours
there were no signs of
danger, but in a few
minutes after . O'Clock.
and by q singular CO.
incidence. precisely the
time at which the Chi
ca.o fire commenced,
the people OF the VII
iage heard a terrible
roar. 1t was that Of d
tornado CT u s h i II 6
through the forest. In
stantly the heavens
were Illuminated with a
terrible glare. The sky
which had been SO
dark a moment before
burst into clouds ~
flame. A spectator Of
the terrible scene says
the fire dio not come
upon them gradually
from burning trees and
other objects TO the
windward. but the 1rst
notice they had of 1T
was a whirlwind OF
flame, in great clouds
from above the tops OF
the trees. which fell
upon and entirely en-
elope d everything.
The poor people in
hailed it, or the intense
~ hot air, and fell
down dead. This is
verified by the appear
ance of many of the
corpses. They w e e
found dead in roads
and open spaces, where
there We're no visible
marks of fire near by,
with not a trace OF
burning upon their
bodies or clothing. At
the Sugar Bush, which
is an extended clear
ing. in some places
four miles in width.
corpses We're found in
the open road, between
fences only slightly
burned. No marks of
fire were upon them;
they lay there as if
asleep. This phenom-
enon seems to explain
the fact that so many
We're killed in COM
pact masses. They
seem to have huddled
together in what were
evidently re & a I d e d
at the moment as the
safest places, f a r
away from buildings,
trees or other in
fiammable m a e r a |
and there to have
died together.
The heat has been
compared to that en-
gendered by a flame
concentrated on a n
object by a blow pipe,
but even that would
not account for some
of the phenomena.
For instance, we nave
in our possession a
copper cent taken
from the pocket of a
dead man in the
Peshtigo Sugar Bush,
which will illustrate
our point. This cent
has been partially
fused. but still re-
tains it's round form,
and the inscription upon
it is legible. Others
in the same pocket
were partially melted,
vet the clothing and
the body of the man
were not even singed.
we do not know in
what way to account
for this, unless, as
is asserted by some,
the tornado and fire
We're accompanied by
electrical phenomena;
1t is the universal
testimony that the
prevailing idea among
the people was that
the last day had come.
Accustomed as they
were to fire, nothing
like this had ever
been known. Iney
could give no otner
Interpretation to the
ominouS roar. TINS
bursting of the sky
with flames and this
dropping down of fire
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

THE FIRE OF 1894.
The coming of the
flames sounded like
thunder, and W t h
such rapidity did they
move that persons
who fingered to save
property or neglected
to seek safety in the
river persisted.
Survivors say there
was a cyclone of
flame. 1t could be
likened only to the
rolling up of a hurri-
cane or the burst of a
tornado, the w i n d
being fire and the
smoke death. Before
the fire struck the de-
V o t e d settlements
there was a mighty
wind, chimneys being
blown down, barns
toppled over. and hay
stacks leveled. 1t blew
at the rate Of 60 miles
an hour.
The fire, pushed by
the fearful gale, went
onward with the leaps
of a demon. Stumps,
logs and buildings,
thousands of feet from
the nearest flames,
burst into fire. as if
the very air was pow
der, and We're con-
sumed in an instant.
In a farming section,
fully 80 mile slong,
the fire licked up all
the vegetable matter
in the soil itself. and
there is nothing now
left of prosperous
farms but burned and
broken rock, covered
by a few inches of
ashes.
The woods on either
side We're dashed by a
fierce wind. blowing
at the rate of so miles
an hour. On through
this weird scene the
limited sped. the stu
alton growing more
alarming at every
mile. AS the train
neared Hinckley it
was discovered that
the fire had reached
the railroad. but on it
sped, the engineer
hoping to pass Hinck-
ley in time to escape
the danger. 1t was
not until the train
had come within a
mile of Hinckley that
the engineer discover
ed his train was burn
ing, and that it would
be impossible to pass.
On either side of the
engine there was a
stream of hame but
never for an instant
did Engineer Root
finch. To remain was
apparently c er a ! n
death to him. but
could he hold out for
four miles the pas
sengers might possibly
escape. To have de-
serted his post would
have been death to all
on board. Back of
him stood the rusty
fireman, who occa-
sionally poured water
on him.
At Skunk lake, 90
more women. children
and men found refuge
in the shallow water
and dirty mud. the
women walking out in
the water until IT
reached their waists
With their hands they
bathed their burned
faces in mud and
water. Many OF them
we're seriously burned
on the train. Many
Law in the mud. cover
ing themselves with 1t,
and as often as 1T be-
came baked a fresh
coat had to be added.
Many, on leaving
the train, rushed OIL
toward a marsh. and
others ran further
along the track. 1t is
thought that many of
these are lost. Some
few died of suffocation
within a few rods OF
the pond. Many wo-
men had their clothes
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
FOR SALE CHEAp

One Smith Grubber, as recently ad-
vertlsed in the REPRESENTATIVE and
one nrst class pneumatic Monarch BIZ
cycle. Address THE REPRESENTA-
TIVE, 3O6 Boston Block.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

same log.
THE fire suddenly
n;S4e q rush. like the
fash Of q train OF
gunpowder. and swept
in the shape of a
crescent around the
settlement. 1t is al
most impossible to
conceive the frightful
rapidity Of the ad-
vance of the flames.
The rushing fire
seemed to eat UP and
sSnihAte the trees.
The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

full sight I ever wit
messed. /" said he.
"Where the ST. Paul
and Duluth and the
Eastern Railway of
Minnesota cross, near
Hinckley, I saw a
heap Of half roasted
bodies. / should think
there were from 20 to
rs in the group. men,
women and children.
Their clothing was
nearly all burned off.
but many Of them
still had shoes on their
feet. 1t appeared as
though these unfortu-
mates had tried to get
away from the flames,
and that they all be-
came overcome with
the heat at the rail-
road crossing, and
that the fire fiend
found them easy VIC
Tins. Their faces
were all badly bloat-
ed: still l think their
friends could readily
recognize them. I
should think from all
the reports that there
were probably 500
that persisted in the
timber near Hfnckley.
I saw from 70 to IS
lying dead on the
ground at Hinckley
The sun., 1894-11-04

. Referee--James Lester. Rugby school Umpire
Horace singerly, Harvard school. Touch downs
Murtha, Goldsmith. Goals fron touch downs-PitOu
The sun., 1894-11-04

three lengths ahead " w. g. Fanshawe's chest
nut gclding. Mr. fanshawe's mount ran away
before Tue start, which practically put him out
Then cano ladies' race of 400 yards and
though there wore a number " entries, Miss NJ
| Cooley. on Marion Stcry's Whortlcbury. was
/ tile only one brave enough g. face the starter.
Az lhc los, minute, ~ prevent her haying
walk over. Mr T.. &. Potter came in on Peter.
Miss Cooley, after getting little the best Of the
tiirt. tun% the ppiv and held the lend all the
WAY ar'niI, winning an exciting race by a aeck.
lhc conditions uf the fourth race, which was
real The iir' -ymhk hama event, required that
each con; 'stnn' stand by his pony at the start
irG post with saddle on he ground and coat Oft.
Az Si2nRl tlgy were required io saddle their
iug poiui. and rctarn with pony properly sad
died and Their coat completely buttoncd; The
UU,,.ns EIro npparChty satisfactory % T 70 tns
!intd uput the starting post. including H. water
bury y. T.; isyynqL ,. N. Waierbury. Jr., =. H.
Bates.
j. NJ. Waterbury. Ir proved the quickest
Reynal Jr's, pony ridden by Louis Halght,
Who hardly showed up in as good form as at
An amusing potato race followed, in which
each contestant was required TO stand BY his
w.rs reaur%d fng ia ont posi and ride 10 line 81
potatoes, four in number, at distance
of oorTd twenty yards, pick up, drdpSniHS potato
IT in bucket, then returning for q second po.
tato, and so on until all were picked up the nrst
After hot finish between f. g. Potter's Pierrot
aud Louis lInight on n. 4. Rcynafs Della Fox,
Mr.. Potter won by length, with l.. waterbury
third.
\ bicycle race open TO men and women, the
after tOreCeivc handicap. followed, post en-
tries. None Of the girls responding, four crack
croSs-cuuhtry riders mounted on the silent steed
and tried their skill on the soRgy field. The
turf was so soft that the riders were almost up
TO their hubs in mud, and II was with the ut
most difficulty they were enabled to finish at all.
They eventually inlshcd about fifty yards apart
In the following order i. Waterbury first, z.
6. la Montague twho had never ridden bicycle
before second, f. 6. Potter third, and sidney
Dillon Ripley fourth.
What was really the star event OF the day was
thread .and-ncedle race. Here each contestant
had n lady for n partner who was armed with
needle. while he was supplied with thread. At
given signal he had to ride to his partner, hand
her the thread, which she threaded the needle
with, and then ride once around the field.
Mrs. W. Butler Duncan, Jr., proved by
far the most expert, and sent her cavalier,
n. G.. Rcynnl, away with 50-yard lead over his
nearest competitor +. H. Allen. who was as
sisted by Mrs. T.. &. Potter, was second. The
other contestants were Leonard Jacob assisted
by Miss Catherwood: w. :. Fanshawe, assisted
by Miss Fanshawc; f. &. Potter. assisted by
Mrs. August Belmont, and G.. - Bates, assisted
by Mrs sidney Dillon Ripley.
The eighth and final event was q donkey race,
ridden on broncos in which the owners were
required to change mounts by lot and the last
one In received the prize. This was won by c. 5.
BateS's Grand Pa, ridden by Leonard Jacob.
The sun., 1894-11-04
s sG 81" stS I Won 8: sGsss ssEs :. s :!


Who nut up very snappy game, Mthe CONCLUSION ~
!hy ono honr paythe Bcdfords won by score OF "
-. - .- /.
. eNcr tcon poy az "a ltcnl periods OF INC game nn1
wy, ,eWclent lulRmcnt. dlsplaYed ny Napt, harfctt
H.tDltu t Nlhlhtfs W drfeat the tfospect ceNtn ~
oWlH'ra'u' li"sFcts, '.
The EnElcwoot Field club of Sow Jersey received =
had dIeat az !hc hands OF the team from the Hamll
ION Nhiet,c lUlut lIOuklyn yesterday uitfrhonl ul
aiuNI1,t', lSrh luc haimltous euccecuch VI NOrlhs
. pout' w tHe 'hEleNoOdHO
fcnted tho eleven from tho Brooklyn AdelphIl
Academy At this place to-day 10y score ~ 22 20 ~
The Adclphi trniu worked Ave men behind the limo
win t"ou erect ~ the second hait
Tic Edrcwatcr FJotDar Club ~ BROOKLYN worsted
the Bayunnn Pleasure Cub's eleven at Bayyew Park
yesterday afternoon The Bayurncs were unable 20
score. The Edgewatrrs taied ten points during the
nrst han and In the sccond halt six points.
AxpoyEu. Mass Nov a-The gatre which wns TO
no brcn ,ioVei win Tho Uy,Is porE eleven ih,s
,,,ng 10 IN . srcat "a .i,L, rt,ho tivc Do II yvaS
not deemed advisable 20 play them SO the Law.
renceville game.
The Lexington club played n match game with
the Marcy team ycstcrdav Afternoon on the ledford
Park grounds BTooslvn Tho feature OF tihe game
was the gosI Kicked from tho eld IN the second hair
nv John O'f,Un1ciI ~ the Marcys The Iesineton
team won INV n score ~ ih 10 90
r.o.. -. -. -. :, ,.u,,..u .,..., -.....
a.. oT,evn ws sh,de h oH 3 ~ y@est. @
College and the Naval Reserves al Wiliiamsbridse
Kick goal The Naval Reserves were weak in three
parts owing to the men who ed the places
Of the two guards and full back
no = s,oro -, On g., n ,ho I.ro,n. .,h,.,,, r,,.,.
aevom u sManPeu We bersen tonu hnleue te Si1ps
a. ~. ~ * ~ pcIHvn lolnt VI tile
sbiY ~ s on,c MI T yicrs o ore .ue % r. nh ~
The sun., 1894-11-04
GYMHKHANA RACES At WESTCHEs-
TER.
The Members or the Country CIub Have
Great sport in the Mud

For the past few weeks WcStchester county
especially that portion Of IL which borders on
Pelham Bay, has hceu all wrought up over the
outcome of the Gymhkhana races, which were
scheduled to take place yesterday afternoon on
tho grounds Of Ia" Westchcstcf Country Club
Not even the Waterbury Amateur Circus
Of few years ago, which a.tnnshtd
" 400 aroused quarter the attention
OF Yesterday event and tho attendance sur
passed all expectations. Coaches, hrca>s, four.
in-hands, tgndcnls, and traps uI every UunCeiva-
be form and description iined the polo field
wherO the game, were decided long before the
hour for starting, and tie l!ttle grand stand ON
the northern side of the hcid was pa, k,d To its
were;
Mr. and Mrs Paul Thenaud, Mr.. and Mrs. w. Butler
and Mrs :; potter, Mr. !and Ar,. AuS9sr hcinoar,
Mdyn s Peips n ss, rarr Arl' r w ' r "a M y a a Mr. r
duncan Eliot Columbus N isSlr,'. u1"khn,st C.i
ling, Seiyer Page lord - l. nl"tr Jr m, 81, Inrii
Mrs' and aTs q 8 Ratcs Il. s ta6trrraIf Alien
w 'Fa $ fanshS%r l' Gss fSrsha%r, M % aa sA1 aG H
sPa SI 5 sraI " WS,"I1FI r g & vi & N9 s'}Ty
tTedGri'N AlsI ETtysd hIs"' hsNl l'rl t. 4h%rWg
ThoTne Sn %ciapp; NaIaTio, aS w., s,i VIZ abt " q
hiaek Mis- helm G ragc MS H., t'ith hq4cn. 5ils,
hr' aul ,lrs T.. H. Juksnr. 5ir ali Mrs, a .nSan
M n FS ad a-. w. No, 9on 2oS@S a Ill., E R sT "a hSs sS
InTsncr l. ialS lgnis Hal, N"gnI sirT,f"E, sis<
Taler, Ais. fiorvnre Jaluys slagr ,arE g. e.. ley
Gould Hoyt, Edmund Randolph. T. " Alcr, aad h. H.
Adec.
The gymhkh ara races, which are practically
athletic games ON AnrsChacN. started or with a
400 ard dash around the Polo field. which,
by the way was nearly Hooded Wit. water after
the mornings rain. There Utrr seven stnrtcrs
ridden BY +. G.. PpiJer, l.. K. Marshall IS alIcr
Hobart ". :. Fanshawe. r.. IL. Allen, Marion
story, y, c. RcyuN, and l.. Waterbury. ~
spectiycly. After an cNCiJIuS race. IN WAlCEt4e
tail eIdcrs were covered with mud. D. d. Alien,
on FlaNey, won hy length from y. G.. bvyalls.
Brut, ridden Ly LOUIS llaight, MAS the tame
by Leonard jacob. while +. c. Potter Was
fourth.
Then came a special sweepstakes even az the
same distance, which brought uut ticld Of three
starters. After a rather une-sIded race Marion
StOrer's AFlleberry, ridden by G. Potter,
won by two lengths from y. G.. Reynals Della
Fox, ridden b. Louis Haight, who in turn was
The sun., 1894-11-04
srE1xIrz BEArEy Br AIBrN.
The Veteran Exceeded the Tive Limit II
the chess Tournament

There was much excitement Mt the masters
chess tournament ut the Union Square Hotel
yesterday on the occasion OF the seventh round,
because Stcinitz lost his game. when he had
good winning chances. 20 Albin, the latter
claiming a win us Steinitz exceeded the time
limit.
The committee, when called upon to examine
the clock, found that StCinitS's clock stood ut
exactly o'clock, and he ought TO have regis
tered thirty-six moves on the score sheet. After
a consultation they declared that 1t would be
impossible to make three moves Stcinitz had
only registered thrty-thrce movcs-nnd the
committee scored the game for Nlbn. The lat
ter, as will be remembered, won n game under
similar circumstances against Shnwalter In the
masters tournament played at the City Chess
Club last year.
The other games resulted as follows Talpcrn
beat Hanham, Hymes suffered defeat Mt the
hands of JasnogrOdsky, Baird scored against
RockamOra, and tho Pillsbury vs. Showalter
game stood adjourned. The games:
The sun., 1894-11-04
WESTON,S LONG TRAMP.
The Veteran Pede strian Gets Back to New
burgh One Hour Ahead or Time.

SEwBUGH, Nov. .. Edward Payson Weston,
the veteran long distance pedestrian. concluded
his long tramp last evening at o'clock. Wes-
ton, who was 80 years old March Is last
undertook to walk 400 miles through New York
state. Tie old timer started from here on Mon
day afternoon, Oct. !2; He was to return TO
Newburgh in twelve full days He was ahead
Weston did not experience any discomfort, and
he wound up in splendid condition.
WestOn's first few hours tramp was without
any incident; He arrived at Kingston at 1915
o'clock on the morning Of Oct. -, and after
taking a short nap at n hotel he proceeded to
Catskill, reaching that place n few minutes past
Cisey u rs O'Clock on the morning OF Oct. "a.
fifteen minutes ahead Of his scheduled time, he
made his appearanceat Albany. At2;3O O'Clock
II was raining hard when he left Albany, but
good rub down and II bath put him in fine
fettle. lie arrived AZ CanajOharie on Thursday,
reaching that place at S:l5 O'Clock. He re-
maincd there all night. Little Falls was his
next stop. llc got there at H;20 O'clock ON the
twenty minutes. Then he hurried on to Herki-
mer Here the veteran met Chief of Police
Harris nt that town, whom twenty ty-seven years
Valley.
After taking in several little towns and viii
lagc-, Weston arrived at Cortland on Oct 20 as
fresh ~ daisy. lie was Just l hour and ~
minutes ahead Of time; on Nov. /
Weston was at Hancock, having left
Deposit on the previous day exactly
lndulsing in a bath aud u rub down. the veteran
walked 10 Port JCTvis, " here he arrived ~ :iO
ocl"cE Yesterday mornngili wasin good spirits.
place at lO:0A O'Clock. lie walked ntn driv-
ing rain going M the Shdwangunk Mountains.
His next stop was ths city, where he arrived
four miles from Middetown 10 Newburgh in s
hours ana 3S minutes.