The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1906-04-27
survived seemed distorted and madden

SuTVlVeu SeeHleu ulSLOTIeu dIlu HIduucIl'
ed.
A shock, violent, destructive, convul-
sive, flung them PROSTATE.
A new and terrible cry added to the
universal horror.
1.-The sea! The sea!'
/ Alvar sprang to his feet, and, clasped
in each others arms, he and AImah
! gazed beneath. Not breath of wind
, moved, yet the river tossed and heaved
as impelled by a mighty storm-and on
it came, roaring, foaming, tumbling,
as every bound were loosed, on, on over
the land to the very heart Of the de-
voted city, sweeping off hundreds in its
course and retiring with such velocity
and so far beyond it's natural banks
that vessels were left dry which had
five minutes before ridden in water
seven fathoms deep.
Again and again this phenomenon
took place; the vessels in the river at
the same instant whirled round and
round with frightful rapidity, and
small boats dashed upwards, falling
back to disappear beneath the booming
waters.
AS if chained to the spot by the hor-
ror, Alvah and his wife yet gazed; their
glances fixed on the new marble quay,
where thousands and thousands of the
fugitives had congregated; fixed as if
unconsciously foreboding what was to
befall.
Again the tide rushed on-on, on
over the massive ruins, heaving, rag
ing, swelling as living thing, and at
the same instant the quay and its vast
burden of humanity sunk within an
abyss Of boiling waters, into which the
innumerable boats around were alike
impelled, leaving not a trace, even
when the angry waters return to their
channel, suddenly as they had left it,
to mark what had been.
Terrible it was. From three several
parts of the ruined city huge fires sud-
denly blazed up, Kissing, cracking, as
cending as clear columns of liquid
flame against the pitchy darkness, in
fusing it with tenfold horror-spread-
ing on every side consuming all wood
and wall which the earth and water
had left unscathed; wreathing it's SER
pent like folds in and out of ruins; fas-
cinating the eye with admiration, yet
bidding the blood chill and the flesh
creep.
Fresh shouts and cries had marked
its rise and progress, but, aghast and
stupefied, those who yet survived made
no effort to check it's way, and on every
side it spread, forming lanes and
squares Of glowing red, f1inging its
lurid glare so vividly around that even
those on the distant heights could see
and read by it; and fearful was sths
scene that awful light revealed.
Now for the first time could Alvar
trace the full extent Of the destruction
which had befallen. That glorious
city which, few brief hours previous,
lay reposing in gorgeous sunlight
mighty in its palaces and towers-in
it's churches, converts, theaters, maga-
zines, and dwellings-rich in its num-
berless artisans and stores-lay per-
ished and PROSTATE as the grim spectre
of long ages past, save that the fear
full groups yet passing to and fro, or
huddled in kneeling or standing masses,
some bathed in the red glare of the
increasing fires, others black and shape
less-save when sudden fire flashed on
them, disclosing what they were-re-
vealed strange and horrible present
amid what seemed the shadows Of a
fearful past. Chicago Tribune.