The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1871-10-27 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

DUNRA V EN-PLACE. 3209  mad with exciteanent, struggled with each other to e:et away. Hundreds were trampled underfoot; men and women were loaded with bundles and their household goods, and to the skirts of the women were clinging tender infants half dressed fli.l barefooted, all seeking a place of safet7. Hours .aterwards these might have been seen an vacant lois on the streets, and far out in the suburbs ,tretched in the dust. It is fearful to think of the loss of life. It is conjectured with good cause, that nearly five hundred have been burnt to death. We •aw four men enter a burning building, and in a moment they were overwhelmed by a falling wa 1 There was a crowd of men around the corner of a building trying to save property, when, the wall yielding, some of them were buried underneath it. About twelveor fifteen men, women, and children rushed into the building of the HorticuPui al Society a fire-proof building, for safety ; but in a few minutes the flames burst up, and they were burned to death. Among those who took refuge in this building was the venerable Colonel Stone, Stt years of age, for a long time connected with thc society; also John B. Gerrard and wife; and Madame Depelgrome, the noted teacher of music. It is feared that De Frere and family were also burned. They were in the building and have not been seen since. Mrs. Edson, whose lipshand was murdered last week, and who was suffering from an idness, was carried away for protection to a building which was afterwards consumed, and it is feared she also perished. All the books and papers of the Historical Society, including the original copy of the famous emancipation proclamation (for which the society paid 25,000 dols.) were destroyed. It is feared that a large number of chddren, inmates of the Catholic Orphan Society, in States-st., were burned, as many of them are missing. On Chicago Avenue a father rushed upstairs to carry 3 children away, when he was overtaken by the flames, and perished with them. The mother was afterwards seen on the street on the north-west side. The fire continued to burn all last night [date not given] on the north side, but this evening is under control. It is literally true to say there is nothing remaining on that side, from the river to Lincoln Park on the north, and from the north branch of the river on the west to the lake on the east. This portion of the city, except along the main river, where there were business blocks, was occupied by dwellings. Two-thirds of the population of this district are German and Scandinavian. These people are now homeless, some of them are in frame buildings on the north west section, and others in the prairies without shelter. Throughout the day, yesterday, a renewal of the fire on the west side was looked for, and a change of five degrees in the direction of the wind at any time would have led to that result. There would then have been no refuge for any. Everybody had thin clothing packed ready to start for the prairie at any moment, but God averted this last possible addition to our disaster. Two men caught in the act of firing houses on the west side were arrested and immediately hung to lampposts, one on Twelfth street, near the river and the other three miles away on Claybourne Avenue, north side. This summary action has checked the thieves and murderers.