Year: 1871

LOunE Lazy


A number of refugees from the grand
theatre of desolation at Chicago arrived in
New York city on the 18th. Among them
were Timothy Lockwood. of Saco, Me,
Henry p. Wallace, of fremont, N. Y. /;
and Mrs. Laura E Rollins, of Bridgeport,
Conn. All bore evidence of the great ex-
citement and horror through which they
had passed, and their narrative of what
occurred under their observation Is thrill
ing in the extreme. Miss Rollins was the
only one who had saved anything but the
garments on their persons They would
not have been able to come home had 1T
not been for the generosity of the railroad
employees, who passed them free. The
dining saloons on the route manifested the
same generosity, and everywhere they
were the recipients of kindness. Miss
Rollins had most narrow escape from a
fiery death. She was surrounded by the
flames, and dashed through space where
the wooden pavements had kindled into a
blaze. She tells the following:


when the second fire broke out in the
south division nearly all the people be
came insane with terror Very few Of the
men even had any presence of mind. If
they had, much could have been done to



the flames There was water, and reso-
lutte, careful organization of men land wo-
men tool in lines could have saved much
property. When the Fire Department
gave, up in despair The people seemed like
so MANI scared sheep. They rushed pell-
nell away. Some carried what they could
in their hands l saw an Irish woman
hugging along a half grown pig, which
kicked and sqCealed with all its might,
until the painting woman, overcome by the
flames, abandoned the animal to its fate.
A colored woman shouldered her week 8
washing in a huge wicker basket, and
grabbed with the other hand a frying pan
and some muffin rings. Huge cinders fell
on the clean starched clothes and set them
smoking. In this way the poor wench,
already half beside herself with terror,
trudged along for several blocks, until the
burning rags fell upon her neck and caused
her to look around. With a howl of dis
may and an expression of horror that can
never be reproduced she dropped her bur
den and fed for dear life. One immense
Dutchman tIundled wheelbarrow along
loaded with keg of lager beer, some
sausages, and clothing. His wife and
children followed, all laden with sundry
articles, two dogs bringing up the rear.
He toiled and pulled along until the ap-
proach of the flames rendered more rapid
flight necessary. The wheelbarrow was
then abandoned, but not until the beer
keg was opened and parting drink was
taken all around. One incident combined
the pathetic with the ridiculous Two
blocks beyond where lived IN Halstead
street, resided an old German, an almost
helpless cripple, whose sole support was
his wife and young son. The latter went
away in the morning and did not return.
omen, and the old couple were not only
distracted at the absence of the boy but
fearful of their possible fate. at last the
flames came so near that they must f1y or
| die. In the strength of her affection the
! old woman seized the poor cripple, placed
him upon her back, and thus staggered
| along for distance of two blocks, when
some men placed him in grocer's wagon
and drew him to place of safety. Butt it
seems wicked to think Of such trihes
amidst all the narrowing scenes in memo
ry. l never can tell of the universal hor-
ror of those hours. They were years. l
don't wonder that men seemed demented
and women hysterical One of the little
| girls that attended my school became lost.
I found her crying as though her heart
would break. She is but years old, and
she could not tell what had become Of her
parents and family. There were many
such cases. As we went on further the
throng increased until the streets and side
walks were black with people. 1t was
like a freshet, and poured an the one di-
rection of safety. BY and by we foan6
the fire getting around us as though es-
cape would be cut Oh, and We would be
| entombed in one grand pyre Of fame