on fire. She replied that
she had not walked for three years. With horrid curses, the wretch poured
powder under her chair, declaring that he would teach her to walk; and
while in the act of applying fire to his train, some neighbors ran in and
carried her away.

The burning mass appeared to converge toward the Diamond, forming fearful
whirlwinds, which at times moved eastwardly along the line of Market
street. At one time an immense whirlwind passed over where a large lot of
bedding and wearing apparel had been collected. Large feather beds were
lifted from the ground. Shirts and lighter articles were conveyed with
fearful velocity high in the air, alighting at a great distance from where
they lay. It was grand and fearful, adding to the horror of the scene. In
many cases soldiers set fire to houses, and to the tears and entreaties of
women and children they said their "orders were to burn. We will fire;
you can do as you please after we go away." An officer rode up to our
parsonage, and thus addressed Mrs. Dickson: "Madam, save what you can; in
fifteen minutes we will return and fire your house." They did not return.
Our church and parsonage were saved. The printing establishment of the
German Reformed Church was completely destroyed, with all the valuable
presses, books, the bindery, &c. Dr. Fisher estimates the loss to the
Church at over forty thousand dollars. Those of our readers who know the
town will understand the extent of this destruction from the following:

Beginning at the Presbyterian lecture-room on the north, the fire swept
every building on the west side of Main street, except four, up to
Washington street, four squares; from King street on the north, every
building on the east side of Main street up to Washington, three squares;
from the Franklin Railroad to nearly the top of New England Hill, five
squares, on both sides of the street; also eight or ten dwellings over the
top of New England Hill; from the Market-house down Queen street, both
sides, to the edge-tool factory, and several buildings on the street
running parallel with the creek, up to Market street, with many buildings
on Second street from Market, up near the Methodist Church. The Methodist,
German Reformed, and Lutheran churches saved the parts of the town in
which they were situated from being involved in the general conflagration.
The Associate Reformed and Bethel churches, the latter belonging to "The
Church of God," were burned. Th