The Great Miramichi Fire. 



(From Oooney's 'N«w Brunswick and Omp«'). 



Prom the flr»tt to the fifth of October, 

 1825 (a HeaMon KtMu'rally very cool) an 

 extraordinary and unnatural heat prevail- 

 ed. Th«» |«rotraoti'd drouj^ht of the Bum- 

 mer, aetinj; u|>un the aridity of the foresta, 

 had rendorod them more than naturally 

 combustilde; and thiH, facilitating; both 

 tiie dispersion and the projcress of the 

 fires that appeared in the early part of 

 the season, produced the unnatural warmth. 



On the si.xth the fire was evidently ap- 

 pioximatin^' to us; at different intervals 

 of this day fitful bla/es and fiashes were 

 observed to issue from different parts of 

 the woods, particularly up the northwest, 

 at the rear of Newcastle, in the vicinity 

 of Douglastown and Moorfields, and alon^; 

 the banks of the Bartibojy. Many also 

 heard the cracklinj; of falling trees and 

 shrivelled branches, while a hoarse rum- 

 blinjf noise, not unlike the rushing of 

 distant thunder, and divided by ]tauses, 

 like the intermittent discharges of artil- 

 lery, was distinct and audible. 



On the seventh the heat increased to 

 such a degree, and became bo very op- 

 pressive, that many complained of its en- 

 ervating effects. About 12 o'clock a pale 

 sickly mist, lightly tinged with purple, 

 emerged from the forest and settled over 

 it. This cloud soon retreated before a 

 large dark one, which, occupying its place, 

 wrapt the firnmment in a pall of vapour. 

 This incumbrance retaining its position 

 till about three o'clock, the heat became 

 tormentingly sultry. There was not a 

 single breath of air. The atmosphere 

 was overloaded; an irresistible lassitude 

 seized the people; and a stupifving dull- 

 ness seemed to pervade every place but 

 the woods, which now trembled and rustled 

 and shook with an incessant and thrilling 

 noise of explosions rapidly following each 

 other and mingling their' reports with a 

 discordant variety of loud and boisterous 

 sounds. 



At this time the whole country appear- 

 ed to be encircled l)V a fiery 7one, which, 

 gradually contriicting its eircle by the de- 

 vastation it made, seemed as if it would 

 not converire into a point while anything 

 remained to be destroyed. 



A little after four o'clock an imriiense 

 pillar of smoke rose in a vertical direction 

 at some distance northwest of Newcastle 

 for a while, and the sky was absolutely 

 blackened by this huge cloud; but, a 

 light northerly breeze springing up, it 

 gradually distended, and then melted into 

 a variety of shapeless mists. About an 



hour after, or probably at half-pant five 

 o'clock, innumerable large spireit of 

 smoke, issuing from different parts of the 

 woods, and illuminated by name* that 

 seemed to pierce them, mounted to the iky. 

 A heavy and suffocating canopy, extend- 

 ing to the utmost verge of observation. 

 and apfiearing more terrific by the vivid 

 Hashes and blazes that wriggled and dart- 

 cd irregularly through it, now hung over 

 us in threatening suspension, while show- 

 ers of flaming branas, calcined leaves, 

 ashes and cinders seemed to »cre.;m 

 through the growling noise that prevailed 

 in the woods. 



All these palpable indications of the 

 approaching ruin were unheeded, probablpr 

 because the people had never yet expert- 

 enced the dreadful effects of fire, or had 

 not sufllciently considered the change 

 wrought in the forests by the protracted 

 heat of the summer. Nor could any other 

 reason have betrayed them into a neglect 

 of the warning which Mr. Wright and 

 others endeavoured to propagate. Had 

 the timely admonition of these gentlemen 

 received the attention it merited, many 

 are of opinion that a considerable part 

 of the calamity might have been avert- 

 ed, ft would be cruel, however, to harrow 

 the recollection now; experience makes 

 wise men of us all; after having endured 

 the evils, we become astonishing clever in 

 jirescribing antidotes. 



About nine o'clm-k, or shortly after, a 

 succession of loud and appalling roars 

 thundered through the woods. Peal after 

 peal, crash after crash, came bellowing the 

 sentence of destruction. Kvery succeeding 

 shock created fresh alarm: every clap 

 came loaded with its own destructive en- 

 ergy. With greedy rajiidity «lid they ad- 

 vance to the devoted scene of their min- 

 istry; nothing could impede their pro- 

 gress; they remove*! every obstacle by the 

 desolation they occasioned. Several hun- 

 dred miles of prostrate forests and smitten 

 woods marked their devastating way. 

 They canie rushintr with awful violence, 

 devouring at every step, and hewing a 

 frightful avenue to the spot where fury 

 was to be consummated. 



The tretnendnus bellowing became more 

 and more terrific. The earth seemed to 

 stagger as if it had reeled from its ancient 

 foundations. The harmony of creation 

 appeared to have been deranged and about 

 to revert into original chaos. Earth, air, 

 sea, and sky, all visible creation seemed to 

 conspire against man, and to totter under 



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