We have seen Ovid describing the people of “the earth” crouching in the same way in the water to save themselves from the flames of the Age of Fire.

In Michigan, one Allison Weaver, near Port Huron, determined to remain, to protect, if possible, some mill-property of which he had charge.  He knew the fire was coming, and dug himself a shallow well or pit, made a thick plank cover to place over it, and thus prepared to bide the conflagration.

I quote: 

“He filled it nearly full of water, and took care to saturate the ground around it for a distance of several rods.  Going to the mill, he dragged out a four-inch plank, sawed it in two, and saw that the parts tightly covered the mouth of the little well.  ’I kalkerated it would be tech and go,’ said he, ‘but it was the best I could do.’  At midnight he had everything arranged, and the roaring then was

[1.  See “History of the Great Conflagration,” Sheahan & Upton, Chicago, 1871, p. 374.]

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awful to hear.  The clearing was ten to twelve acres in extent, and Weaver says that, for two hours before the fire reached him, there was a constant flight across the ground of small animals.  As he rested a moment from giving the house another wetting down, a horse dashed into the opening at full speed and made for the house.  Weaver could see him tremble and shake with excitement and terror, and felt a pity for him.  After a moment the animal gave utterance to a snort of dismay, ran two or three times around the house, and then shot on into the woods like a rocket.”

We have, in the foregoing pages, in the legends of different nations, descriptions of the terrified animals flying with the men into the caves of the earth to escape the great conflagration.

’I Not long after this the fire came.  Weaver stood by his well, ready for the emergency, yet curious to see the breaking-in of the flames.  The roaring increased in volume, the air became oppressive, a cloud of dust and cinders came showering down, and he could see the flame through the trees.  It did not run along the ground, or leap from tree to tree, but it came on like a tornado, a sheet of flame reaching from the earth to the tops of the trees.  As it struck the clearing he jumped into his well, and closed over the planks.  He could no longer see, but he could hear.  He says that the flames made no halt whatever, or ceased their roaring for an instant, but he hardly got the opening closed before the house and mill were burning tinder, and both were down in five minutes.  The smoke came down upon him powerfully, and his den was so hot he could hardly breathe.

“He knew that the planks above him were on fire, but, remembering their thickness, he waited till the roaring of the flames had died away, and then with his head and hands turned them over and put out the fire by dashing up water with his hands.  Although it was a cold night, and the water had at first chilled him, the heat gradually warmed him up until he felt quite comfortable.  He remained in his den until daylight, frequently turning