Stephen D. Peet
speaker
928 appearances
1 recordings
1 series
first heard Aug 2026
last heard 5 Aug
Stephen D. Peet’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
Trend
recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 1.
Appearances
to those who were at a distance it was a single but a prolonged and terrible crash to those who were within doors it seemed like a sudden fall of a distant building or a nearer slide of a heavy body of snow but much more ominous some imagined they heard a sound that followed which they supposed to be the wailing of the wind
it startled the inhabitants in many houses and was heard more than a mile away presently the sharp alarm of fire was heard and the bells rang out their pealing notes
many started from their seats at the thought of fire on such a night presently the sky was illuminated a strange glare filled the heavens it was not like a distant flame that cast its shadow on the sky
it was not like a nearer fire that shot up sparks and smoke it was a glare that pervaded the whole horizon it cast a pale and sickly color into the fleecy air
it covered even the snow with a pinkish almost crimson hue it seemed like an extensive burning as if the flames were suddenly arising from widespread structures
no one could tell however what it was nor what was the matter the men who rushed into the street first whispered it was an oil train that had caught fire on the track others said that it was the building at the depot women who were kept at home were impressed that it was something more than a common fire
uneasiness seized the aged who were residing in houses far distant many hastened for the engines others ran in the direction of the light all plunged into the deep snow and out of breath could only follow in single file along the path which the foremost had broken
a long line of men and boys reached from the main street toward the fatal spot horses and teams plunged madly by every available horse in one of the stables was put into use
the steamer was got out the horses attached pulled and tugged the massive load protection engine was also manned at first but afterwards drawn by a team secured hose carts were taken for a distance and then horses were attached to these
the villagers had become thoroughly aroused and were straining at every nerve to reach the fire it had become known that the bridge was broken and a passenger train was wrecked in the dreadful gorge an unregulated crowd was rushing with all haste
through the impeding drifts the thought withal was to hasten forward and save the living it seemed an age before they could reach the spot many became exhausted by their efforts the snow and drifts were so deep that none could make headway except with difficulty
even teams were detained by the snow it was at least twenty minutes before the citizens arrived time enough had then passed for the work of death the wounded passengers had recovered from the stunning fall and arisen to their feet and escaped to the shore assisting one another from the wreck
nearly all who were in the forward car had escaped except those who had been crushed by the trucks which had broken through the roof and fell upon them one had even after his escape looked in the window and put his face near the cheek of his companion
and found him dead those in the smoker had climbed out and looked back to see how complete the sweep of the burning stove had been which had carried several before it to their death
one had fallen out of a gaping seam made in the side of the car and looked back to see another man caught as the car closed again and thought to himself that it had opened on purpose to let him out
those in the sleeping coaches who were alive had also escaped and made their way to land one gentleman mr brewster who was but little hurt had assisted a man who was badly wounded and helpless amid the wreck and laid him down on the east abutment and then crossed the stream again and called out to the others saying this way here's a house
women had escaped from the rear sleeping-coach and were already at the shore miss shepherd who was unhurt had reached the bank and requested some one to help her up and then made herself useful in aiding others
those who had escaped on the north side were already making their way through the deep drifts in the lonely valley and up the steep embankment those who were near had done all they could to rescue the living and the flames were already arising and nearly covered the scene all this had occurred before the citizens from the town could reach the spot
it was then too late to do anything to save the wounded or even to keep the flames from destroying life to be sure the fire engine stood in that engine house upon the hill but it was never moved the pump engine also stood in the lonely valley with its steam up but it was not used
there was also hose in the upper engine-house not six hundred yards away which would fit a plug in the house by the river but in the confusion of the moment no one had thought of engines or of hose and not even buckets had been brought down meanwhile the teams from town were plunging on dragging the steamer and the hose through the heavy drifts
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