BURNING OF MOSCOW

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 170, 21 July 1941, Page 6

BURNING OF MOSCOW

No—the coalman hadn't m Vivien Leigh—all he could tS about was "fires," so I told hhr about Bush Fires Bill, of Blarfc ball—in the days before P«u> bought the mine. "The nirfjtS got married he bored his bride sa telling her about the big bush fins in Victoria where he came from She stood it till 3 a.m., then, on the excuse that she would put the cat out, she left for home in her bridal rigout. It's worse'n being married to a fire-break," she told her As we watched the smoke curling up the chimney. I wanted to bar about Moscow and I dug up an oli "Times" leader of October 12, 1812, and a faded copy of the "Morning Chronicle" of October 16 of the same year. Therein we read a translation of Napoleon's own "Twentitfk Bulletin of the Grand Army," dated Moscow, September 27; also Hi "Twenty-first Bulletin," of September 30, 1812. Napoleon says: ''Sixteen thousand churches ... over 1000 palaces . . . immense rnapartnt . . . 200,000 people reduced to beggary ... an ocean of flame . .. the fire raged from the night of September 14 (the first night of hit arrival) till the 20th. .. Yes —it was a big Mae all right. History records flat the city was fired at four or five different points and IW# houses were destroyed. Napoteoo stayed five weeks among the rotas and then (October 19, 1812) cmmenced his historic retreat The coalman poked the ashes. "And you say Bush Fires Bill's wife new came back?" he asked. "Never." I said. MacCLURE.