The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-24


(Fs,m tue albany Eseuiag journal Aug -
n. ,Ycsrassec Drought which has Isaserss the
psey ~ nsumer memorable, continues IN all iSs
paro, sdnsss. c"uotry seems ofispsd, aud wssla
towpsh,, 3 te vSrlOns psIts OF the couhtry. SUI
fs,ing /, tepssiy from the want of wafer. Not the
least alarming 600 destructive accom- oanitasais Of
this unusual ssse cf thiDgs. arc the fires which
rsRifg 10 tho woods - around u.s. Toe city asd
surrounding CO uDt y hss been covered With IA in
cmp,ebeI sble haze al ets morning which. with the
dense volumes of dust Inch cre constantly vaulting
into pe0s strtaps faces, give rns sun most singu
larry Iurid appes aoce. The fro s'eanst the CITY.
and whose smoky influence il most Oreceptibie, is
10 the Pine Piaios. west II Va, aud between tho
Sc enecIadY turnpike AID raiIrosd. We are not
advised Of It's txient, nor whether any greet damage
has been dove b. It. But IL cannot travail FAR with
out doing essential mischief Inc most extensive
fir within the circumfe- ence Of hundred
mills, is raging In the woods on the G cen
Mountains, In the neig nborhood II Arlington
AMI Sunderland. The i'e commenced five or six
days ago, but 1t did not acquire its present fury
until Saturday light since that time It has been
advancing snd spreading ", hmost fearful rapidly,
having travelled, in direct line. over six miles
The tace which II presented last night to those
who saw 1t from the valleys was rand beyond de-
scrpti0n. Looking from the base Of the bills, 1t
seemed ae If the very heavens we're On fire; aud as
the flames ped from tree to tree flashing up yard
and upward, as they founi new material II feed
upon, nothing could appear moro terdfying mag
n,f' ert. The eye could, at 4 single glance, take
in more than two miles Of lurid fame. The &c.
timber and peeled bark is very large. But the loss
will fall G0st heavily upon the Of the land,
the value Of which consists chiefly In the wood
standing upon il Many thousands Of acres must
fire sppeaed 70 rage with great fury, and 10 adj
vance 18th as much rapidity, a. at any time since
it commenced. severM large saw mills were
thrtats ned large steam mill on one OF the moan
taiDs WAS in most immlne1t jeopardy, the fire this
morning having approached within half mile. and
in direct line OF it. Notaing but rain storm can
stop ite progress.
(From the Concord IN H) State Reporter, August 90
night upon the plii.s. east Of ibis city, mas ex.
tended 10 the highlands between Concord and
LONDON, and is destroying Immense quantities OF
wood snd timber. On Sunday IL was raging IN the
vicinity OF The broken ground, aud many m.n were
out epdeavoriug to stop its prog ess. We have
heard the quantity Of land on ut over esi naed at
$500 acres. The ground il 80 dcy that this burning
upon tn. p)a!Ds is not q me e.kimmng Of the leaves
upon the surface, as such fires have been wont to
be- but the wh1le soil. in some instances, Is COM
plete)y burnt of, leaving Dothi but bed OF sand.
Unless there shall be timely rsins. Of which there
seems little prospect there can be no telling the
amount Of damage which will be done.
[From the Springfield, (Mass.,) Republican, Aug Is
A disastrous tire was sweeping over the woodlands
about three and half miles west Of Chester village,
on Tue sdsy having spread from asmai patcn winch
an Ifishman was burning over In the vicinity. Our
accounts by the last traas on Tuesday evening re-
present the fire as cove ing large tract Of land,
III ON which five hundred co'dS OF cut wood had al
reaoy been consumed; and it was believed that not
less than three hundred acres would certainly be
burned ever, upon which several Thousand
cords Of cut wood that would inevitably fall prey
to the flames. Toe citizens OF the surrounding
neighborb00d were in great alarm, and the wind
which sprung up flesh and strong Ia the afternoon
and evening, driving the lie with fearful rapidity
over the wooded highlands, where it would be fed
with iDmense quantities Of combustible material.
Passengers who came through by the evening train
from Albany, present the scese Of 1T srtiog
magnifcence. Should tre fire extend much beyond
the above indicated, many farm houses will be
eDdaogered and at best, the loss Of property must
be very heavy.
A large fire has been raging for some days on
"Wild Cat Hill' and vicinity, in Bern.rdsroc, and
at last accounts from two to three hundred acres
had been burnt over, with the prospect that much
larger tract would be included. Here, too, So
rious des truction OF pro pe,ty is involved.
From various other dire ti)ns, we have also nc
counts of dest ucive fires which rage with increas
&C fury In consequence of the extreme dry weather.
In Ftchburg aud Ashburnhau, large fires have %.
CURED in the woods, and several hundred cords II
wood have been consu ned. In Taunton, forty acres
have been burned over, occasi0ning great loss Of
property to the farmers
TELEGRAPHIC
TERRIBLE FIREs IN TEE WOODS OF MAEE-SUP
POSED LOSS OF LIFE.