Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-05-18
PENNSYLVANIA ITEMS.

PREPARED FOR THE ssRAET5MAS' 9 JOURNAL
CENTRE CoUSrY.-On Wednesday, the 4th
| inst, Burnside township, was visited by one
| of the most destructive fires that has ever oc-
| CURED in that vicinity, or indeed in the coun-
| ty. The Sterling Saw Mills, belonging to
Mcssrs. Smith, Rhodes & Smith, with the
| store, dwellings and tenant houses attached,
| were entirely consumed. So rapid were The
| flames, that it was impossible to save either
furniture or articles of wearing apparel, while
several children belonging TO the families of
| those attached to the mill, narrowly escaped
with their lives. The fire originated in one
| of the tenant houses, from stoyepipe that
| passed through the roof. At the time, the
men employed about the mill, were engaged
| in rafting at the river, considerable distance
| from the scene of conflagration, and very
| strong wind prevailing just then, before they
could reach the fire, its Roadway was such as to
battle all efforts TO arrest its destructive pro-
gress. The mill very valuable, and is
| entirely consumed--while the destruction of
| the houses left the families of the workmen
engaged, without shelter, and for the time,
almost without provision. i. DIR. Desher
assisted by Drs. Smith and Hillibsh, amputa-
ted the limb of Miss Elizabeth Meyer, of Aa-
ronsburg, about four inches above the anclc
joint the I'd inst. a diSlocatiOn of the
ancle about seventeen years ago, made ampu-
tation necessary.
DAUPHIS CoUNTY.-Two barns attached to
the State Lunatic Asylum near Harrisburg,
were burnt on the night of the 18th, together
| with their contents. -Four horses were burnt
| to death, and the wagons, mowers and reapers
! of the establishment were destroyed. The
| loss is estimated at 81 600. Two tenant hou-
scs adjoining, were also considerably danag-
| ed. Martin Henry Wolf, formerly an inmate
of the hospital, has been arrested and COM
mtted to Jail on the suspicion of having set
| fire to the property. Another fire occurred at
O'Clock next morning. The barn attached
| to the Dauphin County Poor House, about
mile from Harrisburg, destroyed together
with the contents % tons of hay, 100 bushels
| of rye, and other products of the farm. -Four
mules, five horses and sixteen horned cattle
| were burned to death. The loss is estimated at
| 81 900 to 5000, and it is supposed both fires
were caused by the same individual (WoiG,
as he escaped that day from the Poor House.
BLAIR COUNrY.-The scarlet fever continues
| to prevail in Hollidaysburg. Johnston Nc
| Kce and Edward MCCabe were taken to the
| Western Penitentiary, by Sheriff Funk,
the 9th inst. petition was presented TO
| Court praying for the erection of a new town
! ship, to be called Bell, by cutting AnteS
township in two. Mr.. James Mathers, an
old citizen OF the s'Loop,' died suddenly as
it is supposed, of apploplexy, on the 9th inst.
-. An attempt was made on the Sth to poison
a couple herses belonging to Mr.. Samuel
Smith in Scotch Valley. a stabbing affrav
side of Altoona. Two young men named
Ecker and Smith were the participants, and
young lady was the cause of the quarrel.
Smith stabbed Ecker with a knife, but the
wound is not considered fatal. The former
was arrested and committed to be tried for
assault with intent to kill.
ARMSTRONG COUNTY.-On the 9Th inst,
man named John Mott, of Kittannng, was
arrested on a charge of numbering his mother,
whose body was found floating in tho Alleghe-
| ny River, some ten miles below that place,
few days before. The evidence is strong a.
gainst the man, who would get drunk and
beat his mother. On the night of the 9Th,
i house belonging to Thomas Ii. Caldwell,
about eight miles from kittanning, was des-
trOyed by fire. The house n new frame,
and Mr.. c. intended moving into it in a few
days. Loss about $500 to 5000.
GREENE CoUNTY.--Mrs. LemIey, wife of
Jacob Lemley, proprietor of the Hamilton
House, Waynesburg, two sisters of Mr.. Lem
ley, and servant girl by the name of Stro-
snider. were very seriously poisoned last week
by arsenic having been put in the well bucket.
DR.. Wishart was Immediately called, admin
istered emeticS which produced the desired
vomits, the analyzation of which leave TO
doubt but that arsenic had been thrown in the
well bucket by some malicious person unknown
to the parties.
WEsTMoRELAED CoUHTY.-Eugine Warfield
has been committed to answer for robbing
Leopold Fortwingle's jewelry store. He is
represented as desperate villain. A pocket
book was taken from Jacob Uocke'S store, in
Greensburg, on the 5th, it contained one hun
dred dollars. The body of male infant
was found in a vault the premises Of Alex.
Mckinney on the 10th.
SOMERSET COUNTY.-The dwelling of Eph-
rain Shaffer, in Somerset township, was burn
ed on the 5th. =. The dwelling of Hon. J.
Knepper, in Brothersyille township, was burn
ed on the 7th. Furniture and goods destroy
ed. No insurance. A conlagration was
going on in the woods on the mountains on
the 10th, and was spreading rapidly.
LUzERSE CoUNTY.-On Sunday the Sth May,
a WelsffNan and his wife by the name Of Rob
erts, residing at French TOwn,got intoxicated.
By some means unknown the woman's clothes
caught fire, and she burned so badly that
she died in few hours. Her body was liter
ally charred.
CHESTER CoUNTY.-Mary Dowerman, wo-
man about seventy years of age, was found
dead, in The woods in East Vincent, recently.
coroner'S inquest was held, and the jury
rendered verdict that she crme to her death
from causes to them unknown.
SCIENCE OF MODERN WARFARE.-The war
in Europe, once fairly in motion, will beat
anything yet recorded in the destruction of
human life. Science has been at work in