Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-09-27


board road on hand car, and had an OPP
portunity to make few obser vations, has
been talking to US. He witnessed great
trees thirty or forty feet on fire up to the
top, all their leaves and branches burn
ing up rapidly, and then a puff of wind
topping them over the same as they were
but oat straw; when on looking at their
roots you would find the ground UNDER
meath them completely burned out, and
nothing rem aiming but Goals and ashes
Large holes are to be observed all over the
swamp completely burned out, and nothing
remaining in or near them but the charred
trunks of trees. He stopped for some time
between the twelve and thirteen mile posts,
and had good view of the surroundings
The fire had burnt the earth or peet up
to the ditch bank of the railroad, and in
some places as far as the eye could reach it
looked like great waterless lake where
formerly was dry land and vegetation
Great numbers of cattle and animals of
all kinds have been destroyed by the fire,
the bones. of many of which can be seen
from the road track.
These matters cannot be observed in pas
sing along on the cars, as they go too rap
idly for obser walton. II is his impression
that near ly all the space burned out by the
fire will be aslake from three to ten feet
deep, as the earth or vegetable mould,
which formed terra frma in the swamp, is
all burnt to ashes. A singular feature was
mentioned by him 10 regard to farms along
in the dismal swamp. Smoke could be seen
issuing from underneath the corn fields of
the farms, which led him to believe that
their whole foundation would burn out uns
| IS a heavy rain interfered to prevent it.
This matter of the charred trees falling,
owing to the earth being burned from un'
der them, will account for fact that
there has always been more or less theo.
rizing about. 1t has long been a matter
of mise with many, how it was that
there were so many trees lying prostr ate in
the swamp, many of them eight and. ten
feet below the surface apparently uninjur-
ed. 1t has been business with lumber
getters to dig these trees up heretofore
This fire explains fully how they came in
that condition. Long continued droughts
heretofore have enabled the yearly recurs
ring fres to burn their soil from under
them and lay them PROSTATE. 1t is said
the bottom of the great lake itselfis covered
by trees in the same way, and it is the
theory OF some that the basin of the lake
was caused by being burnt out. If so, it
appears it must have been from a greater
and longer continued drought than thi
generation has witnessed.
HoRTIoULTURAh AND PoMoLoGIoAL SoOIE-
rY.-This society held its monthly meeting
at their hall on Saturday; e. G. Lindsey
in the chair, and S. Pulliam secretary.
On motion of e. G. Robinson, DR.. Briggs
of Nansemond, was elected a member.
The secretary offered his resignation,
which was accepted, land Jno. D. Gheislin,
Esq, was unanimously elected to fill the
position.
J. B. Whitehead offered the following
resolutions:
Resolved, That the thanks of this society
be rendered to s. Patterson, our late secre-
tary, for the faithful and energetic manner
in which he has performed the duties of his
office.
The following letter was read from Mr..
Leighton:
Boston, Sept. %, 1869.
To the Acting President of the Pomolgi-
cal Society
Iarrived here safely and have placed my
pears on the table of the Massachusetts Hor.
-ticultural Society; and to my establishment
to,dsy noticed card beside my plate
Duchess, awarding me a. silver medal on
that variety.
think we may venture to count Norfolk
in on 'Pomology.' The display here is fully
up to Philadelphia.
[Signed]
G. 7. LEIGHTON.
On motion, the meeting adjourned.