The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-28
VIRGINIA NEWS.

THE FIRE IN THE GREAT D1sMAL.-A gem
heman who passed along up the Seaboard
road on hand-car, and had an opportunity
to make few observations, has been talk
ing TO US. He witnessed great trees, thirty or
forty feet, on fire UP to the top, all their
leaves and branches burning up rapidly, and
then 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 underneath them completely burned
out, and nothing remaining but Goals and
ashes. Large holes are to be observed all
over the swamp completely burned out, and
nothing remaining i'll OF near them but the
charred trunks Of trees. He stopped for
some time between the twelfth and thir-
teenth mile posts, and had good view Of the
surroundings. The fire has burnt the earth or
peat 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
passing along on the cars, as they go too
rapidly for observation. 1t is his impress
sion that nearly all the space burned out by
Che fire will be lake from three to ten feet
deep, as the earth or vegetable mould which
formed terra frnad in the swamp is all
burnt to ashes. a singular feature was
mentioned by him in regard to farms along
the Dismal swamp. Smoke could be
seen issuing from underneath the corn
fields Of the farms, which led him to believe
that thei" Whole foundation would burn
out unless q heavy rain interfered to pre-
vent it.
This matter Of the charred trees fHlling,
owing TO the earth being burned from un-
der them, will account for a fact that there
haS always been more or less theOriZinC
about. Il has long been q matter Of surmiSe
with many now it was that there were SO
many trees lying PROSTATE in the swamp,
many of them eight and ten feet below the
surface, apparently uninjured. 1t has been
q business with lumber-gctters to dig these
trees up heretofore. This fire explains
fully how they came in that condition.
Long-continucd droughts heretofore have
enabled the yearly-reclrring fires to burn
their soil from under them and lay them
PROSTATE. 1t is said the bottom of the
Great lake itself is 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 q greater and longer-continued
drought than this generation has witnessed.
Norfolk Day Eook.
HORRIBLE AND PROBABLY FATAL Acct
DENT.-On Saturday last Il sad accident Oc-
CURED to q son Of Mr.. Joseph Porter, Of
Amherst county, aged thirteen years, which
has probably ere this resulted in his death.
IT seems, from what we were able to gather
of the affair, that young Porter and colorcd
man were engaged in hauling wood to this
city, the colCrci man driving a two-horSe
wagon and young Porter one-horse
wagon. Coming to q portion of the road,
three miles from town, where is steep hill,
and having only orc iock-chain, the colOred
man locked the wheels of the Youths wagon
and started down the bill, leaving young
Porter with the tWo-horSc wagon at the top
OF the hill with the injunction to remain
until he returned with the chain. The untor-
tunate youth, however, disrcgarded this liz
struction, and started to drive down the hill.
He had gotten buta short distance when the
heayilv-iaGen wagon could not be kept
back by the horses, and they commenced
moving very rapidly, when, by some means,
young Porter, who was on the ground, be-
came entangled by the4einS and was thrown
on his back directly in front Of the wagon,
two of the wheels passing over the left side
of the abdomen, the left breast, and also
over the face, crushing and mangling him
in Il most icurfuland horrible manner. The
colored man, who witnessed the accident
froma distance, hurried to the unfortunate
boys assistance, anGteaS soon as possible DR..
Stcptoe was summoned, who did every
thing possible TO relieve the terrible agonics
of the little sufferer. 1t is impossible, how
ever. we learn, that his life can be saved,
though he was still alive, but entirely UNI
conscious, at q late hour Saturday after
nOon,-Lunchbttrq Meas, 9Th.
The Lynchburg Tirginian of Monday
says:
Mr. Horace Greeley having been requested
to act as the agent in New \ DIRK Of the Mine
raj Bureau of our Agricultural Society re-
plies as follows:
NEW YORK. September II, 1869.
Gcntlemen,-I will print your letter, and
do what can to aid your project. You are
welcome to use my name in any way to pro-
mote the renovation and prosperity Of Vir-
ginia. Yours, HORACE GREELEY.
Nessrs. Us. Langhorne, J. Il. Mcdaniel,
Committee, Lynchburg, Va.
ToBACCo.-Wc learn from our country
friends that they have generally commenced
cutting their tobacco, and that the quantity
is much better than they were led to antici-
w W
ed and the injury done by the protractcd
drought. The crop, however, will be q small
one, and great deal of it, it is feared, will
be caught by the frost before it is ready for
the knile.-Lynchburg Neecs, 9th.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Bcaurcgard Is in the
city, the guest of the Noryell House. He
came down yesterday morning from the Al
lcghany Springs.
Or. George William Bagby, Of the Na!ire
Vlrg,mdn, has arrived III the city, having
begun his lecturing tour through the South,
to which we have alludcd.-Lyachburg Re
publican.
REPORTED MURDER.-Areport has reached
this city that Captain Henry Wag9oner,
United States army, formerly stationed here,
together with another officer Of the same
command, had been killed in an affray with
citizens in a remote part Of Texas. We
doubt the truth Of the report, as no tele-
graphic account has been receiyed.-Lynch-
burg Vtrgtman, 2lth.
The ELEVENTH VIRGINIA RE1THENT-A
REUNION PROPOSED FOR THE OCTOBER FAIR.
The editor of the Fincastle Herald, who was
one Of the most meritoriouS and gallant oth-
GERS Of the old Eleventh Virginia regiment,
proposes IN the last issue or MS paper That
the surviving members of the regiment meet
ut Lynchburg, at the Fair, for social and
friendly union.
IxPRov1SG.-We are pleased to learn
that Bishop Early's condition was greatly
improved on Saturday, and he is now con-
sidered out of danger. The many friends
of this good and venerable man will receive
this intelligence with heartfelt joy.-Ly'sch-
burg NearS, 9th.
HoLLIHs INsT1TUTE.-The session Of this
institution will open tomorrow, and pros
poets are good for large southern patron
ace. Young ladies from se0en different