The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-06-08

Bearing love back from dearlh and death {,
Only violet, wee and blue
Only violet dashed with dew!
From the New York World. 18TH
Seas of Fire.
THE MOUNTAIN HOLOCAUST IN NEW
RAIL ROAD TRAIN--A FAMILY ROAST
ED ALIVE.
Additional intelligence In regard
to tho great forest confAgrations 10
Sullivan, Orange, Delaware, Duchess
and Madison counties of this State
has been received. Never before
have these mountain fires ragged so
furiously or extended over so large an
amount Of territory. 1t is generally
believed by persons living In those
counties, that the confagration was
started by the hand of an incendiary.
In those regions where the fires broke
out live many persons who are called
gypsies, who reside in shanties which
have been erected in remote hooks on
the mountain side and other solitary
places that are seldom reached by the
moro civilized world. These gypsies
are described as thriftless com u uni
ty, having no regard for, and there,
fore no love for the industrious
farmers and woodsmen who live near
them, and it is believed that they set
fire to the underbrush, we'll knowing
that the flames would extend to the
forest proper and spread many miles
in extent.
THE LOSS.
Usually these fires, which more or
less occur every spring, have been CON-
fined to districts of Limited extent and
value, but this spring they have raw
aged thousands of acres Of valuable
woodland, destroying millions Of trees
and cords Of wood, logs, ship joints
and bark. The loss, SO far as it has
been asaertained is estimated at over
$5,000,0OQ, not ono cent Foffs which is
covered by insilfaace., For the Most
parS the ,fres have, been. copfpedfito
t6a moantaiGs, buk have covered lid
their march an extent of territory ons
hundred miles in length. The Sui
Ivan county forest have been burnt
for distance of twenty miles. The
Delaware county woodlands have been
devasted some fifteen miles. In both
of these localities tho fires arc still
raging. In Orange county the fam-
ing tempest has spent its strength,
and the mountain ridges and hillsides
are @ amouldering waste Of land.
SCENE OF DEsoLArloN.
The whole country thereabout pre-.
sents soenc of utter desolation.
During the height Of the eopaagratioa
the country for long stretch Of miles
svas overhuDg with dense clouds Of
smoke. AT somo no;..::Ss ciindors and
chat iioated about in the air currents
and were scattered ia fhowers over
the villages and farms, in several
tnstances kindling into flames upon
bepns, fields and dwellings, The
population WAS oil in ponmotion and
terror, " ~
RLoop.REp RIVERS AND BROOKS.
The rivers and brooks were blood
red from the. reflected, flames. In
same places tho water was ateaming
hot, Thousands of fishes, snakes,
birds and squirrels perished and float.
ed upon tho surface. The orags and
yockay walls Of the mountai n.sides
were baked by the intense heat, and
many Of the boulders are cracked and
orumbled, Here and there tbe bones
of wild animals land some oattle) tell
the story af the holocaust tragedy.
The deep gorges and ravines eeemed
like miniature gates Of the bottomless
pit, gaping ont sferoe flames, smoke
and heat. Whore the trees tes were dry
and piles Of wood and bark had been
stored there arose vast volumes of
white and red flame, towering toward
tho sky. Suoh was the terrifying
influence Of tho sight that the dumb
beasts, the horses and CATTLE. in tho
vicinity aed in siarm, and .tke niaht
echoes we're resonant with their hleet.
ings, neighs, and lowipgs.
AsIERy TRAM. I'LL
Along The Erie Railway track the
rails st one place we're twisted ont Of
shape and tho ties burned. The heat
Was 20 ihsenaa that faboTSfs could not
repair tho damage for hours. The
rain, howavsr suE " cd 10 long deten.