The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-05-27
The Mountain Holocaust In New York.
a Family konsted Alive.

The Mountain Holocaust In New York.
Family Itonstei Alive.
Additional intelligence in regard to the
great forest confagrations in Sullivan,
Orange, Delaware, Dutchess and NIadi-
son Counties of this State, has been re-
ceived. Never before have these noun
tain fires ragged so furiously or extended
over so large IN amount of territory. It
is generally believed by persons living
in those Counties, that the confagration
was started by the hand of an incendia-
ry. In those regions, whero 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
more civilized world. These Gypsics are
described as q thriftless community, hav-
ing no regard for, and, therefore, no love
for the industrious farmers aud woods
men who live near them, and it ia be-
lieved that they set fire to the under
brush, we'll knowing that the flames
would extend to the forest proper and
spread many miles in extent.
Usually these fires-which more or less
occur every spring-have been confined
to districts OF limited extent and value,
but this spring they have. .ravaged thou
sands of acres OF valuable woodland,
destroying millions of trees and cords of
cut wood, logs, ship joints, and bark.
The loss, so far as it has been ascer-
tanned, is estimated ut over S5,O0O,0O0,
not one cent of which is covered by in
surance. For the most part, the fires
have been confined to the mountains,
but have covered in their march IN ex-
tent of territory 100 miles in length.
The Sullivan County forests have been
burnt for o distance of twenty miles
The Delaware County woodlands have
been devastated some fifteen miles. In
both of these localities the fires arc still
raging. In Orange County the flaming
tempest has spent its strength, and the
mountain ridges and hill-sides are q
smouldering waste of land.
The rivers and brooks were blood-rcd
from the reflected flames. In some
places, the water was steaming hot.
Thousands of fishes, snakes, birds and
squirrels perished and hoated upon the
surface. The crags and rocky walls of
the mountain-sides were baked by the
intense heat, and many of the boullers
are cracked and crumbled. Hero and
there the bones Of wild animals land
some cattle)ltell the story of the holo-
canst tragedy. The deep gorges and
ravines seemed like miniature gates of
the bottomless pit, gaping out fierce
trees were dry and piles of wood and
volumes of white and red flame, tower
ing toward the sky. Such was the terri
flying influence Of the sight. that the
,7,1poh hoocfc tCa 1,orcao oo1 ootk1o -
the vicinity fled in alarm, and the night
echoes were resonant with their bleat-
ings, neighs and lowings.
BY far the most awful spectacle and
calamity yet reported occurred on Sun
day night, near Deposit station. AS
darkness gathered over the dying day
the fire had reached the base of the West
Mountain, and before o'clock had com
pletely encirclcd one of the prominent
peaks as with girdle- of fire. The
flames roared and cracked with horrible
sound as they swept up the hillside.
The glaro brilliantly illuminated the
whole adjacent region. A party of
sportsmen returning through gorge on
the opposite sido heard shouts and cries
OF distress, apparently proceeding from
the flaming forest. Looking up through
the flames and smoke, they thought they
discovered the forms of a man and wo-
man upon rocky height, swaying their
arms to and fro. Tho cries continued,
and ono OF the party is suro TINT he
afterwards caught glimpse Of child
in the womans arms. Soon after, the
walls Of flame shut out all view, and the
cries ceased. The Mortified witnesses,
driven away by the heat to q greater dis
tancc, fingered as near as possible, but
neither saw nor heard any more. It is
believed that the persons thus seen were
man. wife and child named Hough,
who lived in shanty in remote place
on the barrens, and in escaping across
tho ridge were hemmed in upon the
rocks where seen. aud so perished in the
conhagration. Search is to DO made for
their remains. .-Ne,o York World.
GONE UP.-The New York Sun con-
fesses that tho Republican party of tho