The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-06-04
Seas Of Fire.
The Mountain Ho2ocaua IN Neao York
-Erciting Passage Of a Railroad
Train-A Family Roasted Alive.


[F'rom the N Y. World, 18th
Additional intelligence in regard tc
the great forest conhagrations in Sulli
van, Orange. Delaware, Duchess and
Madison counties of this State, has been
received. Never before have these noun
tain fires ragged so turiously 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 incen-
diary. 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 more civilized world. These
Gypsies are described as a thriftless
community, having no regard for, and,
therefore, 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 ravayed
thousands of acres of valuable wood
land, destroying millions of trees and
cords of cut wood, logs, ship joints and
bark, The loss, so far as<it has been
ascertained, is estimated at over $5,0OO,-
900, lot one cent of which is covered by
insurance. For the most part, the fires
have been confined to the mountains,
but have covered in their march an ex-
tent of territory one hundred miles in
length. The Sullivan county forests
have been burnt for distance of twenty
miles The Delaware county woodlands
have been devastated some fifteen miles.
In both of these localities the fires are
still raging. In Orange county the
flaming tempest has spent it's strength,
and the mountain ridges and hills are a
smoulderlng waste OF land.
SCENE OF DEsoLAT1oN,
The whole country thereabout pre-.
sents a scene of utter desolation. Du-
ring the height of the confagration, the
country for long stretch of miles was
overhung with dense clouds of smoke.
At some points cinders and chaff foated
about in the air currents and were scat
tered in showers over the villages and
farms, III several instances kindling into
flames upon barns, fields and dwellings,.
The population was all in commotion
and terror.
BLooD-RED RIVERS AND BROOKS.
The rivers and brooks were blood-red
from the reflected flames. In some pla.
ces the water was steaming hot. Thou
sands of fishes, snakes, birds and squir-
rels perished and foated upon the sur
face. The crags and rocky walls of the
mountain-sides were baked by the in
tense heat, and many of the boulders
are cracked and crumbled. Here and
there the bones of wild animals land
some cattle) tell the story of the holo-
caust tragedy. The deep gorges and
ravines seemed like miniature gates of
the bottomless pit, gaping out fierce
flames, smoke and heat. Where the
trees were dry and piles of wood and
bark had been stored, there arose vast
columns Of white and red fame. tower
ing toward the sky. Such was the terri
flying influence of the sight that the
ldumb beasts, the horses and cattle, in
the vicinity, fed in alarm, and the nj ght
echoes were resonant with their bleat-
ings, neighs and lowings.
FIERY TRAIN.
Along the Erie Railway track the
rails at one place were twisted out of
shape and the ties burned. The heat
was SO intense that laborers could not
repair the damage for hours The trains,
however, suffered no long detention.
The Cincinnati express train eastward,
bound from Summit, rushed through a
sea Of fame and smoke for nearly a
mile. (The road had previously been
tested by an extra engine.) Although
the train had been wet and prepared for
the passage, the glowing heat blistered
the paint, and the windows were stained
with smoke. The engineer and fireman
were slightly singed
ROASTED ALIVE.
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
Mountains, and before 9 o'clock had
completely encircled one of the promi-
nent peaks as with girdle of fire. The
flames roared and cracked with horrible
sound as they swept up the hillside
The glare brilliantly Illuminated the
whole adjacent region. A party oi
sportsmen returning through a gorge or
the opposite side heard shouts and cries
of distress, apparently proceeding from
the flaming forest. Looking up through
the fame and smoke, they thought they
discovered the forms Of man and wo.
man upon rocky height, swaying theil
arms to and fro. The cries continued
and one Of the party is sure that he af
forwards caught glimpse Of q child in
the Woman's arms. Soon after, the walls
of fame shut out all view, and the cries
ceased. The Mortified witnesses, driver
away by the heat to a greater distance
| fingered as near as possible, but neither
saw nor heard any more. II is believed
that the persons thus seen were man
wife and child, named Hough, who lived
in shanty in a remote place on the
j harrens. and In ascaninay acrnas the rider