The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-28
Great COnflagratiOn i'm Ulster and
Sullivan Counties.
>~~~~>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o>~~
Hundreds of Acres of Trees Burned
to Ashes.
Wild Animals Driven in Terror
from the Woods.
The Flames Arrested by
"a Rain storm.

OK GLOVE, ulster county, May ~, 1871.
Fire on the mountains Never before were such
Ares Witnessed hereabOut as now The scenes pre-
sented are the grandest ever witnessed. Before we
started for this spot we were told simply thar there
was ''some FIRE in the woods" the person imparting
the Information speaking thus briefly, leading US to
believe 1t didn't amount TO much: but In that he
and we were greatly mistaken. We reached here
Via the Rondout and Oswego Railroad, from Rom
dOut, getting off at PhGnlcia, and from the latter
point we 'struck IN" to the mountains, riding over
rough road IN jolting wagon driven BY Milo
Barber, one of the old settlers hereab0uts The air
was filed with smoke, and far up the mountains,
which completely surrounded u.s. columns Of
smoke circled high in air or were whirled away
IN fantastic shapes by the Winds
"Yer see that ar mountain thar" said our driver.
"Wall, sir, fur more'n forty years that mountain
hasn't bin q fire before"
Not spark of fire could be seen upon It's broad
side, though streams Of smoke rose and edded from
hundreds Of places.
sJess wait till dark comes, then yen see 1re,n
again exclaimed the driver, We Jolted by the base.
Chichesterve was reached at DUSK and there we
we hailed for the night 1t Is pretty little place,
holding about twenty-five houses, all clustered
about one huge chair factory, from which the
sturdy inhabitants draw their living, and never was
q hamlet located In q more romantic spot.
It lies In hollow, and on every hand, north,
south, east and west, towering mountains rise,
the whole forming one vast amphitheatre. Receiv-
ing kind attention and an excellent supper at Gem
mill's We were ready to witness the grand display
OF the nght-the burning mountains. One huge
mountain directly south OF US, and only about 500
feet away. sight to look upon. Its face, nearly
mile In length and several hundred feet in height
was lighted up In every part. Flames spread In
every direction the whole surrounding country
being Illuminated. Suddenly the eye is attracted to
aplllar OF fame brighter than oil the 1t shoots
up into the air with quivering lorked tongues and
bowling to gust OF wind reaches out like an arm
Of fire ana sends more destruction hurrying along.
The fire had reached clump Of hemlock trees, and
quicker than fash OF lightning had destroyed them
while the cracking and Missing OF the flames cast
dlsmay into :he hearts Of the Oldest Thousands
Of trees were burning, some Of them only at the
top, looking like signal lights showing the way for
the main body OF fire to move
AS tree after tree falls myriads OF sparks ascend
far above the mountain top and float away to start
other fires IN other parts In another direction huge
piles OF hard wood logs are burning and these send
up wall OF flame high and broad and OF white
heat Fire and fame belch from every point on
the SOUTH and here Telmon Joy could find another
@freproof gilt edged hell"
While we were gazing upon this scene a foaming
Eteed and rider came tearing up the rugged road
way at half.past ten P. NJ The rider he few by,
shouting, "The fire is spreading In the Oxclove; we
want helpw and dozens OF stalwart forms started
for the scene Mills ana houses there were in dan
ger, but fortunately the fire lighters were sue
cessful, and the property was saved, though hun
dreds of Of woodland were destroyed In every
direction fire was visible, even twelve miles away at
Hunter, where the losses are very severe. One
poor fellow hereabouts, Edward Law, loses his all,
amounting to about 5000. Other losses are occur
ring every hour, ranging insums OF 5000, $500 and
$1,000. Thousands upon thousands OF trees have
Deen destroyed. These fires arc, general thing,
started by burning what Is called follown-that Is,
burning out old stumps and underbrush to clear the
land for cultivation.
Foxes and other animals are driven before the
flames in every direction and birds wnrl rrantcally
in the air In the night, apparently not knowing
which way to CO. for on every side OF them fires are
blazing. 1t is estimated that the damage caused
this year by mountain fires In Ulster and Sullivan
counties alone will amount to $780, 900. HereaDouts
Mt four O'Clock yesterday morning, drenchinR
thunder storm occurred, the first rain the inhabt-
ants have experienced In several weeks, and 1t was
hailed with JOY, 1t Immediately arrested the pro.
gress Of the flames at all points,