The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-01
CsuEht by the FLAMES "A Hunterss /,
st"ry-The CONGREGATIONS In the
Fountains. s~ e,

Great fires have been raging lately IN thc
forests in Sullivan, Ulster, aud Delaware
counties In New York. The woodlands in
the remote sections, OF the Shandaken
mountains were discovered in flames ON
May IL. The underbrush, dry as tinder.
was like train of gunpowder, and the
flames spread with extraordinary rapidly.
The following homespun tradition is from
tho lips of an eyewitness: o>'.7 e-.a
h"You see, we were huntin' fer bars,
which YOU know get off to just such places
whar there aint nobody nor nuthin' to be
n bother'n on'em. When We found r
track, end were follerin' ont up, Jim
saws to me- Bob, something's burning +
We haden't tramped much further before
the smoke came pretty thick-in puffs,
like. There wasn't breath of air. All at
once there came cloud Of smoke, like q
blanket. 1t came right down and made
the whole woods almost as dark as sum
set, although it was only two o'clock.
Then came shower of cinders. We
got choked and blinded. Some Of
the cfnders came on our necks like so
many needles stickin' into us. We
were nigh to top of the hills, and in a
minute or so the smoke and cinders shifted
another way, so we could see bit. There
never was such sight. All about us, cN-
ccpt one little streak along the east'rd, was
in Il blaze. We were both as black as Con-
60 niggcrS. 1t was like the Atlantic ocean
chock full of kerosene and pine wood, all
atire at once. Well, on the top of this noun
tain, u bit off below us, was q hollow, with
steep rocks all around it. There was
spring and brook there, and green grass.
In that hollow, say about ten rods long and
five wide, there were more than n million
of snakes ladders, moccaslns, racers, and
black snakes-arid woodchucks, squirrels,
foxes, and one bar. They had all come
there to get to the water away from the
fire, but now the water was nearly all dried
up, the ground baked, and the rocks around
MS hot us an oven. They were all walled in
by the fire. There was no gettin' out. The
bar laid down on his back and groWled.
His har was most burnt oil, and his hide
was scorched. The foxes were burnt as
tails all roasted. The most amusing thing
of all was the snakes. Some of them were
dead in heaps, and all twisted up and bust
open: Others were burnt to a crisp, and
The rest sqllirmed and wiggled like a heap
| of tangle ropes. ALI this happened IN less
| than half an hour. While we stooda-gawk-
| ing at the sight; gust of wind and hot
cinders came on us. I'VE choked, and turned
and turned around to get out. There was
| no time to lose. Only "a narrow, dry ra-
vine was rmburnt. Down that we went,
about two yards at each draddlc, until we
got to the bottom.
The whole of the Snandaken mountains
seemed to be on fire last Saturday night. In
the vicinity of Monticello and Liberty Yil-
lage the fires extend for miles in several di-
rections. Tens of thousands of acres OF eX-
cellent woodland have been burned over,
and thousands of cords of wood and bark
have been destroyed. The Methodist chapel
the public school-house, and other build
ings have been consumed at Black Lake.
Wild rumors prevail OF other extensive
losses of property, and perhaps Of human
| life. The flames have surrounded several
| farms and dwellings on the distant noun
/ tain terraces. and fears are entertained as
to the safety Of the families.
The forests on the Orange County noun
tains have also been on fire. The most en-
tensiye of these confagrations was along
the Hudson highlands, westward OF Iona
island. Showers arrested the flames on
Monday, and the fires now smouldering.
Extensive forest fires are said to be raging
| in the New Jersey pine barrens and on
Long Island.