New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-24
CAUGHT BY THE FLAMES.
A HUNTERS sToRY-THE CONGREGATIONS IN
THE MOUNTAINS.

A HUNTERS sToRY-THE CONFLAGRATIoNs IN
THE MOUNTAINS.
Great fires have been raging lately in the
forests in Sullivan Ulster. and Delaware Counties In
this State. The woodlands in the remote sections Of the
shandaken Mountains discovered in flames ON Aay
49, The underbrush dry finder, was like train OF
gunpowder and the flames spread withsextraordinay
rapidy. The following hOmespun description is from
the lips of an eyewitness.
"Yo1 see, we were huntin for bars. which you know
get off to just such places, whar there ains nobody
nor nuthin' 10 he a bother'n on em. When found
track and were a follern' on up, Jim says TO me.
Bob something a burning We hadn't tranped much
further before the smoke came pretty thick-n pufs
like. There wasn't breath Of air. All at once there
came q cloud Of smoke like a blanket. 1t came right
down and made the woods almost as dark as
sunset, although it only about o'clock
and blinded. Some Of the cinders came on
our necks like so many needles stickin' into us
the smoke and cinders shifted another way SO we
ns except one little streak along eastrd in a
blaze We were bOth black as Congo nggers. IL was
like the Atlantic Ocean chock fun OF kerosene ana pine
wood all attire at once. Well on top OF this mountain
s orI t TIere was spring ana brook there and
green grass In that hollow say about ten rods long and
adderE moccasns racers and black snakes-and wood
chucks squirrels, foxes, and bar They had az
now the water nearly all dried up the ground baked
and the rocks around hot as an oven They We're an
laid down his back and grOwled His hair was most
burnt off and his hide scOrched. The foxes were
burnt as bad and looked awful curious with their tails
all roasted The most amusing thing OF ell was the
snakes some OF them dead in heaps, all twisted
M and burst open; others burnt crisp ana the
resi- souirmed and wrggled like heap Of tangled ropes
An this happened in less than half an hour While we
stood a-gawEing at the sight gust OF wind ana not
cnders came on us. We chOked and turned around TO
get ont There was time TO lose. only narrow
dry ravine was uuburnt. Down that we went, about
two wards az each sTaddle, until we got 10 the bottom
Wei never forgit that, stranger and II hell is any hot
ter n that we II jine the meetin next Sunday sure
The whole of the Shandaken Mountains seemed 10 he
on fire last Saturday night In the vicinity Of MOnt
cello and Liberty Village the fires extend for miles IN
several directions. Tens of thousands OF acres OF excel
lent woodland have been burned over and thousands OF
cords of wood and bark have been destroyed The Meth
Odist chapel the public schOOhOuse, and Other buildings
have been consumed Black Lake. Wild runOrs pre-
vail of other extensive losses Of property, and perhaps
of human life. Tie flames have surrounded several
farms and dwellings the distant mountain terraces
and fears are entertained TO the safety OF the families
The forests the Orange County Mountain have also
been on fire. The extensive of these cCnagrauons
wac along the Hudson Highlands, westward OF Iona
Island Showers arrested the flames on Monday, ana
the fires are smOdering. Extensive forest hres
arc SAID TO raging in the NewJersey pine barIens and
on Long Island