The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-03

OF all the wreck. AT Keystone, another
mile square OF country. was burned
over, and of several hundred cords of wood
piled along the track nothing remained but
q pile Of white ashes. At Traversville a long
marsh was still burning TO the west of the
railway, surrounded by some OF the finest
corn ever raised in Indiana, to all appear
ances, but the owners had managed to keep
the fire out of 1t without suffering much loss
to the grain, though another high wind would
play sad havoc with il. The country, for q
great distance after leaving Hartford City,
is almost
AN AND DENSE FOREST,
but the fire seemed to have passed it by I'M
scathed, and there were no complaints of
loss or danger from here to Fort
Wayne, except in the hog marsh
near the latter place. This being the case
Sentinel's expedition In search of the
FIRE fend, called a council and resolved to
countermsrch to the south, which it did in
good order.
Al NEWCASTLE AND VICINITY,
where the fires had caused great
alarm, everything was again
found in its normal condition.
Tne fiend was found under full control
with the chances in favor OF his giving up
the ghost.
Coming back to Muncie, and taking the
Bee Line for the west, it was found that q
l.OOV dCT6 lIdCb was OuIu0u OFCIs
OF it being wood land. This land is
near Yorktown. and belongs to
b. f. Claypool, of Connersville,
and A. J. ClaypOol Of Muncie. l was in
formed that the fire here was quite severe
and was only kept from taking ia York
own by the fact of there being some scant
pasture fields to ward it off from the build
ings. The woods were still blazing in places,
but the fire had spent its fury. Tn
loss in the way of fence rails and cord wood
alone is stated to be s.. 900 for this one tract,
| and the damage to the standing timber will
besides swell the aggregate to double the
sum-. 1t is said that the ex-congressional
| candidate from Connersville, started the fire
himselfto clear off some rubbish at one cor
ner OF the woods. He has prob
ably discovered his mistake ere this.
THE SUMMING UP.
OF course it is impossible to approximate
the loss in the four hundred miles of terri
tory traversed, and described as above.
Some idea may be gained of the property
that has gone up in smoke from the fact that
an ordinary farm has at least two miles
of fencing on it. which can not
be replaced at less than a dollar a
rod. The timber on one acre of ordinary
woodland is worth at least $50. There is
scarcely a township that has not suffered
more or less, either through loss by the one
or the other source, and when these thous
ands oflittle items are footed up, the sum
would surprise the reader. The loss. how
eyer is surprisingly small after
many circumstances conspired to
sweep the fire irresistibly over the face of
the country. Annoying as is the damage
there is this consolation, that it might have
been tenfold worse under the peculiar con-
dition OF affairs than has been the case.
REPORTS ALONG RAILWAY LINES.
EXCITING TIMES EvERYwHERE-THE A
HANDLE AND BEL LINES ONE BELL OF FIRE
IN THE EAST.
The reports from every direction bring the
startling intelligence that destructive fires
are raging in almost every part of Indiana,
and in case rain does not come soon it is i'm
possible to say where the losses will end,
nor is the destruction confined TO this State,
as the forest fires, from all accounts, are
burning over a greater extent
of country in Ohio than in
this State. Along every line of railway
centering here, there are more or less de-
structive fires raging, while on the Pan
Handle and Bee Line, the damage in Ohio
is reported much greater than on the west
ern part of those lines.
THE D~EsTRUCTIo
along the c., 81. 81 /. road is graphically
reported by a special correspondent else
where, and the excitement and terror por-
trayed in his letter could be applied
to scores of other localities in the
State, to some of them even with more forct
than Nashville and its vicinity, IS that por
tion of the State is comparatively thinly
covered with forests. Along the l., G. & l.
there are
} FIRES AT FREQUENT INTERVALS,
and the low swamp lands near Falkland are
reported as having been burning fiercely fol
the last two days, and last night fires were
burning close along the track. Near Actor
the telegraph poles were burnt off at the
, grounds and in places hanging over tn,
track supported by the wires.
in THE NORTHEAST.
On the Bee Line the fires rage
along the entire line, beginning a
Cresline. At that place the woods
and fields west of town are burning and have
been on fire for the last two days. Nigh
before last the citizens who turned out anc
| fought the fire desperately had hoped tn,
fire was under control, but later dispatches
say the fire has again broke ont. Crestlint
has splendid water works which have beer
put in good trim for the invasion
of the flames should they come
and in this respect it is much better of
than Gallon, the next place on the road
where the fires are burning near the town
and there is but little water from Gallon Il
Muncie. 1t is impossible to ride along thu
road for many miles without seeing NOR,
or less fires in places. as near Mt. Victor
the woods are burning for miles, anC
present
:, A FRANZ AND TERRIBLE SIGHT
The large dry trees were burning thei
I entire height, and the wind was spreadin,
! the burning embers thousands of feet in tn
air, while along in the underbrush tn
e bright flames crept among the dry leaves s
} that the entire landscape seemed wrappe