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

OF the State, Tor the purpose OF inspecting,
on the spot, the ravages OF the blazing
besom," and since then i have
passed over the country said TO have suf-
| fered most from The flames. All things con-
| sidered, it is remarkable that the scope OF
| country is as small as 1t proves to be, though,
like Mercutio's wound, It will do, and the
| victims would not complain were 1t even
more confined in area. The country along the
| Bee Line and the Fort Wayne, Muncie q
/ Cincinnati road was found to be as dry as
powder, while water for fire protection, or
even the use of stock. is often found to be a
decidedly scarce article.
STARTING IN
1 stopped first at Union City on the Ohio
line. The place itself was never in danger
during the week, as it has ample water
works, but the fires have been raging all
around it, and in some directions were
plainly visible from town. There were
awful fires on the Pan Handle, east
of the city, the little village of Wood
ington, east of Union on this road hav-
ing been surrounded by a circle of flame
on Friday, which required the united efforts
of the citizens to keep at bay. Three miles
north of Union there were also heavy hres
aud the damage in this section on the whole
will be considerable.
SCoRCHED BUCKEYES.
The fires along the Dayton 81 Union and
Bee Line roads further east may be set down
az having been, if anything, more severe
than those with which Hoosierdom has
| been afflicted. At Versailles, some Is miles
east of the Indiana line, 1t required many
hours battling with the fire before the vii
laoe was considered safe on Friday, and a
large tract north of it, known as the Black
Swamp, is still burning. The desolate spot
is filled with dry underbrush and
rubbish planted in peat which it is almost
impossible to extinguish when once fired,
and the desolate place was hk a regular
pandemonium while the flames surged
through. From reliable gentlemen, per-
sonally known to me, and who had just
come in from as far east as Crestline, l
learned hat the fires were, as far
as known, under control, and that the
GREATEST DANGER Is PAST.
From Union City the trip westward to
indianapolis disclosed the following state OF
affairs. There was considerable timber de-
stroyed at HarrIsville, and most of the
wells are empty, so great is the
drought. At winchester the inhabitants
watch and wait, but without any
great desire that the flames shall come too
near, as they nave neither water TO put out a
fire, nor a squirt-gun to throw 1t had they
the water. A piece OF woodland and thous-
ands of rails were DESTROYED for farmer Al
baugh, north of town, while in all about 700
acres have been burned over near the town.
ALONG THE LINE OF THE FORT WAYNE n
From a friend who had just come south
over this line of road in the morning, your
correspondent learned that for a time the
town of Portland, the county seat of Jay
county, was in great danger. He himself,
though but a visitor at the place, assisted in
fighting the fire for a long time. 1t was I'M
der control this morning, having
been stopped west of town at the river,
1 uuhioh u-o0 Tho nnIu nhafQalQ that nrnUQnfa6
the spread of the insidious fire iEto the
town. The place has no fire apparatus, and
had the fire come. it would have made a
clean sweep. Three corn-fields were de-
stroyed that are known, and Others probably
not yet reported. The danger was perhaps
no greater at any other point on the Fort
Wayne and Richmond line than al
Portland, but the innumerable small fires
kept the inhabitants living along it in
wholesome dread oftheir spreading, and the
damage to fences and timber destroyed will
be a large sum in the aggregate.
OTHER POINTS ON THE BEE LINE.
The Morristown neighborhood, too, was
warmed up, and several fields of corn
which might in time have been converted
into good whisky, went up in smoke
The same state of affairs existed at Selma
aud the graugers Whereabouts can now will;
away many a day in the bracing wintry
weather at the pleasant pastime of maulinl
rails to supply their losses in those orna
mental objects burned up.
NIP AND TUCK AT MUNCIE.
Muncie is well supplied with water
and has an engine. There were fire
all around the town, but they had beer
kept well under control. An alarm of fir
was sent in night before last, however, Will
the win was blowing a fierce gale, but for
tunately the FIRE, which was in a chimney,
was put out before it spread. 1t was feared
for some time that there would be
general ~conflagration, but fortunately
3 this did not occur. Had the fir
spread it would have had splendid fuel Il
Establishments in Muncie, and the effects
would rave been severe, inde6d as the placl
is extensively engaged in these branches o
manufacture.
THE Up ORTIZ.
The special kilograms pro 'essingto give re
ports of the forest fires north of Muncie OF
the Fort Wayne, Muneie & Cincinnati
road were prima facie evidence OF eithei
lively times that way, or the fact that tn,
sender possessed an unusually fertile anC
brilliant Imagination. Your fire commits
sioner in all cases made it a point to get in
formation at first hands. He next made
I taught him to get the truth for a founda
ton, and if any embellishmen
in the way of lies are founC
necessary to the readers comfort, the scrib
: bier can then throw them in an artIsti
manner, at proper intervals. Fl
: had noticed before that the further the fire
were off the fiercer did they rage in the i'm
q agination of the ~relator, until they began +
) resemble the veracious yarns of Baron Nun
chausen. Taking the cars of the Muncie {
q Fort Wayne route, the road wa
! found well stocked with cars. an
machinery and the conductors were founI
q quite as obliging as the popular Bee LIN
: ticket punchers, which leaves nothing NOR
. to be said. The train men on the road CAV
the Information that at no time had travt
been interrupted by the fires, though the
were
. PRETTY WELL WARMED UP