The Portland daily press., 1875-05-24
FOREST FIRES.
Great Destruction of Property.
Several Villages in Dan
ger.
FOREST FIRES.
Great Destituti0n at OsceOIa,

MAuNcH CHUNK, Pa, May, 22.-very severe
mountain fires have been raging in Carbon
county for the past few days. An immense
amount of lumber, sawed logs and dwelling
houses has been consumed in Hickory hun
and Mud Run regions. The fires are beyond
control and nothing but rainfall can extu-
guish them. The inhabtants OF Mud Run
have suffered terribly from fire. Numerous
families only escaped with their lives. All
their household goods with their residences
Run lost his saw mills, house, barn and five
occupied tenements, with all their contents the
| inmates barely escaping. Their families are
destitute m Eys a saw r m Rdf
The aagss aEf Stto Stop their Progress
Stephen Gonld lost about 100000 feet of
lumber. The lumbermen, their wives and
even their children turned out to fight the
flames but only in few instances have they
been successful At AudeDried, GAINESVILLE,
Bear Meadows and other mining villages the
flames had to be fought away, all who were
able turning out to do So
At Mauch Chunk the mountains are still
burning, but thus far no serious damage has
been done. Back of Weissport and Parryvile
the fire is raging and spreading, but so tar
nothing serious has been reported. Damage
done by the fire in this (Carbon) county will
amount to at least $500,000.
PORT JERvIs, May % The forest fires in
this vicinity are extinguished, and the smoke
is gradually disappearing. Much loss has en-
sued from the burning of wood tan bark,
fences, etc. Fires are still in progress in some
parts of Sullivan and Pike counties.
TYRONE, Pa, May 22-Reports were leceiv-
ed here last night that the fire was approaching
the town of Phillpsburg, and in order to save
the town from destruction the burgers ordered
all the brush around the town to be burned,
which was done at once Refugees from Osce-
ola, seeing the fire was near, were terribly
frightened for while, thinking it would again
compel them to run away from their new shell
ter Fortunately there was not much wind and
about $50 men were sent out to fight the flames
from points at which the most danger was
feared.
The town of Osceola is leveled to the ground
and smoking piles of debris are all that is left
of it. Il is sad to see women, men and chill
dren looking for their lost homes The neigh
boring towns are sending money and provisions
for relief of the unfortunates.
Ldter.-The fire around Osceola is abating
some, but fears are entertained that a strong
wind may cause it to increase. Harris & Co.'S
mill, reported destroyed, is standing yet. The
r. r. bridges on the branch between Hontzdae,
which were burned. are being rapidly rebuilt
and shipment of coal will be made early next
week. Hontzdale is not utterly destroyed, as
before reported. Latest accounts say only
about IA houses in the outskirts of the town
were consumed, but more trouble is anticipated
from the fact that the fire is rapidly increasing
and still raging fearfully in the vicinity.
Reports just received from Phillpsburg say
that the fire is not so large in that region as
last night. About 300 men worked all night
fighting flames.
Later intelligence than above says the fire in
Phil!ipsburg is decreasing. There is but little
wind at present and every prospect of rain.
TYRONE Pa, May 23-At Osceola the de-
struction and desolation is very much greater
than has been reported. Nine-tenths of the
the town is burned, leaving scarcely enough
ashes to mark where the houses stood. In the
midst of the confiagration thieves and robbers
were plying their trade, breaking into trunks
and appropriatng to themselves sundry articles
of value. Money and clothing are needed, and
the supply OF food will have to be kept up for
a time. A committee of the very best men of
the town are now in charge of the supplies
coming forward, and they are being dispensed
with great care and economy.
Special police force is on duty. To the credit
of the miners, even the violent strikers, they
worked like heroes to save the coal chutes and
the improvements connected Herewith, none of
which have been damaged. The railroad will
be repaired so as to bring out coal by morning.
Reports received here this evening describe the
fire around Osceola and Phillipsburg as nearly
out.
SCRANTON, Pa, May pa dlenching rain
visited this section yesterday completely extin-
gushing the forest fires on the Moosic High
lands and in the woods around Moscow, Dale
vile, Tobyhanna and other towns along the
Delaware, Lackawaua and Western r. Il.