The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-27


because of the confusion attendant on RI,
nlght OF the people from the town durin,
kue DAY, many families became sepsrated
. TO TINS fact may be attributed the will
rumors concerning terrible loss o
life winch were In circulation Tn.
escape of the people was little sho,t -
noiraculo rs, and had it not been for the for
tunate Pl esence of Mr.. Daniel Wood. tht
trainmaster OF the Clearfied division. tbt
loss of life m'ist have been terrible. Secur.
ing number OF box cars, used for carrying
freight, he loaded them with people. and
sent them dsshiug through the flames to
Rnllllpsburg, four miles above Osceola. The
railroad ties were burning in several places
anu many OF the cars caught fire on their
passage through the woods, but as the peo-
pie were completely covered in. and she
passage out was made at such great speed.
tne burning cars were extiDguished before
much damage was done. During the short
period between the time the people
were boxed up in the cars and their
arrival sc Philiipsburg, their sufTsripcs. as
described by themselves, were fearful. Four
such trips wore made before sll the peopIe
VINO escaped in that manner had teen car
ried safely out of the town. To suca an ex.
| tent did terror overcome :be psnple thas
many OF them bad TO be dragged to the cars
out OF the Moshannon Greet. IL the wa.trs
OF which they had taken refuge The scene
in an hour after the flames had caught tho
| houses was appalling. Dense clouds uf
| thick, yellow smoke iormeu over the tow,
a canopy, through which tre sun ap-
peared like a bali OF red re, AMI
the burning forests formed on all sides
AN APPARENTLY IMPENErRAgLE WALL OF
FLAMES.
Many acts OF heroism were performed DUR
ing the fire. A young man named e. De
Beck, formerly state policeman, heard that
woman who had just been confined was
lying helpless in a shanty in the woods
| across the creek from the Moshannon Mills.
The mill had caught fire and was burning
fiercely. There was narrow passage lead
ing To the woods between the mill and pool
in which logs were stored. The logs were
burning even while they fioated in the water
De BscEy with four or five others, whose
names cousd not be ascertained, started over
this passage through she flames and smoke,
reached the Toman's house, and putting her
self and ber child on an old sofs, carried
them safely ont on their shoulders. De
B5ck's eyes wsre severely burned. Several
leading citizens. among Them Mr.. Lswshe,
the superiu teDsent Of the Moshannon Mills,
and Hr. james Upton. proprietor of the
Upton House, -etused TO leave the town.
Tney fought tie flames, and succeeded IN
saving, aided by the Tyrone 1iremen, who
arrived about 3 O'Clock. the Methodist and
Catholic Churches, and few houses in thu
immediate vicinity of these buildings. The
rest ofthe town has been utterly destroyed.
The people have saved nothing, and out of
the 500 inhabitaptsl 900 at least are ut
terly destitute, withcu, means of any kind.
Many of the men engaged with Mr.. Lawshe,
who is laid up from burns this morning,
owned homes in the vicinity. The wives OF
these men staid by their husbands, and re-
fused to leave on the first car load. After
the flames had caught the mill, and it was
found impossible TO save it, these women
! Fol,v 50 E0,.
2 o'clock yesterday the village of Hontzdale
caught fire. Like Osceola, i5 is built en-
tirely of wood. More than half of it has
been destroyed The
FIRE Is STILL RAGING WITHIN THE WOODS
for miles around. Hundreds of woodmen'l
have lost their homes. Yesterday large
number of people, under the leadership o
Mr.. l.. G.. Lingle, succeeded in making their
way to windward of the ire, where they
found safety on hill full of timber. These
people are utterly destitute as are also those
who were taken to Philiipsburg.. In all
there are about 1,2OO people who have lost
everything they had in the world, and are
now without means of any kind. The
woods at the back of Houtxdale are still
burning, and it is believed the town will be
utterly destroyed. II was known early yes-
terdsy morning that Houtzdale was in dan
ger, and number of citizens of Osceola,
among them Mr.. George Brisbin and Mr.
George Frazier went up to give assistance.
They remained all day fighting the flames at
that place, and did not know until evening
that in the meantime they had been lett
houseless and homeless. All the rail-
road track between Osceola and HoutZ
dale has been burned, Including several
bridges. Many Of the buildings surround
| ing the mines in that section have been
burned. and the mines are in great danger.
In any event no coal can be taken out for
some weeks. The wind, which had died
away during the night, is again rising, and
the fire has worked its way around through
the woods to a point seven miles above Phil
/ tlipsburg. In that vicinity the saw-mills OF
| Hoop, Humes & Co. have been burned
Two other saw-mills, nearer, to Phillips
burg, one of which was owned by Hovey,
Harris d Co., were
TOTALLY DESTROYED.
Many of the ties on the main line of the Ty
rome and Clearfeld branch have been burned
away, but the road is not obstructed. A bare
smoking patch on the mountain side marks
to-day the place where Oscesla stood. Early
yesterday morning trains loaded with pro-
visions arrived in charge of committees of
citizens from Clearfeld and Tyrone. Inc
stores were dealt out to the peo-
pie in the Methodist Church, and
la meeting of the prominent cit
liens was convened by Chic Burgess
Lingle, in order TO take measures for the re-
lief OF those who had losa everything. Most
of the people whose houses were burned
found employment in the saw mills and
coal mines OF The region. They have Moth
ing now but the clothes on their backs, and
for some weeks at least they must be fed by
the contributions of the charitable. All the
people, however, bear up well under their
| H.
, Ing men have already announced that
} they will rebuild the town. great dea
of the property destroyed is insured in for
eign companies, but at present il is impossi
BILE to obtain the names of all the companies
or the extent of the insurances.. A report
has Just come in that the fire has broken
out afresh in the woods near Hoatzdals. II
} Is going directly for the town and the mines