Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-28
ACRES OF FLAMES.
Mountains and Forests All AblaZe--
Fighting the Fires and Subduing
Them Only to See Them Break Ont
acknowledgement Destruction Of
Property.
Philadelphia Times, May ID.

and property began to come from the
west, from Kansas and Nebraska, as
earl y as March. At the same time dis
astrOus cOnfiagrations in the timber
lands of this state and North Carolina
were noted. Following appeared stories
of fires among the sedge grass along the
seaboard, the one from Cape May head
ing the list. Early in May mountain
towns were lighted at night from the
SUBMITS overhanging. Now there are
big fires in the Blue Ridge, above Fred
erick, Md: in Northwestern Pennsyl
vania; near Waterford; in Lebanon,
Schuylkill, Luzerne, Pike, and Berks
counties; in the Catskills, above Ron
dout and in the vicinity of Providence,
r. [. The flames sweep over the sides
of the mountains, growing by what they
feed on. They are kindled by careless or
miscellaneous persons, the throwing
away of a match by the tramp who
light his pipe being enough to touch off
the dry stuff. The timber burns so
readily because of the long drought.
There is an urgent need Of rain. The
PittstOwn correspondent of the Wilkes
barre Record says that the "earth is as
parched and dry as in midsummer"
The Port Jarves Gazette states that in
Pike county the condition of the woods
must be fearful, because the ''roads
were never SO dusty" In Lebanon, &C
cording to the NeaUs, the wild flowers
are dying from thirst. eve absolutely
require twenty-four hours of steady
rain to relieve the distress and discom-
fort" is another report from Lnzerne.
Four thousand acres of timber land
have been burned over in the vicinity
Of the Catoctin furnaces, on the eastern
slope Of the Catoctin Mountains, in
Maryland, just below the Pennsylvania
state line. The fires started about ten
days ago at point near the furnace,
and were caused by sparks from the
foundry. They have spread across the
ridge into Middleton Valley and over
to South Mountain, extending to the
vicinity of the Black Rock, in Washing
ton county. Hundreds of men tried to
subdue the flames from the outset.
Having extinguished one bit of burning
woodland, they would see the dead top
of some distant tree cleaning like a
beacon, and start on run thither. This
out, they would as quickly retrace their
steps, the fire probably igniting in the
very place where they had just bestow-
ed so much exertion. On Saturday the
citizens, after week of constant battle,
congratulated themselves that the fires
were over. On Sunday night the smoul-
dering furnaces again sent up great
flames, and congregations in the near
churches were dismissed. The sight
was terrible. The mountain sides pre-
scented the appearance Of slow-burning
volcanoes. A Monday night dispatch
from Middleton to the Baltimore Norm
ing Herald of yesterday says: "The
fire, as seen from here, is a grand spec
tacle; through the day dense volumes
of smoke roll up continually" The
Baltimore Sun special from Frederick
says cit is believed that these fires are
the work of incendiaries, but owing to
the exceedingly dry state of the woods
the least spark is almost sure to start
fire that may prove disastrous"
1t appears that Pike county is suffer
ing almost as severely as Luzerne. The
damage to the Blooming Grove Park,
in northwestern Pike, has already been
noted, as we'll as she destruction about
the Rowlands, where the villagers are
alarmed for their personal safety. The
Port Jervis Gazette states that the great
fear is a general confagration unless
rain should come Already hundreds
of acres have been ablaze and many
more scorched while the game has been
seriously hurt. Sometimes deer can
be seen bounding along down the de-
clivity ahead Of the fire and plunging
into the small streams below. Quite as
fearful have been the ravages IN other
counties. The Miners Journal of yester-
| day says, however, that the number
| destroyed in Schuylkill is of inconsid-
cradle value, and that the brushwood is
of no value whatever. Several break
ers have been considered in danger, but
On the Broad Mountains, near Lebanon,
there was at last account no abatement.
the fire destroying timber and buildings
beyond Swatara Gap. The fire in the
northwestern part Of the state is among
the pine woods between Cambridgeboro,
Edinboro, and Mill Village, around
which the smoke is hanging in dark
clouds for many miles.
In Luzerne the fires are raging with
in radius of thirty miles of Wilkes
barre. Brief kilograms have been COM
ing from that city and its neighbor.
Pittston, since Saturday, stating that
such and such spot on the mountains
was in flames. Details show that the
Blue Ridge, Allegheny, Penobscot and
Cumberland mountains are being raw
aged to an unprecedented extent. Ashes
were driven into Wilkesbarre on Satur-
day as white and as fast as the first
flakes of snow storm On Tuesday
there were no cindcrs, but the heat was
very great, the wind driving the hot air
down to the valley beneath. Lumber
men, for forty miles along the Lehigh
Valley road are being driven from their
shanties, and saw mills and millions Of
feet of manufactured tinker are being
consumed. Fishermen have come
down from the trout streams and report
that there is danger to life. On the
southern slope of the North Mountains
! the other day the SWath of flames reach