The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-24
MT. DESERT on FIRE.
The Beautiful Island Swept by tho Flames
Scene of Awful BriIliancy-The Fire
Raging Fierceiy and Threatening tho Ho-
eel aud Railroad.

A Bar Harbor (Me telegram OF Wed
ncsday saws: A burning mountain has
been since YESTERDAY the admiration and th,
terror OF the people Of Mt. Desert. The
whole southern half Of the island has beer
comple,ely enveloped In smoke. which
hangs like y dense fog over Bar liarbor and
vicinity. At IL o'clock yesterday flame.
suddenly broke out on the side Of Green
Mountain near by the railroad leading "a
the summit. The fire spread with startling
rapidly. and soon the whole mountain side
was a sea of roaring flames.
The top Of the mountain was entirely oh.
scured by the dense clouds Of rolling
smoke. and from the village Il looked as
though the Mountain House and the ties OF
the railway which has just been completed
were doomed 10 destruction. As darkness
came on the spectacle, before a grand one,
became magnificent. Crowds thronged
the streets. and the hotel piaZZas were
crowded with summer residents. eagerly
and anXiously watching the spread OF the
flames.
SECOND PIRE.
Alto o'clock another fire broke suddenly
out in the gorge on the mountain side. aud
from there quickly spread up the northern
face Of the mountain. The sight was in
describably weird and enchanting. Many
birchcs and pines grow in the gorge, and
as the flames attacked them in an instant
tall trees were enveloped i'm blaze OF Won
deriul brightness that soon died away
only 10 he repeated aS successive trees were
attacked. Above. on the summit. lurid red
fires broke forth i'm columns OF black smoke
arising from the melting and igniting
pitch and resin. The mountain was most
strongly suggestive Of a volcano belching
out fire and smoke.
All night long the roaring flames were
eagerly watched by the people OF the island
who feared that they might spread down
the mountain and destroy the village at its
foot. II was not till the wind changed,
early this morning, and blew the fire to-
ward the opposite side Of the mountain,
that people began 10 breathe freely.
Through the night a gang OF men with
buckets Of water StrenuOuSly resisted the
advance of the flames toward the destruc-
ton OF treStle-work, ties, and the Mountain
House, and now, although the fire is still
raging, there is no further immediate dam
ger unless the wind should change.
THE VERY GROUND on FIRE.
The first fire caught from locomotive
spark. and the second fire i'm the gorge was
probably caused by some pic-nickers' care
lessness. These fires are very deceptive,
aud. when apparently subdued, burst out
unexpectedly. literally from the earth.
The ground on the mountain TO the depth
OF two or three feet is composed Of vegeta-
bic matter, which, in drought, burns and
shoulders beneath, so that a fire may sud-
denly break out beneath ones very feet.
Half dozen men were sitting on log
some eight or ten rods from the fire, when
the log suddenly sunk into 4 mass OF burn
ing Goals. creating a quick stampede.
Beside the fires on Green Mountain. the
Eagle Lake. the Beech, Western, and Dog
Mountain fires still are raging, and several
have broken out on the adjoining main
land. The smoke, combined with drought
and consequent dust, has caused an cpl
demic Of colds and thrOat-troubles among
man and beast The very horses as they
pass along the street wheeze and cough
like an asthmatic old man, and the foliage,
which rarely changes till the middle OF Sep
TENDER. has already donned yellow garb
that i'll BELTS this time Of the year.
The wind rose this evening and blew
the flames down the mountain toward Bar
Harbor. II the wind changes TO the north
ward the hotel and railway track will be
i'm danger. At Pretty Marsh tract three
miles by five has been burnt over. To-
night the scene is even more beautiful than
last night, rs the fire is much more extern
siVe