Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-11
A FOREST In FLAMET
The Turpentine-Produci District Of
North Carolina Swept by a Disas-

The e-PrOducing District Of
North Carolina Swept by Disas-
trous Fire.
The greatest fire ever known has
ragged for forty eight hours in the
vast forest of yellow pine which
stretch we'll nigh unbroken from San
ford, fifty miles from Raleigh, to
points northwest, and south sixty
miles, beyond the South Carolina
border, The forests are what are
known as Virgin, and from them
comes nearly all the turpentine mar
keted at Wilmington, N. @. The
trees are of enormous size, and at
points where the turpentine
orchards are located are blazed for
miles Covered with resin, these
hundreds of thousands of trees offered
a rare opportunity to four or five fires
which broke out yesterday morning.
The fires were caused by burning
brush. Before noon a storm came
up, The wind blew nearly hurri
cane. Ia half an hour after this high
wind arose the flames were racing
like demons through the woods.
Vast masses OF fire were actually
forced through the ali by the sweep
ing gale. The tops of halfburned
pines were thrown great distances
and fell in the middle of cleared
fields. The fire lowered to an amaZ
ing hight, and so vivid was the glare
that it made all objects plain at great
distances. People were terribly
alarmed. At Blues Crossing and
Keyssr they gathered in large mum
bers and fought the flames with such
energy and desperation that these
places escaped with little damage
Many dozen turpentine distilleries
are completely destroyed, as well as
large quantities of resin turpentlne,
and ether laval stories. The fire has
extended beyond Hamlet into South
Carolina. It's full sweep is over
distance of fifty or sixty miles. No
news of any loss of life has yet been
received. Many persons have lost
clothing, and soma were badly scorch-
ed by the fierce flames. 1t is by far
the most disastrous fire ever known
in the North Carolina turpentine
forests.
The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line
Railroad runs fifty miles through the
burned district. In the afternoon the
wind rose still higher, and at nj hit
fall was blowing a gale. The scene
then became awful. The fire extend
ed for an unknown distance on each |
side of the railroad. The town Of |
Manly was in imminent danger OF
total destruction. The railroad ware
house caught on fire several times.
The Methodist church, five storage /
warehouses for guano and cotto l, the
town guard house and the barn and
stables of w. G. Petty, at Manly,
were burned. The water-tanks of
the Raleigh al. 4 Augusta Railroad a.
Hamlet were burned. At two o'clock
this morning Hamlet was surrounded
by Gordon of fire, and the lights of
the confagration could be seen for
miles.
Many farm houses have been con-
sumed. Mr. Henderson, near Ham
let, lost his residence, together with
all the outbuildings on the premises.
The whole community was busy dur
ing the night fighting fire. Hundreds
of farmers lost all their perishable
property. At Hamlet and other
points, the people threw their bed
ding, furniture and clothing into the
ponds and streams to save them from
the flames. The people themselves
took refuge from the flames in
ponds and wells For ten miles east
Of Hamlet everything is absolutely
DESTROYED. Full news of the losses
IAN hardly be obtained for several
laws.