The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-05-10
Forest Fires in Three States.


- N@%AA
Great forest fires prevailed last week in
Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey,
beginning on Monday and continuing until
last Sunday. The town of Brisbin, in Clear
field county, Pa, was destroyed last Friday
morning by the flames from the forest fires
around it. The mill and lumber piles of
Hoover, Hughes & Co., Theiogt Hall, Simon
Dingee's store and about two hundred and
fifty other buildings were consumed. Over
one thousand families lost everything. An
old lady named Donovan was burned to death,
and 7. c. Cryal, engineer at the Hoover Mill,
was dangerously burned. In Cameron coun-
ty several tannery buildings and mill at
Sterling Run, and two lumber mills at Swiss
mont were destroyed Two families are re-
ported to have persisted near Remove. In
Schuylkill county the Miners Hospital at
Ashland was threatened. In Northumber-
land county the Minehill Gap Coliery was in
danger, the culm bank having ignited. White
Haven, in Luzerne county, was threatened,
and only saved by great exertions. AT Cali
fornia, near by, eleven houses were burned.
On Bear creek two bridges and stable, with
eleven horses, were destroyed.
Forest fires ragged in the Highlands of the
Hudson, the Shawangunk Mountains and the
Catskills, in New York. The air was thick
with smoke, and isolated farm houses were in
great danger.
great fire ragged in the Blue Mountains in
Warren county, New Jersey, and in the town
of Washington, % miles from the scene. So
thick smoke filled the air that it became
quite dark at five o'clock in the afternoon.
Saturdays reports of the forest fires in
Pennsylvania show that great damage was
done in Tioga, Lycoming, Elk, Centre, Clear
field, Cameron, Schuylkill, Berks and North
CUMBERLAND counties. The loss by the destruc-
ton of the town of Brisbin is estimated at
$50, 900. The town of Thompson, in Tioga
county, was also burned. Loss, 100000.
Seventeen houses in Arnot, and 2, OOO, 0O0fe
of lumber were consumed. The saw mill of
Andrew Kaul, at Spring Row, in Elk county,
was burned, with 2, 900, 900, 900 feet of lumber.
Around Emporium, in Cameron county, 3d.
600 acres were swept by the flames, which
destroyed four mills and thirty other build
ings, causing a loss estimated at 100000.
In Schuylkill county four farm houses near
Ashland were destroyed, and an old woman,
named Westhoffer, is believed to have per-
ished. The mountains in Northumberland
and Schuylkill counties continued on fire III
many places.
The village of Gilman's Depot, in Sullivan
county, New York, with the tannery and saw
mills of w. W. Gilman, was destroyed by the
forest fire on Friday night. Two railroad
bridges were also consumed. The loss IS
nearly 100000.
A moderate rain began to fall Sunday morn
ing in the country around Wilkesbarre, ex-
tinguishing the forest fires in the mountains
and along the Lehigh Valley from White Ha-
ven to Bear Creek. The forest fires around
Port Jervis, New York, were also extinguish-
ed by rain. The forest fires in the Moscow
and Spring Brook districts, near Scranton,
are burned out. A steam saw mill, five dwell
lngs. several hundred cords of wood, and
several thousand railroad ties were burned on
Friday. The fire in the Blue Mountains near
Reading was partially checked Sunday after
noon by a copious rain. Thousands of acres
were burned over, and cord wood and fences
destroyed The jewellers at the foot of the
mountains were driven from their homes by
the intense heat
The fires in the pines woods south of Mata-
wan, New Jersey, were burning freely on
Sunday. The woods at Browntown have be-
gun to burn afresh, and the loss there is esti-
mated at nearly $500 1t is said the fire at
this place was started by the careless burning
of brush by a wealthy farmer, and the losers
propose to hold him responsible for their
losses. The huckleberry crop, which was Il
great help to the poor people of that vicinity,
was entirely destroyed.
The forest fire near Deer Park, Long Is.
land, has extended several miles and reached
the woods near Smithtown.
Dispatches Monday night report that the
fires were about extinguished. The president
of the Arthur Lumber Company, of Pittsburg,
who had Just returned from Elk county, Pa,
| estimates the loss there at S1,000,000 Mr..
GoetZ, mill owner near Swssmount, is
believed to have persisted by the burning of
his mill and adjacent building.