The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-09-26
FIRE AT RISING SUN.
A Young Farmer Meets With a
Severe Loss.

Severe Loss.
The barn used by Mr. John Keene, an
Industrious young farmer of the Sixth
district, but owned by Mrs. Rebecca
Haines, and situated within half-mile of
the village of Rising Sun, was an object
of great attraction for the county folk
round about at late hour on Wednes-
day night. When the hour for quitting
work in the evening descended upon the
region surrounding Rising Sun on We'd
nesday Mr.. keene closed the doors tf
the barn, ascertained the safety of every
thing about it and hurried off to eat his
supper and obtain his nights rest. For
several hours after this the rays of the
harvest moon were shed about the barn,
and the scene was one of peace and quiet
until Just at Q o'clock, when the dwellers
IN the farm house near by, upon retiring
to the upper chambers, discovered smoke
and flame issuing in dense volumes from
several portions of the doomed barn.
The alarm given by the members of the
household to the neighbors of the vicin-
ity was hardly necessary, for the light of
the flames had already made known to
everybody the condition of affairs, and a
large number were soon upon the scene
of action.
Rising Sun, like Elkton, is not blessed
with fire engine worthy the name of
such machine, and, although body of
water of some twenty acres in extent lies
within as many yards OF the burned
building, no means whatever were at
hand to make proper use of it. Within
covered they had gained such RAPID head
way upon the contents of the building,
and the heat they caused became SO in
tense that it Was simply impossible for
the men who awaited willingly to lend
any aid in their power to fight the pro-
gress of the fire. Efforts, therefore, were
Immediately directed towards saving
the many new and valuable farming i'm
plements which the burning building
contained, and to rescue the animals from
the ir peril. These latter were all saved,
but the balance of the contents of the
barn were reduced to ashes, or bent and
melted till of no further use except as
cast-off metal. Among. the articles de-
stroyed were the following: About one
thousand dollars of hay and feed, 2 Malthy
plows, one South Bend pillow, one reaper
and mower, one horse rake, one wheat
and corn drill, one new buggy, one new
dearborn and two farm wagons, one grain
fan, cornsheller, wheat cultivator, cut
ting box, and several more utensils of
the kind so necessary to the full equip
ment of farm. All Of these articles had
lately been purchased by Mr. Keene, who
had just got fair start in life, and
therefore the loss is keeuly felt. No in.
surance had been placed upon the con-
tents Of the building, but the barn itself
was insured to small extent.
The origin of the fire is supposed to
have been accidental, the result of sparks
from the pipes of several tramps who are
supposed to have sought the building for
a lodging place. Incendiarism was at
first suspected, but after investigation
conclusions were reached to the effect
that an intentional firing of the barn for
reasons of spite or pilfer could not have
been probable, and it is doubtful whether
any certainty will ever be reached in the
matter. Everybody in the community
of Rising Sun sympathises greatly with
the unfortunate young farmer in his
severe lost, and many expressioss of kind
>I oond,xt o,, I've been uttered p,
the progress of the fire sparks and fam.
ing shingles from the roof of the barn
were carried by the strong northwest
wind blowing at the time to the yard of
the property of Mr.. James E. Haines,
situated at distance of half mile, and
were extinguished as they alighted by
E. f. Ewing, Esq, formerly editor and
proprietor of THE WING, who occupies
the house