The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-01
TIMBER DAMAGED BY FIRE.
Destructive Fires South and South
west OF the CITY,

west OF the City.
Fierce fires have been raging in the woods
south Of the city during the week, which
have been destructive to fencing, to young
| growth Of timber, and even houses have
been destroyed 1t is believed that the fires
were set by hunters who wanted TO drive
the game from plantations where they are
not permitted to hunt for the market.
On Tuesday a fire was started on Silk
Hopes place, on the Ogeechee road, seven
miles from the city, and it took straight
line through the center Of Dean Forest
plantation, owned by Lowell Bros. then
| through the Newton plantation, owned by
Gugle Bourquin; then to the Shaw place,
| owned by Lowell Bros, and back to the
Carmarthen plantation and into the DEVILS
woodward, both Of which tracts are owned
by Mr.. Bourquin. Wednesday night the
swamp IN the DEVILS woodward stayed the
further progress of the flames.
The area burned over comprises about
1000 acres. 1t is estimated that the loss to
young timber will reach $1,000, and over
500 worth of fencing was burned. One
cabin on the Devils woodward plantation
was burned, and it required hard work to
save the rest of the cabins. A 115-story
frame building was burned on the Dean
Forest plantation.
41AbSAStNo ilTtS, WHICH Td8eU over SEVERAL
thousand acres of land between this city
and Montgomery, are also reported On
the line Of the City and Suburban railway
trains had to be stopped, and train hands
and passengers got of to fight the fires.
The City and Suburban Company lost 100
cords Of wood, and some of the railroad
ties of the track were destroyed.
Maj. A. l.. Hartridge. in referring to the
fire, said yesterday that it used to be a
hi
him through the woods 10 Sandfly station,
and the air was freghted with the odorifer-
GUS perfume Of the yellow jasmine and
other fragrant flowers; but the ground is
now black with cinders, and fetid with the
scent of the vegetation which the fires
destroyed
The bridge on the Montgomery road,
nearest Montgomery, was destroyed on
Wednesday, but Maj. Hartridge. who is the
road commissioner in that section, had it
rebuilt yesterday. One bridge over a deep
drain on branch road, near Bethesda,
was partially burned, and he has ordered
repairs to be done at once, and sent the
lumber out yesterday morning for that
purpose.
The origin Of this fire is not known. It
is thought, however, that hunters fired the
woods in shooting birds, the burning gun
wads communicating the fire to the dead
leaves, when were as dry as powder, as no
rain had fallen in that section since Nov.
70, and no real hard rain since August
Mr.. Bourquin says that one of his planta-
tions was on the opposite side of the canal
from the main fire, and some one crossed
the canal and deliberately scattered fire in
the woods for several hundred yards until
1T was soon raging on both sides Of the
canal
There is a great deal of complaint at the
systematic firing of the woods, and, as it is
penitentiary offense, the owners of the
devastated property propose to make an
example OF the first one they can fasten the
crime upon. To this end they propose to
offer reward for the arrest aud conviction
of the guilty party or parties, with a view
OF Furnishing those who are guilty of these
felonies