The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-12
WRATH OF THE FOREST.
WooDsToWN's UNAvAILlNe BATTLE
WITH AVENeING NATURE.


tier Town-HAd 70 Desert Their Homes.
The site wss superb for building a town.
They had only 70 clear the river hank by
telling part Of the foreSt-Of the immense
| virgin forest rooted there since the begin
ming OF the world. Then, sheltered all
around by wooded hills, the town would
descend to the quays OF magnificent har-
| Dor, established at the mouth Of the Red
/ river. but four miles from the sea
! As soon as the governments nc Washing
ton had granted the privilege. carpenters
and woodchoppcrs went 70 work. But you
/ never saw such forest. Clnging 70 the
soil with all its vines, with all It's roots,
/ when they felled il at one end IL sprang up
/ again at the other. acquiring fresh youth
( from its wounds, and each blow OF the axe
4 brought out green buds. The streets, the
/ town squares barely marked out, were in
/ vaded by vegetation. The walls grew less
/ quickly than the trees, and as soon as
! raised crumbled beneath the upheaval OF
| the still living roots Toovercome this re-
sistance that dulled the blades Of the
/ hatchets and axes they we're obliged to
have recourse TO fire.
/ Soon an enormous town. all IN wood.
/ like Chicago, stretched along the bank OF
I Red river, with its broad straight streets,
numbered and glittering about its squares,
its Merchants exchange, its markets, its
churches, its schoOlhouses, and the whole
maritime train Of sheds. custom house sta
tons, docks. depots and shipyardS TIE
town Of wood (Woodstown, as they called
it) was speedily peopled by the plaster dry
ers OF new places. A feverish activity was
displayed in every quarter. but upon thu
surrounding hills commanding the crowded
thoroughfares and the harbor packed with
vessels a somber and menacing mass ex-
tended in semicircle. IL was the forest
looking on.
WOE TO vooDsTowN.
II was gazing at the insolent town that
had taken from IL its place on the river
bank and 5000 gigantic trees. All Woods
town was made Of its life. The towering
masts that swayed down IN the hArbor,
those innumerable roofs, inclined one
toward the other. even to the last hut OF
the most distant suburb, IL had furnished
everything-even the instruments OF toll,
even the furniture, limiting It's service
only by the length OF its branches. Hence
what terrible hatred it cherished against
that town Of thieves.
While winter lasted they perceived moth
ing. The people Of Woodstown heard 90
casionally hollow cracking in their roofs.
in their furniture. From time 20 time y
wall was cleft asunder, a store counter
noisily burst In twain But new wood IL
subject 70 such accidents, aud no one at
tached any Importance 70 them. However.
at the commencement Of spring-a sudden,
fierce spring, so rich in sap that they heard
IL beneath the ground like the babbling Of
brooks-the soil began 70 DO agitated, up
heaved by invisible forces. In each house
the furniture, the partition walls Swelled,
and they saw upon the floors long bulges.
such as mark the passage Of a mole in the
fields. Neither doors nor windows-noth-
ing, in fact--worked any longer. 1t n the
dampness," said the inhabitants when
warm weather comes that will be over"
BUD UNDER EVERY ROOF
Suddenly. on the morrow, when n great
storm come from the sea. which brought
summer amid its scorching lightning and
lukewarm rain, the town, when IL awoke,
uttered cry Of stupOr. The red roofs Of
the public buildings. the belfrhes Of the
churches, the floors Of the hOuses and even
the wood OF the bedsteads were sprtnkled
with green tint. thin mold. finnsy a.
lace. Closely examined II was q quantity
Of microscopic buds, n which the rolls OF
leaves could alread Y be Distinguished This
freak OF the rain amused without causing
alarm but before evening bouquets Of
verdure were blooming eveTywhere-upon
the furniture, upon the walls The
branches grew a. they looked at them
Lightly graSped by the hand. one felt them
grow and struggle Ike 1uttering wings
Tho following day ali the apartments
had the appearance Of greenhouses. Vines
clambered up the rails Of the stalTways.
In the narrow Etres,A the branches Joined
one roof 20 her. casting over the noisy
town the gloom OF the avenues Of the
forest Natter were bocoming alarming.
While the assembled scientists were delio-
Grating over this case Of extraordinary
vegetation. the crowd fastened out Of
doors 20 see the different aspects Of the
miracle The examinations Of surprise,
the ssstouishcd noise Of all these idle peO-
pie gave soIcmnity % this strange event
Suddenly some one cried out, Look AZ
the forest" And ~ was observed with
terror that in the last two days the YER
dAnt semicircle had approached very
much nearer
KKrURs or THE VIRGIN FOREST.
Then WoOdstown commenced 90 under
stand and be afraid. Nevertheless. every
body fell bravsly 70 work with Ecytbes,
harrows aud ares, and they made an i'm
mense sbatis 81 bougbs. But ia vain
From hour 20 hour the confusion 81 virgin
forests. amid which the twtning q vines
Joins gigantic sapliDgs together. invaded
the streets Of WOodstowp. Already the
insects and reptiles were pouring In Thsrs
wers nests ia all the corners. a great Hut
ter % wings and multitudss q chattering
little beaks Ia q single night the gran
aries % the town were emptisd By the new
ly hatched broOds
Vaguely, amid the noisy swell 81 the TO
Hage. the hollow strokes Of the ares and
hatchsts were heard, but on the fourth
day eli work was s6nittsd % u inpOszi-
BILE The grass grew TOO high, too thick
Climbing vines hooked thsmsslvss 20 the
arms q the voodch0ppsrs and prevented
their movements. Besides. TIE houses had
beconas gninhAbitAbls; tbs pieces % furni-
ture, Iosdsd with leaves. had loss thsir
shape. The ceilings broks OPEN. pierced ~
the lance q the yucca. thu long spar q
the thorn trees. ard In ths plhos q the
roots spread out the infnsnss dome q the
ca;alpAA AL was over. Only Eight ~
usined
Acres the network Of plants and vines
that was Tightening more and more tbs
terrified people q wo0dsto~n rushed
toward TIE rivsr. bearing With them -
much a. they could O. their wealth Il pre-
cious oDjectA B1t bo~ diii4cali i va -
reach tie waters sozsi he q1ays DO
Iougsr e1is;sd. nothiaE rss 70 y ssen u
them bat < zantlo reds The ship Jarts,
"a which ye-sels hAd bern Ia yroos-s u
Construction. bad given place % forests q
-. I'D 10 ~. karter AZ b. bl1ora. The