The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-05-14
PLUNGED INTO FIRE.
A Horrible and Fatal Accident Happens
to aPennsylvavia Logging
Railroad.
1t is Thrown From the Track Into the
Midst of O Great Pile of Burning
Logs.

CoUDERsPoRT, Pa. May 13.-To. night the
pretty little lumber and farming towns Of
Austin, Costello, Galeton and Moore's Run,
i'll Potter county, are on the verge of a
panic two especially being threatened with
annihilation from fires that seem to form
an impenetrable wall on every side.
For several days past the skies have been
lighted up with fires apparently in every
direction. But little fears were entertained
by people living in the towns. as those
threatened and in danger were farmers in
the country districts, or lumber camps in
the midst OF the blazing forests. In spite
of every effort, however, the flames crept
steadily in snaky lines of smoke and fame
toward the helpless towns until it was seen
the people must fight back the flames or
have their very houses burned down over
their heads.
At Moores run, on the Sinnemahoning
Valley road, train load of seventy FIVE
willing meE sent out from Austin Sunday
night had been fighting back the fire by
every conceivable means. They made
trenches, piled up earth, and lighted back
fires, but were finally obliged to retreat.
The men hastily boarded the train, and
started to make a run TO another point,
when it was found they were hemmed in
by the forest fire on one side and
HUGE sKIDwAY OF BURNING LOGS
on the other. 1t was finally decided to dash
past the burning skidway, and the engineer
and fireman, with faces covered with damp
ened cloths and their hands and arms
wrapped in wool, mounted the little engine
and pulled out through the wall OF fire.
The seventy five exhausted men gathered in
groups on the flats for protection, or lay on
their faces on the floor. AS the blazing fur
mace of logs was approached the heat be.
came unbearable, and the smoke SO blind
ing and sitting the men were Obliged to
cover their mouths with cloths.
Just opposite the millions of feet of
burning logs, where tie heat and smoke
and flame were the greatest, n terrible thing
occurred. The engineer had forgotten that
such great heat would surely spread the
rails. and he pulled the throttle wider in
the hope OF sooner escapin. from tor
ment Of heat and smoke. Then there was
a lurch, all omiIous heaving, and shrek
of despair as the train toppled over into
the hell of fire beneath.
A scene ensued never to be forgotten by
those who escaped, though every man will
bear to his grave mark of that awful mo-
ment. The cars caught fire like so many
paper playthings, and the men within,
half blinded and scarcely realizing any
thing except that they were being slowly
ROASTED TO DEATH,
struggling iearlully to regain the track,
where safety lay tor time at least Those
uninjured from the fall, and only smarting
from the pain of intense heat, bravely
turned their burned, blackened hands to
aid their more unfortunate fellows.
At this hour it is impossible to secure de-
tails, though enough is known of the scene
that followed the hurling of the struggling
pass ofmep INTO the furnace of flames to
say that its like had meyer occurred before
supt. BADGER Of the sinnemahoning Val
ley road, was in charge of the.relief train,
and had worked the hardest of all to save
the properties of others. When the train
was ditched and rolled over so suddenly he
must have been injured so as to be unable
to help himself, and, owing to the smoke
and panic he was not found until too late
Jammed in the wreck, he had evidently
burned to death.
At this time-9:30 p. NIT is known that
six others also miserably perished at once,
or died soon after, and thirty others of the
party were badly burned, many probably
fatally, owing to 'ears that they inhaled the
flames that seemed to fairly spring into
their faces. Seven others of the pa rty are
missing and their late is unknown, though
they are likely in the charred wood OF the
logs or train.
RELIEF PA RITES
started for the scene as s9op as the fearful
hen injured Insisting on accompanying
the train, though they will hardly be able
to reach the place Of the wreck unless the
fires have burned themselves out.
Owing to the great devastation done to
everything in the way OF the fire communi-
cation is badly interrupted, and 1t Is impos-
sible to learn the names of the men burned
or those still missing.
As to the damage, it is known 10, 600, 900
feet of hemlock logs and timber and %, 600
+ cords OF valuable bark have already been
destroyed, and the fires are raging without
any apprecable diminution,
This evening the people are praying for
rain, as it seems nothing but drenching
will guench the flames that have grown so
fierce they must either be extinguiShed by
the floods of heaven or burn out for lack OF
material.
The timber lands are owned by Goodyear
Bros. of Buffalo and are situated in Potter,
Mexican and TiOga counties, and cover
about 900 acres. The firms ex-
tensive sawmills are located at Austin and
are capable of turning out 1000, 900 feet o!
lumber per day. The Goodyears built the
Sinnemahoning Valley railroad some years
%oo f1,nSn In ,1n,, H.