The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-12

CouDERsPoRr,aPa., May -Tonight the
little towns Of Austin. Costello, Galetown
and Moores Run, in Potter county, are on
the verge of q panic, two especially being
threatened with annihiiation from fires
that seem to form q wall on every side.
For several days past the skies have been
lighted up with fires in every direction.
and the flames have crept toward these
helpless towns. At Mooress Run, on the
Sinnemahoning road, train load of sew
tin on Sunday had been lighting
means. They made trenches, piled up
earth and lighted back fires, but were
finally obliged to retreat. The men hastily
boarded train and started to make run
to another point, when it was found that
they were hemmed in by forest fires on
one side and a 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
and their hands and arms wrapped in
wool, pulled through the wall of fire. The
seventy-five exhausted men gathered in
groups on fiat cars for protection, or lay
on their faces on the tioors.
As the blazing furnace of logs was
approached the heat became 50 unbear-
able and the smoke so stifling and blind
ing that the men were obliged to cover
their mouths with cloths. just opposite
were millions of feet of burning logs.
Where the heat and smoke and flames
were greatest terrible thing occurred.
The engineer had forgotten that such q
great heat would surely warp the rails.
Suddenly there was lurch, an ominous
heaving, and shrieks Of despair as the
train toppled over into the hell of fire
beneath. The scene that ensued Was
never to be forgotten by those who
escaped, though every man will bear
to his grave the mark of that
awful moment. The cars caught fire like
playthings, and the men within, half
blinded and scarcely realizing anything
except that they were being slowly roasted
to death, struggled feanully to regain the
track, where safety lay for time at least.
Those uninjured from the fall and only
smarting from the pain Of the intense heat
bravely turned their burned, blackened
hands to aid their unfortunate fellows.
At this hour-l0 p. NIT il impossible
to secure details, though i il known that
Superintendent Badger, of tho Sinnefna-
honing Valley railroad, who was in
charge of the train, went down under
some of the wreckage and wasundoubtedly
burned to death. Six others also miser-
ably perished at once or died soon after
wards, and thirty others of the party were
badly burned, many probably fatally,
having inhaled flames. Seven others of
the party are missing, and their fate is
unknown, though they are likely in the
charred wood of the train. The remainder
of the party saved themselves by lying
down in q creek. Relief parties started
for the scene as soon as the news spread,
and will hardly be able to reach the place
OF the wreck unless the fires have burned
themselves out.
Owing to the great devastation done,
communication is badly interrupted and it
is impossible to learn the names of the
men burned. As to the damage, it is
known that 4O, 1000 600 feet of hemlock logs
and timber and 5000 cords of valuable
bark have already been destroyed, and the
fires are raging without any appreciable
diminution. The people are praying for
rain, as it seems nothing but drenching
rain will quench the flames. A million
beacon lights seem to- be burning from
mountain and hillside, and the air is so
oppressive that many workers tainted
from exhaustion and were dragged away
from the flames. Twelve solid miles of
timber in one district have already been
burned, and the end is not yet.
WARREN, Pa, May 1l.-Forest fires in
this section have caused a loss of nearly
$4,000 to oil men in the district in tanks
and other property.
NEwAyGo, Mich, May 1l.-Forest fires
are raging in this county. The villages
of Otia, Fields and Park City have been
entirely destroyed, and the hotel and depot
at Lilley are all that remains of that vii
lage. The above-named places are villages
of about 800 population each. So far no
reports of loss Of life have been received