The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-05-12

CouDERsPoRT, Pa, May l1.-To.nigt
the pretty little lumber and iarmiD
towns Of Austin, Costello, Galeton an
Moores Run are on the verge OF pant
two especially being threatened wit
annihilauon from fires that seem to fort
an impenetrable wall on every aidl
For several days past the skies hav
been lighted up with fires apparently i
every direction, but little fears were er
tertained by people living in the town.
In Ppite Of every effort, however, tn
flames crept steadily toward the town!
At MooIe's Run, on the sinnemahor
ing road, a train load OF seventy 'dv
men sent out from Austin last nigh
had been fighting back the fire b.
every conceivable meana, bnt wer
finally Obliged 10 retreat. The mel
hastily boarded the tFsin and started 1
make run TO another point when l
was found tn ey were hemmed in by th
forest fire on one side and huge skid
way OF !oRs ON bDe olneT'
A DESPERATE COURSE.
1t was finally decided to dash past th,
burning skidway and the engineer ant
fireman, with faces covered with damp
ened cloths and their hands end ARM
wrapped in wool, mounted the little en-
Zine and pulled ont through the wall o
fire. The seyenty.fve exhausted mer
gathered in groups on the Hats Tor pro
fection, or lay on their faces on the hoor
As the blszing furnace Of logs was ap
preached the heat became unbearsbte
and the smoke 20 binding and sitting
the men were Obliged to cover theil
mouths with cloths. just opposite the
millions of feet OF burning logs wheTt
the heat and smoke and fame were the
greatest, a terrible thing occurred. The
engineer had forgotten that such grea.
heat would surely spread the rails, and
he pulled tho throttle wider in the nope
Of sooner escaping from a torment ol
heat and smoke.
Then there was lurch, an ominiout
heayiug, and shrek Of despair as the
train toppled over into the he'll OF hte
beneath.
AN UNPRECEDENTED SCENE.
A scene ensued never to be forgotten
by those who escaped, though every
man will bear to his grave mark ol
that awi'nl moment. The cars caught
IRE like 60 many paper play ythings, and
the men within, half blinded and
scarcely realizing anything except that
thpy were being slowly roasted 70 death,
struggled ieaTtully TO regain the track,
whers safety lay for time, at least
Those uniniured from the fall. and only
snsrting from the pain OF intense neat,
brayely turned their burned, blacEen'
cd hands to aid their more unfortunate
fellows.
At this hour It is impossible to secure
details, though enough is known OF tne
scene that followed the hurting oil the
struggling mass OF men in the furnacs o.
Asme. TO say Its like has never occurred
before. Superintendent Badger, OF the
Sinuemahoning Valley road. was u
charge OF the relief train, and had work
ed tho hardest Of all TO save the proper
ties OF others, when the train ditchec
and rolled over so suddenly. He mus
have been injured so IS TO be unable z
help himself, snd owing to the smok'
and panic. he was not found unul tot
late-jammed in the wreck. He hae
evidently slowly burned to death.
THE DEAD AND MISSING.
Atthis time (9;SW 1t is known tha
six others also miserably perished a
once, or died soon after, and thirty other
Of the party were badly burned, many
probably fatally, owing to fears that they
Inhaled the flames that seemed 70 lalrlS
spring into their faces. Seven others 9
the party are missing and their tase Il
unknown, though they are likely Ia th'
charred wood oil the logs or train.
Relief parties started for the tcene q
soOu lis tho fearful news spread, many
male relatives Of the men injured insist
ing on accompanying the train, thougi
they will hardly bO able to reach, WI
place OF the wreck unless the tres nays
burned themselves out. Owing 10 tn'
great devastation done to everything II
the Eay Of the Gre, Communication !
badly interrupted, and 1t 10 imPoeslpl
to learn the names Of the men burned
or those still missing.
NILuoNs gURNRD,
AsG tho damagc, it Is known ioFtl
million feet Of hemlock logs aud timber
and 5000 cords Of valuable bark has al
ready been destroyed, and the fires ar
raging without any Rppreciable diminu
ton. This evening the people are pray
Ing for rain, az it seems nothing but
doSnpour will quench the hImes tina
have grown so fierce. They must eithe
be extinguiHhed by the floods OF heaVei
or burn out for lack OF material.
A million beacon lights seem 70 p
burning iTow every mountain and NIL
eide, and the air Is so oppressive man
workers faint from exhaustion, and ~
dragged away from d hame that hs
done nsthiDg 90 yet but steadily &c
vance.
TnE RRPoRrs CONFINED.
Late dispatches from Austin conarr
Iormer reports.
The body Of Superintendent Badge
has been found burned to a crisp. Tn
entire party would have persisted In tn
burning train or forest FIRE, had they nc
immersed themselves in creek. Th
fires have been raging 4s hours IL soil
miles Of lumber in one district have q
ready been burned, and the end Is nj
yet.
Three Villages Burned.
NEWAYdo, Mfen,, May ll.-FoTest FRI
are raging in this county. The villag'
otOda, Fields aud Park City, have bee
entirely destroyed and the hotel an
depot Al Lille are oil that reaaiu OF II