Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-12
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH. From All Quarters. SEVERALPE0PLEBU BURNED Awful Work of Forest Fires
 in Pennsylvania. WRECK OF THE SWEDISH BARK HELGA. The CharIeston's Pursuit of the Itata. RIOT AMONG LABORERS IN DENVER. The Influenza Spreading in
 London.
HOT AMONG LABoRERS IN DENVER.
The Influenza Spreading in
 London.
FIRES AWFUL WORK.

A Traiu Hemmed in by a Circle of Flame-Daring Plunge for Liberty The Train Dftched Into a Blazing Furnace of Logs-Several Persons Roasted to Death and Many Badly Burned-Millfons of Feet Of Lumber Destroyed.
 CoUDERsPoRT, Pa, May 11.-Dreadful disaster has overtaken train load of seventy-five men sent from Austin to Moore's Run on the Sinnamahoing railroad to fight back the forest fires. They made trenches, piled up earth and lighted back fires, but were finely obliged to re- treat. The men hastily boarded the train and started to make a run to another point, when it was found that they were hemmed in by the forest fire on one side and huge skidway of burning logs on the other. It was finally decided to dash past the burning skidway, and the en- gineer and fireman, with faces covered with dampened cloths, and their hands and arms wrapped in wool, mounted the little engine and pulled out through the wall of fire. The seventy-fve exhausted men gathered in groups on the flats for protection or lay on their faces on the floor. As the blazing furnace of logs was approached the heat became un- bearable and the smoke so binding and stihing that the men were obliged to cover their mouths with cloths. Just opposite the millions of feet of burning logs, where the heat and smoke and flame were the greatest, the rails spread. There was lurch, an ominous heaving and shriek of despair as the train toppled over into the hell of fire. The cars caught fire like so many paper play-things, and the men within. half blinded and scarcely realizing anything except that they were being slowly roasted to death, struggled fearfully to regain the bravely turned their burned. blackened hands to aid their more unfortunate fel- lows. Superintendent Badger, of the Sin namahoning Valley railroad, who was in charge of the train and had worked the hardest of all to save the property of oth- CTS, was caught in the wreck and burned to 8 crisp. Six others also miserably perished at once, or died soon after, and thirty more of the party were badly burned, many probably fatally. Seven others of the party are missing and their have perished had they not immersed themselves in creek.
 Owing to the great devastation done to everything in the way of the fire commit nication is badly interrupted and it is i'm possible to learn the names of the men burned or of those still missing. As to the damage it is known that 40, GOO, ,0OO feet of Hemlock logs and 25, 900 cords of valuable bark have already been destroyed and appreciable diminution. This evening the people are praying for rain, as it seems nothing but drenching will quench the l flames. The fires have been raging forty eight hours and twelve solid miles of luln- | Der in one district have been burned
 OIL CITY, Pa., May 11.-A message just
 received from Superintendent Strong of the Oil City Fuel company from Pine Grove township says that thus far thirteen | oil wells have been burned, four gas wells | of the fuel supply company and nine oil wells of the North Penn Oil company.
 The fire is still burning. Minor forest fires are reported from various points in this section. The fuel company is in re-
 ceipt of messages to-day from Elk and Clearfeld counties announcing serious for
 est fires which are spreading.
 NEwAYGo, Mich, May 11.-Forest fires
 rage in this county. Otia, Fields and
 Park City. of about 300 inhabitants each,
 have been entirely destroyed and the hotel
 and depot at Lilley are all that remain of the l village. A great number of cars belonging
 to the Chicago and West Michigan railway
 have also been burned. So far no reports
 of loss of life have reached here.
 ILLNESS OF MIR. GLADSTONE.
 Seized by Chills After Attending
 Church-His Condition Not Re.
 garded as Serious.
 LONDON, May 11.-Mr. Gladstone is the
 latest of the prominent men of Great Brit
 ain to be announced on the sick list. H,
 went to church as usual yesterday morn
 ing and appeared to be in possession O.
 his usual health. In the afternoon, how