Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-12

teilo and Galeton are on the verge of G
panic, they being threatened with
humiliation from forest tires 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 di-
recti0n, but little fears were entertained by
people living in the towns, rs those
threatened and in danger were
farmers in the country districts or
Humber camps in the midst of the blazing
forests. In spite OF every effort however.
the flames crept steadily in the lines of the
smoke and fame toward the helpless towns
until it was seen the people must fight
back the flames or have their houses
burnt down
OVER THEIR HEADS.
At Moore's run, on the Petty Shinnema-
honing river, seventy-tive men from Aus
tin, sent out Sunday night, have been fight
ing back the fire by every conceivable
means. They had made trenches,
piled up the earth and lighted
back fires, but were finally obliged to re
treat. The men hastily boarded train
and started to make run to another point,
when 1t was found they were hemmed in
by forest fire on one side and huge skid
way of logs on the other. 1t was finally de-
cided to dash past the burning sliidway,
and the engineer and fireman, with faces
covered with dampened cloths and their
hands and arms wrapped in wool, mounted
the little engine and pulled ont through
THE WALL OF FIRE.
The seventy-fve exhausted men gathered
on the fats for protection, or lay on their
faces on the floor. As the blazing furnace
of logs was approached the heat became
unbearable. and the smoke so binding
and Sitting the men were Obliged
to cover their mouths with cloths. Just
opposite the millions Of feet of burning
logs where the heat and smoke were great
est terrible thing occurred. The engineer
had forgotten thai such great heat would
surely spread the rails, and he pulled the
throttle wider in the hope Of sooner escap-
ing from the torment of heat and smoke.
Then there was q lurch. an ominous heav-
ing and shrek Of despair as the train
toppled over in
THE HE'LL OF FIRE
beneath, 4 scene 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 so many paper
kites, and the men, half blinded and
scarcely realizing anything except that they
were being slowly roasted to death, strug-
gled fearfully 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 more unfortunate fellows
At this hour it is impossible to secure the
details. The superintendent of the SHINE
mahoning Valley road was in charge OF the
train, and worked the hardest of all to save
the property Of others. He was burned to
death.
At this time, $50 p m, it is known that
six others also persisted at once or died soon
after, and thirty others of the party were
badly burned-many probably fatally,
owing to the fact that they inhaled flames
that seemed to blow into their faces.
SEVEN OTHERS
are missing and their fate is not known,
though they are likely among the charred
wood Of the burning forest.
a relief party started for the scene as
the fearful news spread, many of them be-
ing the injured men who insisted on accom-
panying the train, though they are hardly
able to reach the wreck unless the fires
have burned themselves out.
II is known that 10, 000, 900 feet of hillocl
logs and lumber, and $500 cords Of valu-
able bark has already been destroyed, and
the fires are still raging.
This evening people are praying for rain,
as it appears nothing but drenchirg rain
will quench the raging flames.
A million beacon lights seemed to be
burning from every mountain and hill, and
are so oppressive that many workers faint
from exhaustion and are dragged away from
the fame.
Late dispatches from Austin confirm the
former reports.
The body Of Superintendent Badger has
been found, burned to q crisp, and the en-
tire party would have persisted in the burn
ing train or forest fire had they not i'm
mersed themselves in a creek
Fires have been raging forty-eight hours
Twelve solid miles of timber in one district
have already been burned, and the end is
not yet.