Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-05-15
A HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE.
Terrible Suffering from Fires in Pen
sylvania

\ Cuud,srort dispatch ul sun
day reports that the little towns Of
Austin Costello, Galctou and Moorc's
Run. 80 Potter county on the verge of
q panic. two especially. being threat
rucd with humiliation from fire that
seemed a. form an impcnctrahle wall
un ever, side For several DAYS the
skies had been lighted mp with fires in
every direction, and ~ the flames
cr,pt ~tralthily toward the helpless
towns. II was seen that the people
must fight
1t Moore Run. on the Slime.
Mahuuing road a train.load Of seventy
five men was sent ont from Austin
sunday and had been lighting back
the IRE hy every conceivable means
Gh'y made trenches. piled up earth
and lighted back fires. but were finally
obliged "a retreat The men hastily
boarded the train and started To make
the run 10 another point when il was
found they were hcmmcd ia hy forest
tlre- un one side aud huge skidway
81 burning logs on the other. II was
finally l',idod tn dash past the burn.
ing skidWny. and the engineer and
hr,uhu. With faces covered with
damirurd cloth. and their hands and
arms Wrapped ~ wool. pulled through
The wall 81 ire, the seventy five OK.
hnu~icd men gathered ~ groups ON
Hat ears for protection or lay on their
faces On the ilpnf- A. the blazing
furnace ol logs was approached the
heat hrcamc - unbcarahlc and the
smoke 50 rtiiling aud binding that
the men were obliged 30 cover their
mouths with cloths
Just uppo-itc millions Of feet 81
burning logs. where the heat and
smoke and iltWcs were the greatest. a
terrible thlng occurred. The engineer
bad forgotten that such great beat
would surely warp the rails Sud.
denly there was u lurch, an ominous
hcnying aud u shrek OF despair ~ the
train topplcd over into the hell If fire
beneath The scene that cnsucd is
never To- be forgotten by those who cs.
capped. though every man will bear To
hts grave mark Of that awful moment.
The ears caught fire like so many play
things, aud the men within, half blind
ed and scarcely realizing anything cx-
ccpt that they were being slowly ronst-
Ell To death. struggled frarfully to re-.
gain the tack. where safety lay. for q
time at least Those uninjurcd from
the fall and only smarting from pain
uf the intense heat. bravely turned
their burned, hlackened hands to all
their more unfortunate fellows. II is
impossible to secure details, though il
IL known that superintendent Badger
of the SHINE Mahuning Valley railroad
who was IN charge 81 the train. wen,
down under some cf the wreckagc. and
was undoubtedly burned Ia death
Six others also misersbly persisted a,
once or died soon aftcrwarl. and thirty
others IT the party were badly burned
many probably fatally. having inhaled
F the iiames Seven others al the part,
are missing and their fate unknown
though they are likely In the charret
wood If the tram The remainder %
the party saved themselves by lyinI
down IN a creek.
Relief parties started for the seen,
~ soon M the news spread. but vii
hardly he able Ia reach the place of thu
wreck unless the fires have burne,
themselves out. Owing Ia the grea
devastation done, everything in ,h'
way Of the fire communication IL badly
interrupted. and IL l. impossible Il
learn the names oi the men burned nj
missing.
A. to the damage. IL IL known 10 900,
UG feet 81 hcmlnck logs and timbe
aud 10000 cords of valuable bark hav,
already been destroyed. and the fire
are raging without any appreciate
diminuiion. The people are prayinI
ior rain, ia II seems nothing bui
drcnching rain will qucnch the flames
\ million beacon lights seems 10 ~
burning FROM every mountain and hill
side. aud the air IL 50 oppressive tha
many workers faint from exhaustion
aud arc dragged away from the flames
that have done nothing as yet bu
steadily advance. Twelve solid mile
of timber IN one district have alread
been burned. aud the end IL not yet.