Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-20
FLAMES IN THE PINES.
The Town of Frugality in Great Dam
ger From Forest Fires.
HELP ASKED FROM OTHER PLACES.
Many People Are Driven From Their Homes
Through Fear.
GREAT TRACTS OF TIMBER DESTROYED
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH ]


FRUGALTrY, May l9.-Yesterday evening the
forest fires in this vicinity came alarmingly
near the town, and the fire engines from
Altoona were sent for. A company with 40
men responded, but they could not keep the
fire down, and to-day an engine from Holli-
daysburg and large part of the equipment
of the Johnstown Fire Department came.
They are now doing good service.
This town is Is miles from Cresson, on the
COalport road, and contains 1000 people. At
present the most intense alarm exists, and 1t
is feared the whole town will be wiped out,
as the flames are bearing down, driven by
high wind. By much exertion the Altoona
company last night saved the sawmills and
lumber yard. To-day the fire shifted to the
other side of the town, and the Johnstown
company is now battling at great odds to
keep row of 50 frame houses from burning.
The town is built right in large pine forest,
and the flames are coming in from all sides.
Water Is scarce, and the engines cannot do
good work.
Driven From Their Homes.
The people have all moved out of their
houses. In most cases their household goods
have been taken out and dumped along the
creek or railroad, and nearly all the women
and children have been taken to adjoining
towns, two train loads having left this even
ing.
In addition to the 80 firemen now here, the
500 miners are all at work carrying water in
buckets, dampening every inflammable sub
stance. The scenes tonight in the eastern
part of the town are terribly vivid, the lurid
flames reaching up the tall pine trees to q
height of so feet and frequently q large tree
comes crashing down, causing the firemen to
run for their lives and then back again to
protect the burning property, the trees fire.
quently falling right among the houses.
The intense heat causes the rocks in the
vicinity to burst throwing the red hot mis-
siles high in the air. In one house in the
outskirts this evening woman was nearing
her accouchement when the flames sur
rounded the building, and for one hour they
played on the house, which was several
times on fire, the child being born while the
roof was ablaze, but the house was saved
Three other premature births are recorded
from excitement, two of them occurring on
the train.
Great Tracts of Timber Burned.
The loss in the immediate vicinity is fully
$4,000. Immense tracts of fine timber have
been burned over and destroyed, as every
thing is so dry that the trees burn to the
tops and the very ground is burned up. A
large saw mill and pile of lumber belonging
to-day destroyed. AS yet no buildings have
been burned here except the coal tipples of
the CressOn and Clearfleld Coal and Coke
Company, which were consumed this even
ing. There will be much suffering among
the poor people.
At Ashvile, a few miles above, there is
great danger now, and the whole town has
turned out and started back fires to meet
the flames, which are sweeping toward that
place.
The whole region is lighted up, the lurid
flames leaping toward the sky, and the
dense smoke makes it almost suffocating.
At Ehrenfeld and South Fork, along the
Pennsylvania Railroad, fires are reported to
be advancing on the towns.