The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-24
FIRES FOLLOW A DROUGHT.
FLAMES SWEEPING THROUGH
.CHtUTIIVGi COINrT FIRMS.
The LonR Drought mad Almost RuIned the
Crops, Then tpmc the GrnsshOppere,
aud Now Fires Are Destroying what e
Left several Farm. Hurned Over.

The Ions Drought Mad Almost Ruined the
Crops, Then trmc the G~rnsshOppers,
aud Now Fires Are Destroying what q
LEFT several Fsrm- Hurned OveF.
DUNKIRK. Aug. % Meadow fires arc raging
throughout this county and into Pennsylvania
on the west. Along the lines " the nine rail-
roads which traverse this county fires have
broken out within the last few days. A great
amount OF valuable timber and hundreds Of
acres Of growing crops have already been de-
stroyed. and the work Of destruction IL going on.
No rain has fallen for a long time,
and everything is porchci Nearly all the
springs and small creeks have become
dried up and the water In the large creeks.
notably the Conewango, Chautauqua Creek, WAL
nut Creek, and Silver Creek, is 40 insignificant
in quantity as to leave the beds almost bare. In
consequence Of the extreme drought everything
ia as dry as finder. ready for a spark TO start .
confagration. Even the grass IL brown and dead
down into the roots, that vainly seek moisture In
the psrched earth. The drought was a greet In
jury to the Chautauqua farmers and was looked
upon IA . calamity. Then came tho grasshop-
pers, and when they lighted on fields, grass and
growing crops they left bare ground and naked
branches, and now come the fires
Fires that have run over tnc fields as fast az .
horse could trot have had their origin In various
causes. A spark from n passing locomotive IA the
most common one. Along the line OF the West
ern New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. .
mile or two southwest Of sherman, n farm set
on fire by sparks from q passing locomotive was
burned over 10 as tn itterly destroy the meadows
down deep into the sod. Then the flames passed
over acres OF intervening farms to the Bliss
farm, where much grain In stacks was de-
stroycd, beside the pasturage. Duttan's and
Hawley's farms were then assailcd, and the
fields left blackened ground. On the Hawley
farm fpprpS NyOpls and orchard and urafn
fields vanished like magic before the fire. After
spreading devastation on tho farm of NJ. l..
TO the Sanderson farm, where IL took the owner
unawares, and when the peril was discovered
the flames were scorching the broad varanda OF
the fine farmhouse. b. prompt work the house
aud barns were saved.
ing community. and were Il not for the fact that
a large amount OF grain has been harvested and
s Tpseay inc loss s, would baa roll b np5tiS " !gsrahsS fE x re-
lines OF the fires. As yet no lives have been lost,
although some risk has been run by pickers Of
wild berries In the pasture lands. Throughout
the farm lands adjacent to the railways a watch
il kept, day and night. and water from the fail.
ing wells and drawn from the water courses .
kept In barrels close at hand for prompt service.
and valuables are so placed as to be quickly rs
moved H. the threatened danger should come
IL the way some describe the moments OF rest
ffTS%'" every quarter s a OF the " dry lan rdI" un n nT raia
does come the danger from fire will increase.
MoSnTIrrE ss 10, Aug rs sai.Ths long CoatinJed
van county the lowest they have been In years
and in many instances wells and springs hsvi
before the winter closes in. the people, especially
the farming population, will suffer FOR want OF
water. On top OF the drought have come myri.
ads Of grasshoppers TO aid In destroying that
which may have escaped the dry, heated term
In some fields. farmers say, they have eaten %
least Ave bushels of oats TO the acre. w. X,
Richardson, a market gardener. residing east OF
Monticello, complainsof having been robbed Of
field OF celery by those voracious pests. Now
that the crops have been gathered In most local
ities they are. feeding on whatever vcrdure re-
mains. This Is the first year within the memory
of old residents that grasshoppers have become
pestife rous. and this Is said 10 be due to the dry,
hot weather, which is conducive to their propa-
cation and growth.
ALBION, Aug. 23.-The long drought Is very
disastrous To the farmers of this locality. Their
main reliance was on the bean crop, but that Is
now being ruined by the lack Of rain. Potatoes
will also fall short, probably so per cent Corn
and buckwheat are also badly affected. Plums
and pears are so plentiful that they will scarcely
pa for the packing and shipping.