Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-11-29
STORIES OF FOREST FIRES.
Hears Eating Fishes Boiled In the Fonda
Snakes in the Flames Van.

Asn Is one OF the SequeiS to the recent
hres that ragged in the lumber districts
OF central Pennsylvania. John McCur-
~, who lives near Driftwood, tells of
TINS strange incident in backwoods
life:
n terrlhc ire had swept over a low
lying district about a half mile from
the Susquehanna river, devourinp the
fallen hemlocks and underbrush with
hrceness that was startling. The sec
ono day after the fire, when the ground
had become cool enough to allow
traversing, McCurry started into the
burned district to look after some park
piles. He followed deep ravine for a
mile Or more, when his course changed
and he made his way in the direction
OF the river. In May last, wien
this stream overfowed its banks and
the twenty feet of extra water deluped
the narrow West Branch valley, it
formed lakes and ponds where before
had been dry land. In one particular
spot, which was much lower than the
surrounding country, being naturally
swampy. the river water made a pond
from two to four feet in depth. This
water was kept quite fresh by the con-
ftant accession made by strong spring
in the neighborhood. The pond was
hemmed in on all sides by rhododen-
dron, swamp hemlock, and water birch.
In addition to the interest attached to
this pool because of its very odd forma-
ton. was the fact that it contained fish.
Lumbermen who stood by it's edge on
several occasions saw the unmistakable
movements of quite large fish in its
murky depths They had been carried
in with the strong sweep of water dur
ing the May flood. and were caught in
the pool when the water receded. The
men who saw the fish declared that
they We're carp of large size.
This pond was directly in the wake
OF the recent forest fire, and it's bor-
ders of hemlock and birch fed the
flames in their mad race across coun-
try. As McCurry neared the pond, but
before he was in sight of it, his atten-
ton was attracted by low growing
much like the noise made by a dog
when gnawing bones. Climbing up
from the depths of the ravine, McCur-
ry, who was now within fifty yards of
the pond, was surprised to see two
monster black bears busily engaged
devourlng something at the waters
edge. One of the pair was evidently
afraid of the others movements, for he
kept up a constant chattering as he
chewed at some withholding object
which he held in his forepaws. 1t was
some time before McCurry could de-
termine what the bears feast consisted
Of
Suddenly one of the black fellows
made a lunge into the water and waded
carefully across the pond to where
something lay floating on the surface.
When bruin picked the object up Nc
Curry saw that it was a fish. The old
fellow waded back to shore and began
devouring his prize. 1t was some time
before the bears had gotten all they
wanted. This done, however, they
shambled off across the burned dis
trict in the direction of greener lands,
much to the chagrin of the young
woodsman, who, aside from small AK,
was unarmed.
When the bears had departed Nc
Curry made bold to investigate the
cause of the bruins attention to the
pond. He found on the surface of the
lake several dead fish. The water was
decidedly warm, and the true situation
soon presented itself to him. The forest
Gre had heated the water in the pond
TO such a degree that the fish died and
aoated to the top. The bears in their
meanderings discovered this feast OF
ish and helped themselves.
Another incident of the recent forest
fires in the Pine creek region is related
by Sam Campbell. who works in the
woods near Blackwelrs. Sam was one
of a crew of men sent out to hack
49, L, Il l,.,l IL
clares that their experience was most
thrilling. While setting fire to a
thicket that crowned a rocky ridge, he
and his crew were startled to find
themselves suddenly in the midst of
lot of rattlesnakes. The forest fire
was advancing up the side of the hill
at a rapid rate. Its whistl1ng, whir-
ring sound as it devoured hemlocll tops
was terrific, and the men were bent on
building a line of fire to start toward
it, hoping that when the two lines met
the fury of the flames would be
subdued for lack of material on
which to feed. 1t was while
thus employed that they encountered
the snakes. The ground seemed to
be literally alive with rattlers, the rep
tiles crawling in the direction of
rocky bluff not more than one hundred
wards distant. The men were all
equipped with high-topped leather
boots and paid little heed to the snakes.
stepping on them as though they were
but harmless old sticks. Campbell says
that the rafting made by the reptiles
could be heard above the roar of the
distant flames. The ''back fire" made
by the men caught dozens OF crawlers,
and they were burned to death. When
the flames advanced SO close that the
snakes saw further escape was impossi-
BILE, they would coil up in heap, dart
ing their heads angrily at the tongues
of fame, then suddenly relapse, when
the heat overcame them, moment
later to be devoured.
Campbell also tells of a strange sight
which he and his men saw on this trip.
They were crossing a strip of burned
ground when the attention of one oil
the men was attracted by moving OBJ
iect in the boughs of big hemlock.
The crew stopped to investigate.
About twenty feet above the ground
on large limb near the trunk OF the
tree sat a full-grown catamount, ana
in her paws she held kitten 1t was
evident she had taken refuge In the
tree from the advancing forest hre.
The kitten seemed almost dead, whlie
the parent ''cat" was apparently dazed
from heat and smoke. The old one
RI and fro