The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-22
AND RUIN.
Terrible Record ef the Forest Fire In Cum.
beriand and Bladen Couuties-Many
Homes Destroyed-Property and Cattle
Burned

beriand and Bladen Couuties-Mauy
Homes Destroyed-Property and Cattle
Burned
II seems that upper South Carolina
was also swept by the terrible forest
fires OF the past few days. M-. Preston
Bridgers, OF the Bridgers & McKeithan
Lumber Company. whose saw mill IS at
Burke. s. c, on the Bishopvllle branch
or the Atlantic Coast Line. informs Us
that the fires were disastrous in Oar
ington- Sumter. Marlboro and Chester
field counties. Large areas OF timber
lands were destroyed and a large num-
Der Of houses through the track of the
confagration. The Bridgers & NcKeith-
an Lumber Company lost about 1890 by
the fire. Several shanties around the mill
were burned. and the mill would have
been burned had not a fire fighting
brigade organized and burned OF a strip
OF woods five hours before the forest fires
reached Burke.
Mr.. Rodgers. who travels for Mr.. d.
l. Gore, brings us news OF forest fires in
Sampson county. There was considerable
destruction from Bear Skin creek TO
~Tomahawk. an area about eighteen miles
longs by four to five wide. The fire also
@"NpN NAS NCd4AN4 S4tNAT nun 10
Harrells Store. Many hourses and some
fine timber lands were burned.
SEVERAL SOUTH CAROLINA COUN-
TIES SUFFERED.
The Fayetteville Observer OF Thursday.
February nth. says:
The tale Of The forest fires which sur
rounded this city Tuesday night and yes
terday has not been half told. The loss
in property and stock to our farmers is
enormous, some estimate it as high as
800, 600.
For tWenty-four hours q semi-corcle
Of fire. extending from Flea Hill to list,
ragged with cyclonic force oil border lines
of Cross Creek township for miles and
miles.
The following are additional losses re-
ported: Mr.. Lawrence Bennett, list.
barns containing a great quantity of for
age, four mules, TWO horses, fencing, etc,
totally destroyed.
I'm the same neighborhood the follow
ing colored people lost their houses and
barns: Jno. Montague, James Carmichael.
Sandy Ray, Jas. MCLAUGHLIN, Stephen
Mckay and Louisa Mcneil; Bright
liam Howard, Carver's Creek, stable.
barns and five hogs; Mr.. Elisha Monroe.
list, burned residence and all property,
Made a clean sweep.
In Black River c. c. Mcclellan lost
80 acres of timber: Walter Smith lost
20 acres: w. z. Rhodes, so or more; Mrs.
F.. n. Rhodes. so acres and 220 panels of
fence. In Flea Hill Harvey Bunce and
Jerre Thrower lost considerable fence.
The five houses burned at Bolton
Springs yesterday were owned as follows:
S. G. Aver. B. E. Sedberry. w. 7. Tom
linson, and Mrs. Lancanshire. Besides
the above numberless colored people.
whose names We are unable to learn,
were burned out Of house and home.
Mr.. John M~cCormick's teamster got
surrouded by fire and had to unhitch his
mules and fly for his life. leaving the
wagon and its contents to their fate.
In parts of Little River township the
farmers saved their horses and mules
by placing them in the middle of the
creeks. 1t is told that one farmer, miss
ing his pigs, found them after a search
standing in IL creek, having gone there
of their own accord.
Numerous instances are tod where
wild animals, possums, squirrels. rab-
many of them with their hair singed
off.
THE Carver's Creek and Little River
fire ranged fram near Tokay to Bunn's
Level, in Harnett county.
The list fire covered a wide territory
from the Chicken road to Big Reckfsh.
Mr.. Sandy McArthur's residence in
Carver's Creek was not burned. though
it took hard fghting by a small army
of men to ward off the flames"
DESOLATION AND RUIN IN BLADEN
COUNTY.
The Eastern Reformer. published at
Elizabethtown, Bladen county, says un-
der date of Friday. February 18th:
Reports are appalling in our own
county. All day Tuesday and Wednesday
the wind blew briskly from south to west
and the sunshine was a faint red color
from dense smoke, which indicates tina
fires ragged furiously those two days.
Following are some of the losses re-
ported:
In the Little Sugar Loaf section Bryan
Blackburn lost smokehouse, barn and
c~ontents; r. p. Melvin, 800 panels of
with contents, 300 bushels of corn be-
longing to Frank McDuffie and 80 bush
els to Mr.. Sutton; 800 panels of fence be-
longing to J. A; sutton; Isaac Keelan and
Cicero Guion both last their dwelling
houses and other property. All the
fences. barns. stables and contents be-
longing to w. C. Durham on this side
Sheriff Sutton lost 800 to 100 panels OF
fance on his plantation. Wintey Skies
lost a house on the Jack Sykes place.
The Briar Branch Baptist church is
buned down.
Fire broke out. Tuesday night where
J. Il. McGIl was burning some stumps.
It burned a portion Of McGill's fence and
the fence for John NJ. Benson.
Mr.. J. w. Downing lost everything ex-
cept his team and compas Loss over
$1,000. G.. E. Downing lost everything he
had. Loss over 81 800. j. II. Downing los,
all except dwelling and smokehouse
| Loss over $500. He lost fencing on Colley
| land. Alex Johnson lost all except a
mule, loss $50. S. H. Cain lost all he had,
oss $50. Owen Harris lost all he had, loss
$50.
In the Downingsville section they did
not even have time to turn the stock
out Of the stables; for instance. Mr.. Bor-
| dpanX had a nice mule roasted in the
| stall"
Frank Sherwood was down town TO.
L da1- thu Grct time cinna h. hnr lid hi