Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-21
A ROARING FURNACE.
Gigantic Forest Fire Now
Raging on Cape Cod.
Many Villages Threatened and Fire
Fighters Lives in Danger.
Twenty-Five Square Miles Burned Over and
Flames Sweeping On.

Sandwich, Mass, July 20.-A forest
fire which now extends over a terri
tory Of at least Is square miles, and
which threatens nearly score of
towns and villages in this portion of
of the Cape district is the result Of a
tiny blaze started by some berry pick
ers, yesterday, in the vicinity of
Hatchville. Hundreds of men drawn
from every town in this neighborhood
are working night and day to check
the progress Of the flames, but as the
brush is as dry as finder and as the
flames jump one way and then another
the men are almost helpless and their
lives are constantly being menaced
several instances being known where
large gangs of men, by quick shift
of the wind. were entirely surrounded
by the flames and no one escaped
without a bad scorching.
At a late hour tonight, the flames are
travelling through some of the heavi
est timber standing on the cape, as
fast as man can walk, and the ex-
citement is intense in all the surround
ing towns, as it is not known at what
shift Of the wind the flames will sweep
some luckless settlement out of ex-
direction, but is spread out in the dis
'trict between Sandwich and Buzzard's
bay. bounded by the main line of the
Consolidated Road and by the towns
of Cataumet, Wenaumet and the Fail
mouths, and the brush and timber be-
tween is roaring mass of flames.
The fire wardens have been unable
to make out what course the flames
will take, and oftentimes, back firing,
which it was hoped would keep the fire
within bound, has proved of no avail
and the back fire is carried away in
the huge head fire. 1t has been ter
rible battle for the men. and many
are coming out of the woods in an ex-
hausted condition. and they express no
hopes that the fire can be checked I'M
less rain comes. Men in sufficient num-
bers cannot be brought here, and the
fire is entirely out of the control of the
help at the disposal of the wardens.
The whole country bounded by Hall
Dwell, the FalmouthS Howard and Po-
casset roads was burned, during last
night, and, this morning, the brisk
breeze soon had the fire headed in the
direction of Falmouth and the adjoin-
ing villages, and with a shift of the
wind to the southerly and then to an
casterly direction. the flames bore on
the heavily wooded country before ii
ut the rate of four miles an hour. The
fire wardens, seeing their helplessness,
sent couriers to the surrounding towns
requesting all available men, and the
call was answered by a large number,
who. tonight, are hard at work with
shovels.
The old Pocassct road is being
guarded lest the fire break over and
get into the villages of Sandwich and
Cataumet. At noon, the main fire was
working towards Hatchville, but an
other shift of the wind sent the flames
back so that they are now headed in
the direction of Sandwich and Saga
more. A large gang is back firing on
the Foster north road to prevent the
fire from re lching the town Of Bourne.
This afternoon, a gang of over 100
men are fighting the flames near Saga
more when, by change of the winds.
the flames surrounded the gang, and
only through the careful guiding of
Fire Warden Burgess We're the men
brought out alive. although a large
number were burned. The fire is near
the summer residences of Mrs. Sarah
Curtis of Newton Highlands. and. at
dark. a number of men were standing
by to guard the property.
Farmers are bringing into service all
the wagons possible to haul the cord
wood they own from the woods before
the flames reach it,. One farmer who
came out of the woods said that the
flames jumped the sand bars which the
men placed in the path of the fire and
continue uninterrupted.
Tonight. the wind is from the south
west, which is likely to increase rather
than diminish the fury of the fire. No
estimate of the damage already done
can be given, nor can anything def
mite be said as to the progress the
flames will make tonight.