Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-03-28
Sweep Through Forests Along
Southwest Virginia
MUCH PROPERTY is DESTROYED
Patrick County, Va, Being Swept
and Already Much Property Loss
Has Resulted Confagration, Which
Started Near Stuart, is Under No
Control Whatever in Spite of Eff
forts to Cut Down Timber and Con.
fine It to Certain Limits.

Danville, Va, Special.-A tremen-
dous forest fire is sweeping the
county of Patrick and heavy damage
to property has already resulted and
the lives of many are endangered.
The fire started Friday night. it
appears, near Stuart, the county seat
of Patrick, and the terminus of the
Danville & Western Railroad, and
has been Iaging ever since. Latest re-
ports are that the confederation is
under no control whatever, thouoh a
large number OF citizens and farm
ers engaged i'll an effort to cut down
trees and confine the blaze to cer-
tain limits.
From Stuart the fire has spread
southeast IN the direction of Danville.
Sunday night it had reached Critz. a
distance of about ID or 20 miles from
where 1t originated. The width of
the confiagration is about six miles.
About so farm houses have already
been burned and the occupants bare
iy escaped with their lives. At Pat.
rick Springs, an ald established sum-
mer resort. four cottages located sew
eral hundred yards from the main
hotel were burned The main hotel
is located in valley with woods on
both sides. ii is in an open space
and WAS saved only by this enclosure e.
The sfin5s arc located ABOUT two
miles from ShufI, the railroad station.
and so"eral niles beyond Crit.. AS
yet no lives nave been repo:te los.,
but there have been many thrilling
escapes. The valuable dwelling hous-
cs of w. n. Martin, prominent
citizen, was destroyed together with
ltS contents. The occupants fed for
their lives ard 40 effort was made m
save anything.
The scene of the origin of the fire
was on the plantation of the Stuart
Orchard Company, which had many
acres CT apples and peach trees. All
OF The fruit trees of this concern.
wllcli Is the largest of its kind in
this section of the State, have been
burned.
Patrick county is a mountainous
country located about 60 miles south
west of Danvilie and is famous for
Its timber lands, and as a fine fruit
growing section. Apples grown in
the county are shipped to all parts
of the world.
The fire is confined mostly to Bull
and No Business mountains. The
first named mountain was burned sew
eral years ago. No Business noun
tam is great timber land and the
loss in this respect will be heavy.
In the area of about 10 by six miles
already swept only few farm houses
located IN the valleys escaped destruc-
tion.
The Danville & Western. a branch
line of the Southern, is the only rail
way that runs through Patrick coun-
ty. No damage is reported to have
been done to railroad property.
1t is impossible to get any COM
mrnication to any of the points along
the scene of the fire. The first news
was brought here by the crew and
passengers of a train arriving here
In the afternoon. No trains run on
the Danville & Western Saturday and
Sunday, hence the telegraph Offices
are closed. The fires on the burning
mountains Illuminated this section
for miles around, the blaze being
clearly seen by those on the train.