Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-03-27
Sweep Through Forests Along
Southwe Virginia
MUCH PROPERTY. Y.ISs DESTROYED
Patrick County, Va, Being Swept
and Already Much Property Loss
Has Resulted condagration, Which
Started Near Stuart, is Under.TNp
Control Whatever in Spite of Eff
forts to Cut Down Timber and Con.
fine Tt to Certain Limits.

Danville, Va, Speeial.-A tremen-
lous forest fire is sweeping. the
county of Patrick and heavy damage
% property has already resulted and
the lives of many are endangered.
The fire started Friday night, it
appears, near Stuart, the county seat
IF Patrick, and the terminus of the
Danville & Western Railroad, and
has been raging ever since. Latest re-
ports are that the confagration is
under. no control whatever, though d
large number of citizens and farm
srs engaged in an effort to cut down
trees and confne the blaze to eer.
lain limits.
From Stuart the fire has spread
southeast in the, direction of Danville.
Sunday night it:had reached Critz, q
distance of about IS or 20 miles from
where it originated. The width Of
the confagration is about six miles.
About 80 farm houses have already
been burned and the occupants bare
" escaped with their lives. At Pat.
rick Springs, an aid established sum-
mer resort. four cottages located ser-
,ral hundred yards from the main
aotel were burned. The main hotel
IS located in a valley with woods OH
10th sides. II is in an open space
and was saved only by this enclosure.
The sri1nss are located ABOUT two
miles from Snuff, the railroad station,
md seyeral miles beyond CRIT. AS
yet no lives nave been repotte:l LOSE,
but there have been many thrilling
escapes. The valuable dwelling hous-
es of W. N. Martin, a. prominent
citizen, was destroyed together with
it; contents. The occupants fed for
their lives ard no effort was made to
save anything. =
The scene of the origin of the, fire
was on the plantation Of the Stuart
Orchard Company, which had many
acres cf apples and peach trees. All
Of The fruit trees Of this concern,
wllicli is the largest of its kind in
this section Of the State, have been
burned.
s. Patrick county is q mountainous
country located about 60 miles south
vest Of Danvisle and is famous for
its timber lands, and as a fine fruit
growing section. Apples grown s;iill in
the county are shipped to all parts
of the world. ..t:ss
s.; The fire 3iss confne dSmostly to Bull
and N Business mountains. The
frst.named mountain was burned sey-
:eral years ago. No sBusine noun
tain is a great timber land and the
loss I'm this respect will, ;,bes heavy;
IN the area. of about Is Is BY sii;xsmiles
;already swept only a few farm houses,
located in the valleys escape destruc.
stlen. -
The Danyille g. Western iya branch
line Of the Southern, is the only rail-
way that runs through P Pat1ek counS
sty No damage is reported to have
been: done to railroad property.
81 It is impossible Ito get any. com.
.munication to any of the points along
the scene of the fire. The first news
was brought here by. the crew and
passengers of 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.