Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-07
GROUND BURNING;
FARMS IN DANGER
PEAT BEDS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY
ARE AeLAZE AND DOING
MUCH DAMAGE.

DOws, Aug. b.-Practlcally wltnous
rest for four days and nights the
farmers of Scott and Morgan town
ships in Franklin county have been
lighting to keep their land from burn.
ing up. Today the battle is going
on, but defeat seems certain and to.
morrow more than one man expects to
see his land ruined permanently and
all his efforts of years to improve it
lost.
Fire In a bed of peat has been burn.
ing since Wednesday. A trench has
been dug around the forty acres that
we're burned over in the first thirty.
six hours, but there Is little hope OF
stopping the blaze until 1t has devasta-
ted a tract six miles long and from
forty to q hundred rods wide.
Two men who came from Denmark
a short time ago and whose names
are not known even in the neighbor-
hood are said to be responsible for
starting the fire. They we're putting
up clover hay last Wednesday on the
farm belonging to Mis- Sorensen when
toward evening they found a humble
bees nest. They set fire to 1t and
went away for the night.
N4lahborhood Alarmed.
The fire smouldered all night, and
by Friday morning had spread over
forty acres. The entire neighborhood
became alarmed, and the battle was
begun.
The forty acres adjoins a road that
divides Scott and Morgan townships.
Beside this road runs a drainage ditch.
On the other three sides of the tract
g trench and fourteen wells have been
dug, Besides, water has been hauled
for three days. In spite of the eff.
forts, the fire is eating into the road
and apparently will not stop at the
trench.
The forty acres has been consumed
to a depth Of twenty inches. US3er
that is a red glow like a massive bank
Of coal. Over the neighborhood a
cloud of blue smoke hangs, SC dense
that 1t is diflcult to see through 1t. ~
County Takes Charge.
The county supervisors have con-
demned the road and Engineer Baker
of Franklin county is in charge Of the
work Of fighting the fire. A meeting
of tho trustees CT Scott and Morgan
was held Sunday, called by
the county attorney. The road and
drainage ditch are township institu-
tons, but under the new road law
the township Is without funds, so the
county has taken charge.
Two gangs Of men employed on a
drainage ditch a few miles away were
to the fire and joined the ef-
OF neighboring farmers. Forty
"a Ansy~tknnu vrNrE IN a. n0n at a pf1yH -.
Jens Jensen, whose 200, acres of land
north, of the road has been his
pride for twenty years. is n of the
leaders in the fight.
"I don't think I'll ever say this" he
said, as he looked over his acres last
evening. "The fire will be under the
road by tomorrow"
Mr.. Jensen went home last evening
Tor a little rest after working without
q stop for twenty-five hours.
Extends Six Miles.
The land is useless after the fire
gets into 1t. The peat bed Is from
four to seven feet deep through the
whole region. If the fire crosses the
road it will burn probably for four
miles. South 1t will 90 two. The bed
in width from forty to 100 rods.
One steam engine and half a dozen
gasoline engines are pumping water
night and day. A deep we'll drill and
gasoline engine Is being brought to
the fire and drilling will be begun as
as it arrives. If the fire advances
the pumps and drill will be moved
ack and another effort made to pre-
vent the complete destruction of the
land. .../
The two men who started the fire
have been seen only once since, when
they returned for some of their belong
|ngs,