Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-04
FORTY ACRES OF FRANKLIN
COUNTY FARM RUINED BY
euRNlNc PEAT BEDS.
HUNDRED MEN LABOR NIGHT
AND DAY TO SAVE BALANCE
Entire Field honsyeombsd and Can
Not 1s Entered Without Danger Of
Loss Of Lifs-Diteh Being Dug 70
Save Adjacent Aersass-Theusands
Of sishtsssrs Flock to Scene.
'pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Hampton. Aug. farm land
seething furnace, forty acres already
ruined. 100 workers striving night and
day. with horses and machinery. to
save an adjoining 200 acres from utter
ruin, and thousands Of sightseers flock
ing to the scene to witness the unusual
confiagration. is the spectacle presented
on the Ms Sorenson farm near Coulter.
Efforts to exterminate q nest Of humble
bees started the trouble.
The Sorenson farm Is located one
mile west and one mile south OF Coul-
ter. 1t develops that the entire farm
Of moro than 200 acres is underlaid
with a bed OF peat. Saturday afternoon
the tenant on the place attempted to
get rid Of troublesome nest Of humble
bees. To do so he built q fire over the
opening of the bees underground home.
The flames communicated to the en-
tire field Of fifty acres Of hay land. and
by night forty acres Of this had been
entirely burned over.
Burns Holes in Ground.
The loss Of the hay was bad enough,
but Sunday morning 1t was discovered
that the entire forty acres was burn
ing from underneath, and that the land
was honeycombed, holes six to eight
feet in depth having been burned in the
peat, leaving only huge hummocks Of
soil and grass.
Aid was summoned and since Sunday
morning a force OF 100 or moro men,
with teams and traction engines. has
been at work trying to subdue the
flames and save the adjoining 200 acres.
1t was found impossible to put out the
fires, which burned like innumerable
underground furnaces. and the county
engineer was called to devise plans to
check the progress OF the fire.
Building immsnso Ditch.
The plan finally adopted was the
construction of an immense ditch on
three sides Of the field. All the tiling
workers in the vicinity have been en-
ployed men with traction engines have
been hurried to the scene. and a big
ditch is being constructed. In addition
to this wells have been sunk and trac-
tion engines will pump water to pour
on tho burning peat beds in an effort
to prevent the spread Of the flames.
The held Is bordered on one side by
an established drainage ditch. and the
dixie thrown up during this work is
now on flre. Should the ditch be
crossed by the flames 200 acres Of
valuable land will be destroyed.
Work All Day and Night.
The large force Of men worked all
day Sunday and all Sunday night. The
field represented an immense railroad
yard at night, with the flames remit
tently bursting from the underground
furnaces like so many moving lanterns
or stationary switch lights. Unless
the pumping system established en-
ables the workmen to put the fire out
it will burn indefinitely.
Thousands Of people In automobiles
are constantly going to and from tho
Sorenson farm. travelling miles to wit
ness the unusual spectacle.
Mr.. Sorenson. owner OF the farm. Is
president Of the bank at lAtimer.
It. Is unsafe for any one to venture
far on the burning field, as n person
doing so Is In danger OF being pre-
cipitated into one of the innumerable
holes and into fire pits several feet in
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