The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-08-07
PEAT BED ON FIRE
FARM BURNING UP
FRANKLIN CO FARMERS FIGHT.
ING But LAND SEEMS DOOMED
QUICK ACTION SAVES LIVES
oskalooan Robbed Of his shoes in
Oes Moines-Four drowned near
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES City to
improve Water Works,


Dows, Aug. practically without
rest for five days and nights, the
farmers of Scott and Morgan town
ships in Franklin county have been
nghting to keep their land from burn
ing up, but defeat seems certain and
more than one man expects TO see his
land ruined permanently and all his
efforts of years TO improve is lost.
Fire in bed of peat has been burn
ing since Wednesday. A trench has
been dug around the forty acres that
were burned over in the first thirty
six hours, but there is little hope of
stopping the blaze until it has devast-
ated a tract six miles long and from
forty to 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 were 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 it and
went away for the night.
The fire smouldered all night, and
by Friday morning had spread over
forty acres. The entire neighbor-
hood 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 track a trench and fourteen wells
have been dug. Besides, water has
been hauled for three days. In spite
of the efforts. 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. Under
that is a red glow like a massive
bank Of coal. Over the neighborhood
a cloud of blue smoke hangs, so dense
that it is difficult to see through it.
The county supervisors have con.
demned the road, and Engineer Bak.
er of Franklin county is in charge of
the work of fighting the fire. A
meeting of the trustees of Scott and
Morgan townships was held, called
by the county attorney. The road
and drainage ditch are township in
stitutions, 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 few miles away were
rushed to the fire and joined the eff
forts OF neighboring farmers. Forty
: sfef have been working constantly.
Jens Jensen, whose 200 acres o.
land just north of the road has been
his pride for twenty years, is one Of
the leaders in the fight.
II don't think I'll ever save this,
he said, as he looked over his acres
today. "The fire will be under the
road by tonight"
The land Is useless after the fire
gets into it. The peat bed is from
tour to seven feet deep through the
whole region. If the fire crosses the
road it will burn probably for foul
miles. South it will go two. The
bed varies in width from forty to 10C
rods.
One steam engine and half a dozen
gasoline engines are pumping water
night and day. A deep well drill and
gasoline engine is being brought tc
the fire and drilling will be begun as
soon as 1t arrives. II the fire ad
vanCes the pumps and drill will be
moved back and another effort made
to prevent 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 be-
longings.