Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-19
Confagration in Timbered
Districts Famed By
High Wind
FIVE HOMES BURNED
Losses Will Aggregate Hundreds of
Thousands Of Dollars-Peoplc Flee
in Panic.

|
The most disastrous forest fire
that northern Virginia has known
for number Of years is sweeping the
heavily timbered districts of lower
Fairfax County in the vicinity OF
Mt. Vernon and the little towns OF
Lorton, Pohick and Accotink. A
zig-zag stretch of land over eight
miles long has already been burned,
five residences ant probably
more were destroyed yesterday
afternoon and night, many thousands
of dollars of valuable standing tim.
Der, lumber and cord wood have
gone up in smoke and the total loss
will run up in the hundreds OF
thousands of dollars.
The people Of the district especial
ly those living in Accotink, Accotink
station and Pohick, were panic
stricken yesterday as the flames
famed by a fierce northeastern gale
swept the roaring flames near their
homes. The smoke, almost suffocat.
ing, poured behind in great pillow
lighted by the blazing pieces OF
/ bark and pine knots Women and
children were carried from their
homes in automobiles to the villages
/ out of the path of the flames while
every man and boy in the sur.
rounding country went to work to
fight the fire. Trenches were dug
and backfrng resorted to but the
work was of little avail and it was
! not until the flames reached large
cleared fields that it was checked.
The work of the fre-fghters how.
ever saved number of houses which
were threatened.
Employees of the Southern Railway
and the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Railway, worked vail
emily in helping the people of the
burned district.
The fire started yesterday morn
ing in the vicinity of Springfield sta
ton on the Southern Railway, ten
miles southwest of Alexandria. Spark
from a passing Southern Railway
locomotive is thought to have set
| fire to the woods in the heavily tim
bercd tract of Ravensworth,' the his
torc Lee home. The fire burned to-
ward the south and fortunately there
! was not many houses in its path. The
] houses that were destroyed were own
! ed by F. P. Gillinham, Mrs. Marion
G.. Brown, Frederick Davis, William
Tyler and Dr.. Roberts. the last four
are at the Accotink station, of the
R. F. and P. Railway, five miles
from Springfield. The flames did not
reach either the village of Lorton OF
!Accotink although many of the resi-
dents fed from their homes. 1t was
impossible to get within Il quarter OF
mile from the flames on account OF
the smoke.
At midnight last night the nre
was practically under control but
during the night it started anew ant
this morning it was burning in the
direction of Pohick village. There are
number of houses at Pohick ant
the colonial church of Pohick parish
is also located there.
Many Alexandrians went to tn
scene yesterday afternoon and this
morning while large number OF wo
men and children from lower Fair
fax came here until all danger mac
been removed.
Harry D. Kirk. of H. Kirk ant
Sons had an unpleasant experience
when he went to the fire yesterda.
afternoon. He went in his big sever
passenger automobile and wflen be
low Franconia saw the flames righ
in his path. He stopped his car AM
attempted to turn but stripped tn
, gears with the result that he coul
not move the car. AS the flames wer
rapidly nearing the stalled car MI
Kirk came to the conclusion that