The Washington times., 1916-04-19
Stretch Of Land Eight Miles
Long, Near Mt. Vernon,
Already Burned Over.
PEOPLE FLEE FROM HOMES
Five Houses and Much Timber
Distinguishes viii Reach
Hundreds of Thousands.

ALEXANDRIA. Va. April 1.-THE
most disastrous forest fire that north
ern Virginia has known for a number
OF yearsJs sweeping the heavily tim
bered districts of lower Fairfax coun-
ty 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 already has
been burned over. Ave residences and
probably more were destroyed yes
terday afternoon and night. many
thousands of dollars OF valuable
standing timber. 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. especially
those living. in Accotink, Accotink
station. and Pohick. were panic
stricken yesterday as the flames. fan
ned by a fierce northeastern gale.
swept the flames near their homes.
The smoke poured behind lighted by
knots. Women and children were
carried from their homes in automo-
blles to the villages out of the path
OF the Flames. while everyman and
boy in the surrounding country went
TO work to fight the fire. Trenches
were dug and backfiring resorted to.
but the work was of little avail. and II
was not until the flames reached large
cleared lelds that II was checks. The
work OF the fre-fighteTs. however.
saved a number of houses which were
threatened. Employees OF the Southern
railway and the Richmond. Frcder-
icksburg. and Potomac railway, work
ed valiantly In helping the people OF
the burned district.
The fire started yesterday morning
IN the vicinity of Springfield station,
/ on the Southern railway, ten miles
| southwest of Alexandria. Sparks from
passing southern railway locomotive
are thought to have set fire to the
woods in the heavily timbercd tract OF
| -Ravensworth," the historic Lee home
| The houses destroyed were owned by
| j. T.. Giilingham, Mrs. Marion &.
| brown. Frederick Davis, William Ty-
| Ter, and DIR. Roberts. The last four
arc at Accotink station, of the r. F. &
y. railway, FIVE miles from Springfield.
| The flames did not reach either the
villages OF Lorton or Accotink. AL
though many OF the residents fed from
At midnight the fire was practically
under control. but during the night 1t
| started anew, and this morning IL was
BURNING IN the direction OF Pohick vii
! lagc. There are a number OF houses
| at Pohick, and the colonial church of
| Pohick parish also is located there.
| The annual meeting for the election of
| officers Of the Retail Merchants Assoc
| citation was held last night. and the fol-
| lowing officers were chosen: Joseph T..
SChwarzmann, general manager OF the
| Alexandria Laundry Company, presi-
| dent Samuel W. Pitts, secretary of w.
A. Smoot e. Co.. vice president; r. r.
| Washington. secretary and treasurer.
| The board of directors elected Is as fol-
Flows: Robert +. Knight. II. Noel Gar
| nor, Julius Wolf. W. +. Smith, Kenneth
w. Ogden, Leopold Ruben. John n.
Matter. William II. Quinn. Harry Ham
mon,;. c, Il. Swan. II. w. Wildt, Ray
| mono Blumentield and Benedict We'll.
] The reports of r. Il. Washington, Soc
| rotary and treasurer. showed that the
| affairs OF the association were In a
fiOur.shnR condition.
The assoc iEtion decided to hold a
Dollar Day" on May r. which will he
| extensively advertised. and i'm which all
the merchants of the city will PARTED.
pate.
r. f. knight and r. b. Washington
were elected delegates to the State con
| Vcntion of the Virginia Retail Mer'
chants Association to be held in Roam
oke in May. and Herman FriedlandeI
and julius Wolf were elected alternates