Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-17
FURIOUS FOREST
FIRES ARERAGING
ALL OVER STATE
Flames Sweeping Peters
Mountain; Lumbermen
Fight to Save Camps
SUMMER HOMES BURN
Rain Only Thing That Will
Stop Many of the Con-
flagrations

Furious forest fires which are rag
ing in many parts of the State are
devastating thousands of acres OF
timberland.
The fire which burned over hun
dreds of acres on Cove mountain is
practically burned out.
Back of Dauphin on Peters noun
tain, fire which started Monday
has been placed under control by
volunteer and railroad firefghters,
but another seven miles up Clark's
Valley is burning furiously in the
"choppings" of the Hartman Lum-
ber Company. Sweeping through
the dense underbrush, tops of trees
left by the lumbermen and heavy
beds of laurel the flames attain Il
fierce heat. Lumbermen at Camp 2
have fought for two days and two
nights to save their buildings. Latest
advices were that they would be sue
cessful. The summer home of David
Cameron near Carlisle, for a time
was threatened yesterday.
Dense clouds OF smoke from the
mountains above the city made the
surrounding country and city dark
to-day. The sun rose this morning
behind a cloud of black smoke which
caused it TO shine red.
Thousands of Birds Killed
Thousands of young birds have
been killed by forest fires that are
sweeping the Bald Eagle mountains
for miles along the West Branch of
the Susquehanna above Williams
port. The fires have been raging
for several days, but just reached
their height Hundreds of acres of
second growth timber are being de-
stroyed.
Forest fire wardens have been lead
ing scores of men, furnished by the
railroads and farmers, in attacks on
the flames, which are continually
spreading in spite of the efforts of
the fighters.
Only a rain will eXtinguish all the
fires now burning, as it is impossible
to procure men enough to check the
flames, which are burning in many
places
State Police Help
Forest fires, raging in the under
brush of Sharp mountain, south OF
Pottsville, are being fought by large
platoons of State police.
Houses Burned
Thousands of acres of valuable
timber lands on Tusseys mountain,
w illlOLo IEIdbS anu 1lOllS
have been destroyed by forest fires,
which have been raging in the GEN.
trail, southern and northern sections
of Huntingdon county since last
Monday.
In addition to the destruction of
timber several houses and barns and
miles of fencing have been burned.
Scores of other farmhouses were
saved by the heroic efforts of those
fighting the fires. The loss to the
farmers will be heavy.
Eight Fires Under Control
Eight forest fires which burned
more than 500 acres of fine timber
land are under control after nights
fight, near Altoona. Wild game and
vegetation were also destroyed.
Minor fires are being reported al
most hourly around the Mule Shoe
curve and at Allegrippius.
Fight Night and Day
All last night and to-day near Car
tain fought a big blaze burning in
and about the big property where
the summer home of David Cameron,
of Harrisburg, is located, and other
smaller blaZes near Laurel.
These latter fires started from
sparks of the larger fire of Monday
night. it is believed, the other being
blamed on careless fishermen. At
Laurel the blaze burned the fences
and outbuildings at the cottages cf
| Mrs. Silas Stuart, of Carlisle. but the
! cottage was saved.
800 Men Fighting
Fifteen hundred acres of timber
| land on the Welsh mountains. near
Lancaster, have been destroyed by
fires during the past twenty-four
hours and the flames are still spread
| ing, despite the efforts to check them
being made by more than 800 fire
| fighters.
The fire started six miles southeast
of New Holland. Several hundred
acres of timberland have been burn
| ed by fire which started on Tues
day in the woods near Martic forge
and to-day the flames ragged uncon-