Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-24
MANY HOMES ARE
ENDANGERED BY
MOUNTAIN FIRE
Ten Thousand Acres and
Much Valuable Timber
Is Burned
HUNDREDS FIGHT FIRE
High Wind Drives Flames
Rapidly Towards Small
Town

Winds, switching from the
southwest to the north, will
save the village of Toland,
which has been threatened by
the big forest fire burning
several milc-widc path in the
South mountains The latest
theory advanced as to the prob
able cause of the fire is that 1t
was caused by lighted matches
carcleSsly thrown about by
arbutus hunters.
Ten thousands acres of timber
land, much valuable cut lumber and
a few outbuildings have been con-
sumed on the South Mountains, be-
tween Mount Holly Springs and Red
Tank, about eight miles from Car
lisle, in one of the fiercest fires Cen
trail Pennsylvania has known for
years.
The fire, which started on Satur-
day afternoon, is advancing rapidly
over some of the best timberland of
the section and the destruction of
Toland, u thirty-house village, occu-
pied by employees of the Philadel-
phia clay works. and of Gardeners
Farm, a hamlet of six dwelling
houses, is threatened. Fire lighters.
to the number of almost II half
thousand, are hard at work TO stay
the advances of the conflagration.
Blaze Started Saturday
Hundreds of men have fought the
flames almost continuously since
Saturday afternoon when they were
first discovered. The main fire broke.
out between l and 2 o'clock and since
then two smaller blaZes have been
discovered, but thus far the damage
caused by the fires has been incon-
sequential.
All day yesterday and until early
this morning an army of fire fighters
were hard at work to stop the on
slaughts of the blaze. AT o'clock
this morning it was believed to he
under control and most of the
weared men were permitted to go
to their homes.
Winds Stirs Flames
This morning, however, as the
wind freshened. the flames not en-
tirely eXtinguished, grew, and the
smoldering embers again broke into
| flames, and Il call was again issued
| for every person available to assist
| in the work. Fire Warden j. r.
! Williams, of Pine Grove. has been
| on the scene almost continuously di-
| recting the men in their work and
! is in active charge to-day.
The cause of the fire at this time
! has not been definitely determined
| The most plausible theory advanced
| and one that is receiving general ac-
| ceptance is that sparks from Il pass
ing engine on the Pennsylvania Rail-
! road line, formerly the old Phila-
delphia and Reading line, fired the
rapidly drying leaves and other ma
| terial which cover the timberland.
Loss Is Heavy
Residents of the section declare
that the ravages of this fire are
l greater than any that has occurred
within the past score of years. The
estimate that ten thousand acres had
| been burned by 1890 this morning
is believed TO be quite conservative
i'll this territory much valuable
timber has been felled and much OF
this has already been consumed.
! ID w. Sunday. of MiddleSex was
! one of the heaviest losers thus far
lie has thus far been able to make
no accurate estimate of his loss.
| AS yet none of the State timber
land in the section has been touched
| by the blaze. but unless the flames
are speedily checked, it is prac-
! tically certain that some of it will
! be reached within the next several
| hours. one of the smaller fires is
! burning near Hunters Run, but this
! is CT timberland that was burned
over about five years ago and little
real damage has resulted, although
a considerable area has been COW
! ere n