People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1895 — IN A SEA OF FLAME. [ARTICLE]

IN A SEA OF FLAME.

PENNSYLVANIA FOREST FIRES ONWARD. Taflrn of . In Great Danger— Aflkolutelyirwittiont Water Protection —OU Hire Destroyed and Other A<*- ‘ vflirarAd Rendered Useless. Bradford, Pa.. June 4.—Elk county has experienced a number of destructive forest flres, but those of Sunday and vpaterday surpass them all. The Are at Russell City was one that drove terror to the hearts of the 500 people vuhqpinhabit the place. At 10 o'clock a b 'iSR west wind sprang up and fanned tl efburning brush and hemlock timber ir to one solid mass of fire covering a stretch of three miles in width. The people who were about exhausted from fighting the flames for the past three days were forced to flee for their lives. The flames spread so rapidly that the people had to leave everything and run through the clearings two miles distant to Highland Corners. Many women fell exhausted and were trampled on but reached Highland In safety. Nothing is left of the once bustling little place. The fire Is still burning fiercely among the oil wells. It is impossible to estimate the loss.

The woods leading to Clark’s mills are one mass of flames on both sides of the road, and how the people who live along the road could have escaped is beyond comprehension. .There is no communication of any description with this place and no news obtainable from there, but there is no doubt of everything having been burned in the path of the fire, as there was no protection iof any kind. Every available man is I out fighting fire, and there are not half enough. , Coon Run, three miles from Russell City, which was wiped out yesterday afternoon, was entirely obliterated from the face of the earth, and nothing r . mains to show that there ever was sucn a* place. The place consisted of twentyseven buildings, a pump station, school house and saw mil). Men, women and children made a wild rush for the railway t’’ack, a distance of five miles, while » flames played havoc with.all their 1 ongings, and the Northern compan, lost forty oil wells at this place and a large number of n»*w rigs that had been built for new wells. About twenty-five tanks of oil were consumed and lent energy to the flames. The loss will be very great. No estimate can be made until the fires abate. Reports from Duke Center state that the entile valley is on fire, and the loss to oil and lumbermen will be enormous. Kansas Branch, Rixford, Davis City, Summit City, Dallas City, Oil Valley, Limestone, State Urie, Derrick City and R»-d Rock are ail in ft, and unh-as rain fails soon there Is no telling what the result will b»*. The sky Is black with smoke and the mountains are Invisible. Not an idle man can be found and calls for men come from every dlrc-iion. Men are still fighting, the fire al !)>•- golla, and apparently have It under control. Nothing has been hoard fi .m West Branch, where a brisk fire Is burning. ! Everything at Sugar Run, including ! saw mills and dwellings, wt • burned and ‘nothing remains of the pl Th ■ ; fire at Brokstmi I ..II burning fiercely and there |« no pricp-et of cher l'.hig the , spread of th" limn-4. -it ja imp isslbb 1 i to get men. and < onsctiu'-ntly the fir" I makes rapid headway.