FLAMING FORESTS, 1884; Hamlet threatened

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Bruce Osburn
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FLAMING FORESTS, 1884; Hamlet threatened

Post by Bruce Osburn »

An item from the Daily Dispatch, Richmond, Va., Apr. 5, 1884:

FLAMING FORESTS.
North Carolina Pineries Swept by Fire -- A Town Menaced.
A Raleigh special says: The greatest fire ever known here began yesterday. Last night and this morning it swept through the vast forests of yellow pine which stretch well nigh unbroken from Sanford, fifty miles from Raleigh, to points southwest and south, sixty miles in South Carolina. The border forests are what are known as virgin, and from them comes nearly all the turpentine marketed at Wilmington, N.C. The trees are of enormous size and, at points where turpentine orchards are located, are blazed for miles. Covered with with rosin, hundreds of thousands of trees offered a rare opportunity to four or five fires which broke out yesterday morning. The fires were caused by burning trash. Before noon a storm came up and the wind blew nearly a hurricane.

FLAMES RACING LIKE DEMONS.
In half an hour after this high wind arose flames were racing like demons through the pines, the crackling of the burning trees, the awful sight of the flames, and the blinding, scorching heat, showed the people far and near that a great disaster was at hand. Vast masses of fire were actually forced through the air by the sweeping gale. The tops of the half-burned pines were thrown great distances, and fell in the middle of cleared fields. The flames towered to an amazing height, and so vivid was the glare that it made all objects plain a great way off. The people were terribly alarmed. At Blue's Crossing and Keyser the people gathered in large numbers, and fought the flames with such energy and desperation that these places escaped with little damage. Dozens of turpentine distilleries are completely destroyed, as well as large quantities of rosin, turpentine, and other naval stores.

MANY PERSONS SCORCHED.
The fire has extended beyond Hamlet into South Carolina. Its full sweep is over a distance of fifty or sixty miles. No news of any disaster to life has yet been received. Many persons have lost clothing, and some were badly scorched by the fierce flames. It is by far the most disastrous fire ever in North Carolina turpentine forests.

The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line railroad runs fifty miles through the burned district. All day yesterday the fire raged through this district, gathering fury as it went. Crops were scorched and houses burned, and the scene of destruction was indeed grand. In the afternoon the wind rose yet higher, and at nightfall it was blowing a lively gale. The aspect then became awful in sublimity. The fire extended for an unknown distance on each side of the railroad, principally on the south-side, the wind blowing from the north-west, and steadily sweeping the flames southward. Tall pines were in a blaze from base to summit, and a large number of cross-ties and an immense amount of wood and lumber were burned up along the line of the railroad. The turpentine orchards of the whole section have been entirely destroyed.

A TOWN IN IMMINENT DANGER.
The town of Manly was in imminent danger of total destruction. The railroad warehouse caught fire several times, but was extinguished. The Methodist church, five storage warehouses for guano, the barn and stables of W.C. Petty, at Manly, were burned. The water-tanks of the Raleigh and Augusta railroad at Hamlet were consumed. At 2 o'clock this morning Hamlet was surrounded by a cordon of fire, and the light of the conflagration could be seen for miles in every direction. Many family houses have been consumed. Mr. Henderson, near Hamlet, lost his residence, together with all the outhouses on the premises.

The whole community was busy during the night fighting fire. The heat from the fire was so oppressive at times that it was necessary for the doors and windows of the passenger train to be closed while passing through it. Hundreds of farmers lost all their fences, out-buildings, forage, &c. At Hamlet and other points, people threw their furniture, bedding, and clothing into ponds and streams to save them from the devouring flames. Cases are reported where people took refuge in ponds and wells.

For ten miles east of Hamlet everything is absolutely destroyed. This afternoon and evening the fire is burning only in limited places. The wind being low people are enabled to combat it more easily. Though the danger is over many thousand trees will yet burn and smoulder. The full news of the losses can hardly be obtained for several days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bruce Osburn
--We live so long as we are remembered... old German adage.
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Re: FLAMING FORESTS, 1884; Hamlet threatened

Post by sigmore »

Awesome story! Tell us more.
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