Delmar, Pennsylvania Fire
May
2, 1884
Not a drop of rain fell last week, and the
forest fires, which had started on the previous
Thursday and Friday from burning fallows and
brush-heaps, raged in various parts of the
county with unabated fury. During
the first five days of the week the flames crept
steadily through the forests, destroying much
valuable timber; but there was no wind, and
where the fire menaced the log-piles and
dwellings adjacent to the burning forests the
settlers were able to baffle the element and
save their property from destruction.
But on Friday early in the forenoon a strong
southwest wind came up, blowing at the rate of
more than fifty miles an hour, and then it was
that the flames were lashed into fury and shot
with frightful rapidity through the timber and
were carried from one mountain-top to another by
fiery sparks dropped into the dry brush in the
woods. All human means were then utterly
powerless to stay the progress of the fires
which swept over acres upon acres of valuable
timber-land, in a few short hours leveling
dwellings, barns and log-piles, leaping across
clearings and sweeping on like a fiery demon.
It is impossible to estimate the amounts of
damage caused to the timber-tracts in the ten
days during which the fires burned. In
this part of the county many farmers had
reserved a few acres timber upon their farms for
future use; and particularly in Charleston,
Delmar and Middlebury very many of these small
patches of woods were destroyed, leaving their
farms destitute of timber. Such losses are
wholly irreparable to the farmers, and no proper
appraisement can be made of the damage in
dollars and cents. ...
In Delmar Mr. Constant Bailey, who lived on Heise run, lost his house and barn, several cows
and calves, all his furniture and everything
else, being glad to get out with his family
alive.
Charles Balfour's house and barn were also
burned and about $1,000 worth of hemlock bark
belonging to Wright & Bailey.
Mr. Charles Brooks lost his barn and
Mr. Ed.
Rodgers, of Stokesdale, lost his barn containing
a quantity of tobacco and some farming tools,
and three hogs.
Mr. John Fischler's farm-house and three
large barns were entirely consumed, as well as a
fine orchard and most of his fences, entailing a
loss of from $7,000 to $10,000 with an insurance
of $2,200. Mr. Fischler also lost $475
cash in his house. Such other losses in Delmar as we have been
able to learn are as follows:
William
Parker, house and barn, without insurance;
Henry Staats, house and barn and also a house on the
Pine creek road; Daniel Nobles,
a barn; George
Nobles, house and barn;
Jacob Navle, a barn.
The Wellsboro Agitator, Wellsboro, PA, 6 May 1884
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