Port Tobacco Times, And Charles County Advertiser

Large Fire

On last Thursday evening a considerable fire broke out in the woods of Alms House farm and did a vast amount of damage before it could be suppressed. Mr. Welch, the overseer of the property, discovered it about 1 o'clock in the day, and immediately collected all his hands and hastened to it, but it had acquired a too rapid headway to attempt to battle with the flames and efforts were directed to removing all combustible material that would feed the flames. This was accomplished and the shower of rain that occurred late in the evening on the same day, extinguished the flames which had been confined to a narrow limit by the workmen. The fire caught just where a large quantity of wood had been cut and corded and the greatest loss was sustained in the burning of this, over forty cords of it being consumed; much fencing was also destroyed and some trees in the neighborhood of the fire. Mr. Welch estimates the loss at $150. He thinks the fire was originated by some one passing through the woods with a lighted pipe or segar or else by the burning wads from the guns of some sportsmen who were heard in the woods a short time before the fire was discovered.