The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-13
TERRIBLE FIRE ON LONG ISLAND.
Over Sixty thousand Square Acres
of Wood Burned Over.
TWENTY OR THIRTY HOUSES DESTROYED.
Serious Loss of Cows, Sheep, Swine
Horses and Other Cattle,

One Of the most destructive fires that ever visited
Long Island has raging the past four days.
has destroyed a large amount Of property. The fire
broke out near Stony Brook on Friday last and
caused by the burning of Of lot the farm Of Mr. Joel
L. G. Smith.
appears Mr. Smith had ploughed round the lot several
times for the purpose Of preventing the flames from
reaching the woods, which were but short distance of
The high winds Of Friday evening, however, blew some
sparks from the burnngtot into the adjacent woods
which Immediately took fire and continued burning until
yesterday afternoon, destroying everything before it,
from Smithtown branch to Coram from Coram to zap
hank from Yaphank to Belport, and from Beport to Ri
verhead is also rumored that the village Of Fireplace
Is completely burned down. and that the greater portion
Of Patchogue had also fallen victim to the flames The
destruction Of timber is immense 1t is said that not
less than forty miles Of woods have been burned the
ground. We understand that many families have been
left houseess and penniess by this conagration The
destruction Of property is estimated by some at about
.w0millions q dollars: -:~s-=s@4ssss>-
The inhabitants turned out and worked necessarily
until last evening when the wind ullsd and they gained
the mastery About the same time another FIRE broke
out in the woods short distance east and north
OF Farmingdae, which extended to Islip, cover
ing an area Of ten miles in length and
its wild march, including tho homes and stock Of the
working class also horses cattle, pigs fencing timber,
Sc This fire was subdued after severe battle OF
twenty -four hours In both these thirty
more barns seventeen or eighteen dwelling houses large
and small and much stock consumed which several
hundred thousand dollars cannot replace.
Mr. Owens of Bellport is also heavy loser by this
fire. having lost all his property amounting to nearly
one hundred thousand dollars So rapid was the fire in
its destructive that II was with difficulty Mr.
Owens saved his family from its ravagcs.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CONFEDERATION.
On Friday last while some men were engaged in burn
inc brushwood the land Of Joel L. G. Smith, ESQ.,, in
the northern part of the town Of Smhown, in Suffolk
county the fire escaped and communicated to the ad-
joining woods when owing TO the high state Of the wind
which was blowing from the northwest 1t ragged with
terrific violence during that night and the following day
spreading from north TO south it increased in fury
ceepng Of al least szty thousand square
principally in the to,vn of Brook Haven.
At intervals, when the wind strongest. it eapsi
from tree twning its forked tongues with light
ming rapdty around their trunks swaying tops lick
ing up beneath them the dry parched leaves and under
brush like finder, scattering them, the wind tfu
and angry gusts whred them high the air far ahead
where falling and again famed into flames, fires
leaped forth add additional fury and violence TO the
irresistible power OF the terrible monster which mady
reared and Numbered in the With the rapdity Of
the race sped swiftly on from hill to valley drv
ing before it the frightened animals till overcome and
exhausted they fell and became prey to the destroyer
As il swept through the long extended lines OF
woodland which lie on either side of the main road
through the island, IL skrted the villages OF stony
Brook setauket Port jefferson Mount sinai and Mer's
Place on the North; New Village, Selden Coram Middle
Island and Manorvle in the middle, and Patchogue, Bell
port Fireplace Masc Morches and Quoguc the south
1t passed little distance from the villages Of tho
north while in the centre ii camc so near as to en-.
danger dwellings and human lives destroying the fences
around the farms, and communicating with the farm
wards would have destroyed the buildings had there
not been sufficient help to promptly subdue it.
on the south they suffered severely than in
the middle At the village of Mastic IT swept down 10
the shores Of the south Bay where many barns
and other outbupdngs destroyed. At Manorville
several dwellings destroyed, and it is said tina,
several lives lost by those attempting TO is
progress and save their property.
There can be doubt that large numbers OF cattle
and tens Of thousands Of cords Of wood Piled up the
woods and on the line Of the railroad have boon de
sroyed.
On Saturday, with a change Of the wind, IL swep,
backward from its southsastcry boundary towards
lsp and destroyed large amount OF property in that
tow n. The trains the Long Island Railroad wer.
delayed and stopped on account Of the intense heat
dense smoke and suocatng atmosphere which nvsopet
them and other side Of the read far the syt
could extend nothing could be but the parched anc
pIsckened and the charred smoking and shoulder
ing remains Of immense piles Of cordwood which n
many instances constitutes the principal Of In
come 70 those who thus suddenly stripped Of the
property
A dense volume Of smoke seems to have settled dowr
on the island, penetrating every nook and corner,
some huge volcano had suddenly burst forth In il,
fury the blacksned forests and smouderns remains Of
wood representing the furious current OF the molten
az il rolled onward from ts throbbpg sides The mur
Ky atmosphere w blood red appearance Of tho sop and