The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-06
A WHOLE TOWNSHIP ON FIRE In NEW
JERSEY.
A correspondent OF the Toms River Courier writes

A correspondent OF the Toms River Courier writes
as fOllows:-
Some days ago. as the workmen on the Tuckerton
RAILWAY were burning brush on the track where
oyster creek orancn It got beyond their
dry and the wind was blowing fresh from tho south
and west, and 1t sent the flames down on the village
OF Waretown ut q fearful rate. The men collected
together as soon as possible and did all they could
to stay its progress But little could lie done against
the main portion OF the flames, which soon reached
tine Toms River and Watertown Railroad, which
deadened 1t little, out it went ON, crossing the
main shore road and then on down to the meadows.
women labOred as well as the men, and IL was only
oy the hardest abor that Mr.. Camburns and MIR.
Eayre's houses were saved; by wetting the roofs
the sparks and lnders would not ignite. 1t burnt
Nathaniel Camb1r property almost entirely over
and hiS loss will be heavy. The Sue Are came down
y Co.'S cranberry bog. and was suDdued on the up
land, which stopped II nom entering the village.
The destruction OF property has been immense.
oyster creek swamp has Deen swept clean from the
Whiting Railroad 10 the main shore road. The loss
will be large, as there was heavy growth of cedar
on It, A number OF families removed their beds and
vauables to the fields and buried them. The danger
seems to have swept past us now. and, although
much damage has been done ali are very thankful
that such q kind Providence has kept us from a
more trying and dangerous time.
After the fire left the precincts OF Watretown it
burned rapidly over the valuable cedar swamps OF
oyster creek, sparing nothing IN Its destructive
march. the large tracts OF lands belonging to
Messrs. John Rutherford, Rutherford Stuyvesant, ID.
H. TicnenOr and the estate Of A. RUSSELL were thor
oughly burned over, leaving barely an acre I'M
WdretOWQ
have thought that Forked river would have stopped
the ravages of the end, but 1T sped north OF that
stream and ragged on the Bird Hill Vineyard and
Factory Branch. The Vineyard was not injured.
On sped the insat.ate demon, crossing Cedar creek
to the eastward OF Double Trouble, burning about
mile to the north Of Cedar creek, over lands or
George Giberson and Thomas Hooper, when the wind
shifted, and away rolled the volume OF nre and
towards the village OF Cedar creek. BY great exer-
tons the entire village was preserved from destruc-
ftara Anrn nr ha NJ
pike and struck III the swamp eastward and ran to
the bay, where the water stopped Its ravages tnat
direction But the work or destruction was not vet
finished. The jre worked up north with the turn-
pike until near the house or Mr. job Plat when Its
further progress was stopped.
Through this 1re over 10000 acres of fine thrifty
timber and cedar swamps have been destroy cd, and
the loss cannot be estimated IN dollars ana cents
Probably 1t would not TALL much short OF Sl5oOoO
and we are satisfied that $500, 600 would not cover
the entire loss or timber But The timber alone Is not
the only loss: the burning or such Intensely not
fires upon the soil does not benefit in the least
1t would seem TO draw the very life OF the ground
from II, and leaves II for years barren waste III
deed.
Many narrow escapes from house burning and
death are told us, the Ire IN many almost
stripping the neetest runner or fastest horse but
no buildings OF account were burned, so far as
can learn by travelling over the immense waste.
The connagration lasted from Tuesday morning
until Saturday morning. The waves OF DIRE, as they
surged back ana iortn amid the resInous pines and
cedars roaring and cracking like mad, invoIon-
tarily called ones thoughts TO the day or DOOM
when the world VIII be destroyed. The sight was
magnificent but awfully suggestive as the broad
bill0w, some i've miles wide was sending forth i'm
mense pillars OF coud by day and fire by night
reaching upward until lost to sight In the ar ABOVE.
All along the turnpikes ana roads the people
turned out to light the fire. Men journeying on
business hitched their teams by the waysde and
went, with all their manhood, to do battle with the
common enemy. We do not know or solitary
skulker; were there one our shoremen would invite
HIM to git" with All possible speed from their
midst. where all did so well 1t would be unfair to
particuarize individual instances or bravery and
daring her0isn, which were numerous. At Cedar
creek. while the men were away figlllng the fire.
the ladies' and children at home flied their TUBS
DarrelS ana pals win water not knowing how soon
they would be wanted for the protection or their
own homes; but fortunately they were not wanted.
In some cases goods were moved from houses and
stores In cxl ectation OF q Visit from the fire,