Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-05-13
THE FORESTS BURNING.
Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Property
Destroyed.

The Newark N. j. Courier says: 4:
Z" During the past few days we have re-
ceived reports from various parts of the
State announcing the prevalence of fires
along the line of various railroads. In
the southern part of the State fires have
been so numerous and destructive as to
cause great alarm. They are supposed
to have been caused by the prolonged
dry weather that has prevailed this
spring.
Last Thursday fire broke out in the
wood adjoining the New Jersey South
ern Trailroad at Squankum station. 1t
was first communicated to pile of old
railroad ties, and from thence extended
to the pine wood running about four
miles along Squan river tOHerbertsville,
and extending back into the country
about two miles, covering an area of
several thousand acres, and including
some of the finest timber in that sec
ton, nearly all of which is destroyed.
The fire ran on south of HerbertsViIle
toward Point Pleasant, where 1t was
stopped, partly because Of the sparse
ness of the growing trees-a fire having
burned over that section a few years
agO-and partly by the eXertiOns of the
people of the neighbOrhOOd. The loss of
valuable timber is estimated at twenty
thousand dollars, but it will, no doubt,
far exceed that amount.
From Ocean county come reports of
disastrous fires in the pines. On Tues
day of last week a fire broke out near
Shamong and spread to Toms river
with great rapidity, consuming largely
on the Jones tract, Webb's Mill tract,
the FeragO tract now belonging to VIM.
Hurry, Esq, until it finally reached the
valuable cedar swamp of Captain Geo
w. GibersOn, where it played havoc
among the old ripe cedar, to the amount
of nearly fifteen thousand dollars The
fire worked its way through the woods,
burning as il went, until il was subdued
at the residence of Isaac Allen, on the
turnpike, some four miles south of Toms
river, and about twenty miles from the
point Of starting.
On Friday night, says the Toms
River Courier, we sat upon our piazza
and viewed five fires in the southwest.
The view was gTandly magnificent. The
line offire was more than ten miles long.
Here and there, at intervals, the fire in
its anger would shoot its fOrked red
flames up to the very zenith, apparent
ly, and then temporarily subside as il
It's wrath was mOmentarily appeased.
and then again the red mountain of fire
would shoot up, then rest itself, and
then renew its terrific struggle for the
mastery. Its effect upon the mind is
simply indescribable, and as a display
of pyrOtechnics, was without a parallel.
On Friday night another fire broke
out near Manchester, in the woods on
the line of the railroad, and was sup
posed to have taken from locomotive
sparks. 1t ran nOrtherly to Toms
River stream, where it took a course
down Morgan's ridge to the village of
Toms River. Opposite the cemetery
the fire crossed the stream. The fire
ragged on down the course of Toms
river, on both sides, in the swamps and
woods, endangering a portion Of the vii
lage very seriously from its rayages but
fortunately the villagers escaped. The
loss is incalculable, and will probably
never be fully ascertained. Perhaps
fifty thousand dollars might cover it,
but probabilities are more in favor Of
double that amount.
Painful stories are i'm circulation as to
the origin of these fires, but in such
times as during the excitement of the
past week suspicious will arise, and
there NAV he reason for them.