The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-29
THE NEW JERSEY FIRES.


said to be exceedingly rare in this country
THE NEW JERSEY FIRES.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PRoPERrY-ovER
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS SWEPT AWAY
THE DESTRUCTION STILL GOING ON.
The correspondent of the Chicago Times
writing from Egg Harbor City, n. j., the
10th inst, gives the following account of the
destructive CONGREGATIONS near that city:
The great fires which originated about two
weeks since in the immense pine and cedar
timber-growing and cranberry producing
districts of Atlantic andBurlington counties,
this State, are still on in tn ir path Of de-
struction. Every day additional ferocity
follows the trail OF the fire fiend in the ex-
tensive sections of Southern New Jersey, de-
voted to agricultural, genealogical and tim.
Der pursuits. The soil upon the roads and
fields is like ashes, the wood as
inhammable as finder, and vegeta-
ton of all kinds scorched, darkened,
and withered by the rays of old Sol. When
a confiagration is once commenced, 1t spreads
as rapidly as upon the prairies, and, as the
underbrush is very dense In the woods, the
heat is retained so long the fire penetrates
some distance in the ground. Since the
flames started, their continuation has been
incessant. Although fires of this character
are frequent at this period of the year, moth
ture has ever occurred previous. At the
present writing, the apprehension is general
that the consuming element will not cease
It's work of destruction until everything COM
bustible has been devoured. 1t is now
beyond the power of mortal to stop the
flames, they have gained so much Roadway.
The torridness of the weather is extreme,
and there is not the least indication OF rain.
The wells are unusually low, and If the
CONGREGATIONS continue much longer, the
! water supply, now short, must become
entirely exhausted. The people, as well as
animals, are suffering from the effects of
the oppre ssive heat and smoke, and some
men have been seriously overcome. About
80 900 acres of timber and cranberry lands
are burned over. The loss, up to the pres
ent, is very heavy, 6 some Ono parties
dwellings and barns have fallen
IN THE GENERAL RUIN.
Green Bank and Washington, Atlantic
county, having been burned; many sts-v-
ing people are without homes. Shelter will
be provided for them, however, by kind
hearted and sympathizing citizens of this
and the adjoining towns. Atsion, Pleasant
Mills, Elwood and Old Columbia, well pop
ulsted and prosperous villages, have suffered
employed, day and night, in numerous
places, combating the destroyer. The
| fire which started yesterday about
| three miles from Atsion, spread with amaz-
ing rapidity. Walter Raleigh, owner of the
town and improvements, put large force of
men at work TO battle with the fiery mon
ster, and although smoke and flames en-
velOped them, its progress was checked.
For some time another squad of men have
been engaged in stopping the fires about
! four miles northwest of the town. The
Messrs. Raleigh own 81, 900 acres of valuable
/ tir,har now aurroupdad nv n o Groa ie
| thought IL will be saved from destruction.
This town and some of those contiguous
may yet be destroyed. At Hammonton,
below here, on the Camden and At
lantic railroad, the Meadow COmpany's"
! immense cranberry boys are ruined. A. III.
Richards berry patch, near the main road,
Brown tract, was partially burned, the
balance being saved by ploughing the
| ground outside of lie for some distance. L.
l.. Platt's swamp, on which there were
| demoralized state. L. Powers patch is de-
stroyed. The burning of valuable cedar
| timber is immense. II Is Lard to estimate
the loss, but it will amount in the aggregate
! to thousands of dollars. There is but little
insurance on anything. After the fashion
of the Indians upon the prairies, back
| fires" are built to check the progress Of
j the element, and several rich berry Dogs
and costly buildings, among them the old
Hammonton school house, were thns pro-
/ tected. The Davis and Atlantic swamps,
near here, have fallen prey to the fre, and
by the time this appears in the Times, much
more property Of the same kind will have
persisted These CONGREGATIONS are so ter
rife that travel upon the public turnpikes
Is interferred with. The mail agents are
i afraid to trust the mail pouches to the usual
stage conveyance for fear of their burning
One mail stage was last week detained on
the road for a day. 1t is thought that
ALI. THESE DISASTERS
are attributable to incendiaries. very
destructive fire is destroying the prairies
about SlassbOrougb, Lancaster county. In
other parts of South Jersey confiagrations
and worse drouth are doing great damage
, Bear swamp is one seething mass of flames
, and the animals living within it are running
wildly about seeking protection from tbt
fearful heat. Vegetation is burning up
, The corn in the ear, which is but half wa,
ripe, is drying up and the stalks falling
to the earth. Potatoes have ceased growing
Q and the leaves of the plants are going to dust
D The pear and apple trees are becoming
: leafess, with the fruit clingiDg to tn
{ trees. What is not ripe becomes unfit TO
use. rhe morasses and boys are dry, ant
3 the native reptiles are dead and putrifyins
!, in the heated yapors. There Is remarka
BILE fact in connection with the fires in tn,
boundaries of Southern Jersey. After tn,
i, element has burned for some time ever,
!, atom of the organic substance of the land il
exhausted. Nothing is left but barrel
J, waste of sand. For the production of crop
this organic matter must be reproduced, arst
a it is wonderful how soon this end is effected
In few weeks after the fire is subdued, tn
; ground recuperates its vitality, and grss
: and other vegetation will grow and flourish
Y lluxtiriautlv. ~.