Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1885-07-18
DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE.

About III clock on thursday morn
ing fire started ON the property of
Benjamin Mingen at a place called
Oak Knoll, about eight miles from
Medford. The place is headquarters
for huckleberry pickers, and a party
of three young men from Medford had
been in the neighborhood for several
days.
During the time they had some diff
ficulty. with Joseph Ware, the watch
man at Albert Haines' cranberry bog,
about the occupancy Of shanty, and
it is said made threats to burn the
building. 1t is probable the fire was
started by them either by accident or
design. 1t soon grew into one Of the
most destructive fires that has visited
this county for years. The rain in
that neighborhood on Tuesday was less
than in other parts of the county, and
the fire spread rapidly.
The "Atsion meadows comprising
nearly thousand acres of wild grass,
were among the first to be burned.
The flames moved steadily onward
through cranberry boys and cedar
timber, burning in several directions,
but mostly toward Atco and jackson.
Although large number of men were
constantly fighting back the fire it
continued to spread until the rain on
Monday night. No estimate can he
made of the total loss. The West
Jersey Company's tract of nearly 1900
acres of grass and cranberries is almost
entirely ruined. The Medford Com
pany's boys are also ruined. Charles
Braddock has lost so acres of cram
berries and Mrs. Hagerthy large
quantity. Cedar swamps of great val
ue on the Atco Branch and Tuscomas
Branch have been burned.
Among other losers are Albert
Haines, Edmund and Job Bradd Dck
George and Abram Stackhouse and
William Dyer. These are all lost be-
sides rails and logs which have been
cut. Five hundred acres of pine land
and cranberry bog belonging to the
estate of John H. Polhemus, deceased,
were entirely burned over. Messrs-
Isaac Haine and Charles A. Haines
lose valuable cedar and cut timbrr.
Israel Garwood, Benjamin j. Wilkins
John E. Darnel, Allen Lamb, Caleb
Z. Shreve and Ezra Wilkins, have all
lost timber. Nearly 10000 acres in
all have been ruined.
After sweeping the above locality
the fires swept on to Taunton, where
the celebrated cranberry bogs and park
of Joseph Hinchman, are located.
Mr. Hinchman, realizing the danger
Immediately ordered the water from
the reservoir to be turned on the mead
ows and succeeded in saving nearly
all of this tract, although sustaining
heavy losses by the destruction of his
vast forests of oak and pine timber,
which could not be saved.
On the southeastern boundaries
the fires devastated the whole section
extending from Shamong through the
Atsion tract, reaching almost TO Indian
Mills, and would undoubtedly have
swept over the latter place were il not
for the timely Intervention of the rain
which occurred on Monday night and
was heavy enough to quenrb the flames
On Monday afternoon as part,
of men were crossing the old railorat
} which runs near the fire, they were su ,
prised and at the great number o
tracks which cross the road. An inves
, tigation showed they were caused b.
turtles which were trying to escap
; from the flames. On going a shor
distance in the woods, where The track
led, the man suddenly came upoI
thousands of these creatures wher
they had reiterated and were safe from
e the conAagration around them.--Mi
rOr