Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1898-08-25
AN AWFUL FARM FIRE.
Inc Back Neck Property Destroyed by
Mysterious Fire Wednesday Afternoon.
$4,000 Loss, With No Insurance.

mysterious Fire Wednesday Afternoon
$4,000 Loss, With No Insurance.
All the buildings, farm property of
Theoph. Mulford, in Back Neck was
totally de troyed by fire WedEs lay after
noon. About three O'Clock yesterday
afternoon while PIONEER reporter was
cunning for plover on the marsh adjacent
to Sayre's Neck, he saw dense volumes
OF smoke rising above the tree tops in the
direction of Sea Breeze. A little later
tongues of flames shot up above the
woods and then it was evident that a
fierce conf1agration of considerable
dimensions was raging somewhere in the
nelghborhood of Back Neck The dis
tance to the scene of the fire by an air line
was but short ways, but fifteen miles of
road had to be travelled before the spot
could be reached. However, the readers
OF the PIONEER must have the news 10
matter about the trouble involved, and
the reporter started for the scene of de-
struction. Just as the shades of evening
were gathering the reporter stopped be.
fore mass of smouldering ruins which
cast their fickering light against the
darkening heavens and threw wie1d
shadows upon the surrounding landscape.
In the midst of the ruins half dozen
pigeons stood gazing silently and help
lessly upon the charred timbers and
glowing embers. The walls of the brick
dwelling remained standing and the dy-
ing flames still struggled to leap through
the doorways and window easements as
if eager to continue their work of devas-
tation. Cattle lowed in the distance and
the neigh of horse now and then was a
reminder that out in the fields the farm
stock was wandering without shelter.
The ruin and devastation and of what a
few hours before was the scene of pros
porous farm, was as complete as one
could imagine.
The origin of the fire is a mystery
which may never be revealed. Mr.. Lloyd
the tenant on the farm, with his help
was away on the marsh gathering hay
Mr.. Milford, the owner of the farm, and
the womenfolk, were in the house.
Sometime about three o'clock Mr.. Null
ford went to the door and saw smoke ris-
ing from back of the barn. He gave the
alarm and ran to the scene to find that a
large stack of salt hay, which had recently
been slowed, was on fire. 1t had gained
too much headway to be controlled, and,
with the assistance of the women, he
turned his attention to saving the horses
and COWS in the barn. By the time they
were loosened the fire had spread to
several other stacks of hay, and the barn
was burning, The flames spread rapidly
and burned like tinder. In an incredibly
short time the two barns, the carriage
house, an old building used for work
shop, all other out-buildings, number
of stacks of hay, and the house were a
mass of flames.
Men from adjoining farms and in the
marsh hurried to the scene and rendered
what little assistance they could to save
the household goods and farming imple-
ments, but the fire was so hot that the
helpers could only stand helplessly by
and watch the flames as they licked up ev-
erything within their reach. A small por.
ton of the furniture was saved, every
thing else lies smoldering in the ruins.
The buildings destroyed were the dwell
ing house, two barns, the carriage house,
a work shop and store house, and all the
COW sheds and out buildings.
| Besides these the wagons and carriages
and all the farming utensils, except those
in use, were burned. Ninety-five tons
of salt hay in stack and about seventy
tons of fresh and salt hay on the NOW
were consumed by the flames. Ninety
bushels of wheat were destroyed with the
burning of the grainery. Fifty bushels
of potatoes were also destroyed. The
trees in front of the house were burning
when the reporter left the scene. The
loss is estimated at from three to five
thousand dollars. This is total loss to
Mr.. Mulford. There was no insurance
on the buildings. The insurance ran out
the last of June and had not been re-
newed. The family of Mr. Lloyd, the
tenant. went to Sea Breeze to find shelter
for the night. Mr. Lloyd said that he ex-
pected Mr.. Mulford would comnsence
Immediately to replace the destroyed
buildings with new ones.