Friday, May 12^th, was a day of excitement over the eastern half of Martha's Vineyard when men from the towns of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury, and the country roundabout, in all to the number of several hundred persons, labored from 7 a. m. until nightfall, handicapped by a heavy wind, at times approaching a gale, in their efforts to control one of the most extensive woods and brush fires which has occurred on the island in years, if ever before. The property loss runs into the thousands.

The forest fire which races across the large section of the island known as “The Plains” lasted two days and burned through to West Tisbury. More than 200 men had a hard fight before the flames were subdued.

Two and a half hours from the start the fire reached Pine farm, owned by Ariel B. Scott, where the flames claimed a barn, destroyed a corn crib, hen houses and a building in which were two incubators, wagon and tools and a flock of hens.

Last Sunday, at about ten o’clock, with a high wind blowing from the westward, afterwards more southerly, a fire started in Quampacha Bottom, on Dr. Fisher’s Road, so called, and about one mile in from the highway leading to West Tisbury, and soon gathering headway begun a career of galloping destruction through the Bottom lands for some three miles, coming out on the Vineyard Haven road at various points between the Jeremiah Weeks farm, now owned by David S. Beetle, and a point to the north of Wilbur’s corner.