Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-09-02
The fires in Canada.

| The Ottawa 1Jmes brings Us the
details OF tie terrible fires that have
been racing around that city. The
danger of destruction of that city
passed after day or two of alarm,
aud the fires around seem to have
spent themselves by lack of materi
al with which to feed the flames.
The destruction of property is not
inconsiderable while the less of life
is great. The burning of a place
called Raftins ground was fearful.
The progress OF the flames in the
distant woods had been watched
with some degree of anxiety during
the afternoon and evening. though
few people thought that tue rafting
ground was in any immediate dan
ger. Suddenly, however, furious
hurricane arose, and as it tore mad
ly through the forest, bending the
stou;eSt trees before it, the cloud Of
smoke which had been visible before
began to yomit forth fame like
flashes of lightning" Soon the
mass of smoke changed into wall
of fire, and then it came leaping
ana roaring across the stUObie fields
and along the fences, snd the people
at The rafting ground began 20 real
ize iheie danger and to look about
them for some means OF escape.
Racing along at speed which GER
tainly seems to have been not less
than Il mile in four or five minutes
the fire bore down upon them
Women with their little ones cling
ing to them screamed in wild al
fright. hardy men stood aghast
The CRY arose, TO the river I'm
mediate!y beyond where the little
cluster OF cottages stood the ground
! slopes down abruptly toward the
river Gatineau. Down this bank
the Inhabitants ran. There was
not a moment to lie lost. No effort
was or could be made to save prop
erty. All they sought to preserve
was their lives, and in a few minutes
they found themselves huddied to
gethcr near the rivers side az the
bottom of the slope, with ali ti.ci-
worldly possessions suddenly taken
from them, some of then with
scarcely any clothing on them.
| Upon RATS hastily put together
the poor houselesS wanderers en-
barked, and with the ruins of their
late homes blazing above them and
the cold pitiiess wind beating furi-
ously upon them. they set form up
Oh their yentersome way. Alter
voyage attended with many perils
and Iairbreadth escapes, they at
eth mate CatiIcau Point, where
tacy remained for the night, and
nave since o5taiaed shelter, some
umJ8G tueir friends in that vicinity,
AMI s0me in Ottawa and other places.
Alter the WALLACE and rather more
than 100000 feet of lnmber had
been consumed, the fire turned
,sou;hward into the woods, sweeping
everything before il, and changin.
in few minutes what had been 4
fruitful land into 4 barren wilder
ness.
In the city. OF Ottawa many per
sons fed by rail from the threatened
city. merchants had their goods
packed prepared for removal, while
some actually removed their goods
to safe locality. The marAet sup
plies were not forthcoming, and the
city people were pat on short allow
ance for vegetables, butter, *, while
in the country, hay, grass, straw and
even browse would have been burn
! ed. wherever the devouriDg fire
( has made its march of devastation
/ the country is turned into one vast
blackened, burned, dismal looking
/ field. Farmers can scarcely tell
where their property lies. the diyis
/ ion lines, the Fences, being in ashes.
Horses AID cattle are wandering in
prCmiscuous docks over the coun
/ iry, vaiuly seeking for food where
no. even a green twig is TO be seen.
1t is impossible to say how many
/ farmers are irretrieyably ruined,
their houses, barnes, farm imp.e-
ments, crops and :heir all destroy ed
not food left them for day, nor
shelter of any description. What
cattle have survived the fire must be
either killed or sold. The fire has
had so ruinous an effect even upon
the wealthiest of farmers that four
or five years hard and continuous
labor win I've necessary to repair the
+ damages alone. AS to retrieving
the loss we are not over estimating
the time required by putting it at
twenty years.
Even the bears fed from the burnt
district, aud have become very bold, !
seeking food even in the oat fields.
Foar large bears were found dead
near Aylmer, i'll the water, from the
fire, but were probably sutfocated |
by the ashes and drowned. Several
were also seen in the bush more or
less burned, The burned woods
are literally strewn in some places
with dead pigeons, partridges and
other birds, which, unlike the owl,
could not make good their escape
from the. flames in the dark.
A priest asked 4. upsy fellow,
leaning against tue fence, where he
expected TO go when he died? IF
can't get along better than now"
said he, Il shan't go anywhere.
H. ,,,r 20 oc c+arnp= n