Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-10-25
Tine Fires in wisconsin aud Michigan
uEARTRENpiNG SCENES.

Michigan have come to hand
Nee York. A letter from Professor Beck
Of Hope College, Holland, Mich, says that
two-thirds Of the city was destroyed by fire
Beginning with the Third Church, it made a
clean sweep mile wide and two miles long
Every store was burned, snd all the churches
except the old First and Seccders, large grist
mill. factories. etc. Hundreds Of families
are destitute, many only escaping with the
clothes on their backs.
Gra,M Rapids. Mich Gen Cutchcon of
Manstee, with his wife and children, has
Just arrived having lost everything except
the clothing worn by himself and family lie
says that great multitude at Mainstec are
in the same condition, being without shelter
bedding, clothing or food.
There arc one thousand people in need Of
immediate help NIainsteo is away from any
farming community, from farmers supplies
and without railway communication, conse'
quently her case is not only destitute one,
but really pcrious.
Detroit. News received to-day confirm
the previous reports Of the dosolaton inhict-
ed by the fires in various parts of the state
from Port Huron to Point au Basques. The
lake shore is almost deserted-the inhabitants
were burned out and obliged to fee for their
lives, saving nothing.
The particulars Of the Mainstee and Iol-
land City fires also give more disastrous as
pect than the first reports. All the energies
Of the people Of this city are now directed to
aiding the sufferers of our own State. Con
trbutions Of money, provisions and clothing
are being made to the Central Relief The
committee sent a special agent to Manstee
with $4,000 in supplies and $1,000 in cash
also an agent to Port Huron with clothing
provisions, &c.
The fire swept over a country eight or ten
miles wide. Every building, fence and all
the timber were completely destroyed The
population of Peshtego numbered 2OO0, one
third of whom persisted that fearful night.
Reports from the east shore Of Green Bay
place the loss of life fully as high as at Pesh-
tego The same account states that the i'm
mediate wants of the people are supplied, but
large amounts Of provisions and clothing will
be required for the coming winter.
Great numbers Of the wounded have been
brought to Green Bay Men and women were
partially roasted alive, their eyes being burned
out and their ears burned off. Advces frsm
Fondulac say reports from the northwestern
districts grow hourly worse, and the accounts
of suffering are unparalleled. Clothes, food
and money are greatly needed.
The following particulars are taken from a
paper published at Green Bay Charles kus.
terman of Little Sturgeon writes us that Of
ffty-two people there, but two were saved un-
injured, and ten injured persons still living
were found, and were sent on Monday by the
tug Ozaukee, to Big Sturgeon Bay for medical
treatment. Every other individual in the set
Element is dead. Mr.. Gardner sent twenty
five men to chop through the woods to this
settlement, our correspondent being one OF the
number. They found the remains of six per-
sons in one house, and piled the partly charred
remains of ffty.fvc bodies Of men, women
aud children in one pile. Three or four per-
sons attempted to save themselves in well
containing three feet of water. One Of them
had his head badly burned, and the others
were burned to death. One Of the party sent
out by F. b. Gardner called upon us on We'd
nesday. The party went from Little Sturgeon
to the head of Little Sturgeon bay by the
tug Ozaukee, and thence chopped their way
through the timber fallen across the road ior
four miles. The other mile they clambered
over the timber On the road they found
three Of the wounded trying to reach tn,
shore. Others of the wounded got to Kent
Plain, four miles from Big Sturgeon, wher
they are lying. Reaching the site of vii
Evansville, they found no living creature bn
an OK. Twenty-Five human bodies lay on
spot about ten feet square-some with arm
and legs burned off, and all with clothing
gone. A few rods off, on every side, wer
others, aud a man and child were found dea
in we'll
The correspondent Of a Detroit pape
writes from Port Huron Thompson's lla
is the rendezvous for the poor wretchc
brought in here from the north in tugs, steam
boats and scows. Last night | visited thi
hall. Three or four bedsteads had been pu
up, and half dozen or more straw beds wer
laid on the floor. On these were stretched
in rows, 80 or 40 people, being the las
cargo Of wretchedness brought into the tow
Men, women and children, the latter rangiu
from dozen years Of age to the suckin
babe, were lying in rows They were nea
ly all in sound sleep; weared out in the
prolonged exertiobs in fighting the fire,
fleeing from it, in standing in the cold waite
of the lake up to their necks hour after hou
Several Of them apparently were kept awak
by their pain their hands or fingers, c
ears were bandaged, the fire having otte
blstered them, and in some cases burne
their feet TO a crisp. The effect of the smok
upon the eyes and lungs is particularly 81
we're. From the interior peop
are constantly coming to the shore of I'll
lake, driven like cattle by the pitiless, fert
cious fire. The destruction Of life for th
space of 30 miles in the interior back froI
the shore no one dares estimate. The bridge
are everywhere burned, so that escape 4
present for those living in the interior seen
almost impossible. Dead bodies burned to
crisp have already been found, and burie
with as much care as the fugitives from III
same fate could give them. A little heap {
sand constitutes grave, when the se1tor
are themselves in headlong flight from dealt
One woman at White Rock sent her fy
children forward to the lake shore through
pine 4" slashng,n and she followed them a
most Immediately, but could not find then
The FIRE drove her forward into the lake, an
it is believed that the children all persisted
the flames