New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-13

tho western line of this belt, when the WIND
sbifted to the south and southeast and the
fro returned over the unburned section lying
between the burned district and the Lake.
In this way, probably. were cut off tho many
rcfucres who had fled from fires in the north.
On Sunday, il is reported, these cncrcling
flames destroyed over four hundred lives!
This may prove a cruel exaggcration, but it IL
evident that the loss of life and devastation
Of property have been terrible.
On the opposite side of the Lake tho forest
fires have Apparently been quite us bad. we
are told that almost every county i'll Michigan
has suffered from them. The NUMBERING town
of Manistce has been nearly consumed, 2OG
buildings having been burned on Sunday
night, with total loss of over million dollars.
Holland, about 20 miles south of Grand Ha-
ven, has been literally reduced to ashes, and
The flames seen to have eaten across the whole
breadth of the State to the foot Of Lake
Huron. The disaster, according to or present
adyices, was most complete on the peninsula
bctwccn Lake Huron and Saginaw Boy. All
that part Of the State lying east of the Bay
and north of a point 40 miles above Port
Huron has been practically swept bare. This
district, covering region about 4O miles
square, was the seat of an extensive lumber
trade, and all along the shores OF
the Lake and Bay were prosperous settle
mrnts, large and small, at which lumber was
sawed, planned, stored, and shipped, and dcpotS
maintained for the supply of the woodmen and
other persons employed in the business. Inc
flames, approaching from the west and SOUTH
must have hcmmcd in these villages and cut
off all escape except by water. How many OF
the lucklcSs inhabitants were able to ayall
themselves Of this avenue OF safety we DO not
vet know. Two or three steamers from De-
troit have been cruising off shore to pick up
the fugitivcs, and about sixty have thus Dech
rescued, some severely burned, and all dcStl-
tutc. At one place five children are known to
have persisted, and there is reason to fear that
the worst has not been told simultaneously
the forests and prairicS of Western and North
Western Indiana have been on fire; and
though there has been 40 loss of life, so far
as reports are yet at hand, the destruction Oh
the harvest has been enormous.
There is something more awful i'll the
thought Of burning forest or prairie IN
flames than even in catastrophe such as that
which has fallen upon Chicago The most
stnpcndnus efforts OF man seem hopeless OF
arrrsting cOnflagration which RACES unccas-
ingy through two or three entire months, and
swccps in its fierce wrath over thousands OF
sauire miles of territory. Nothing checks
such visitation but the exhaustion OF the
combustibc material, or the blessed RAIN
which at last stayed the flames in the woods
of Michigan, just as it qucnchcd the glowing
cindcrs of Chicago. The destruction OF the
great commercial city of Illinois was
a disaster of almost incalculable pecu-
MARY magnitude, but it will be re-
paired in few years. The burning OF the
grand primrval forests means far less to the
banker and the tradcsman; but 1t Is n ms
fortune which can never be repaired. In the
loss, too, there is individual suffering, not less
severe but fortunately less generally dif1used,
than that which is now attracting to Chicago
the charity of two continents. AT this hour OF
bcncfccnce, the poor lumbcrmcn of Michigan
and Wisconsin should not be forgotten. Let
some responsible official person near the scene
of disaster ascertain their needs and tell us
how relief can reach them, and we doubt not
that the country will promptly answer the
onnnaI