Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-10-18
Terrible COnllagrati0n in Michigan.
Wisconsin and Minnesota.


Late adyces from Green Bay, Wis, give
the details of a terrible conhlgration which
has swept over millions Of acres Of territory,
and has rendered thousands Of families home.
less and destroyed many lives
The fire is upon Lake Michigan on the
western coast Of Michigan and on the eastern
side Of Wisconsin The loss Of life in the
ucighborhood Of Pishtogo, Ocono county,
Wisconsin will reach over 1900, and 10 per
cent Of the injured cannot recover. 4 mem.
Der Of the relief committee sent from Mil
waukec with supplies, says that the only sur
yiyors were those fortunate enough to reach
the water many throwing themselves into
mill ponds, clingng to floating logs. A num-
Der Of these were drowned by being thrown
from the log, by maddcncd horses and cattle
which had rushed into the water The fire
swept over a tract ten miles long, every build
ing fence, etc, being completely destroyed
The population Of Pishtego numbered 1000,
one third Of whom persisted on that terrible
night. The Mayor Of Milwaukee has issued
an appeal to the country for aid.
\ special dispatch to the New York World
from Pishtcgo, dated on Thursday, confirms
the previous reports Of the utter destruction
of the town. -Four hundred dead had been
recovered and it was thought that three hun
dred more were in the river. The town Of
Merikause is also in ruins the roads are fill
cd with carcas.es Of animals People are
wandering about destitute and helpless. The
fire reached from Green Bay to Menomonce.
A ,,roat pttu,Ior IF ,ra,pJo1 La,,. 1o,, I.o,,I 4,
to Green Bay; men and women were partial.
y roasted alive
Reports received at Fort du Lac from
the northern districts grow hourly worse.
The accounts Of suffering are unparalleled.
Clothes food and money are greatly needed.
All the crops have been destroyed. William
sons mills at Sturgeon Bay were burned, and
60 lives lost. Marietta and Marinette were
partially saved. A heavy rain has nearly
extiuguishcd the fire in Calumet and Shcboy-
gan counties.
The suffering Of the people is beyond des-
cription. The people Of Grand Rapids and
Grand Haven have supplied their immediate
necessities, and Senator Ferry and the mayor
Of Grand Rapids have issued an earnest APP
peal to the people Of the whole state for aid
They say that the latest news from Malistee
more than confirms all the worst reports
which were first received.
Gov Farchid of Wisconsin telegraphs as
follows from Green Bay in relation to the
Wisconsin fires The appalling calamity
has not been exaggerated. Over 10000 men,
women and children are destitute The loss
Of life is very great not less than 700 per-
sons have been burned to death at Pishtego.
Scores Of men, women and children arc now
in temporary hospitals, burned aud manned
Money clothing, bedding boots and shoes
and provisions of all kinds uucooked are want
ed also, building materials aud everything
needed by family to commence life with
The people are responding nobly, but there
is no danger Of too much being received.
The destitute must be provided for during
the winter.
The destruction caused by the great fire
which has burned over surface Of three
thousand miles in Minnesota is incalculabe
and the suferings Of the people thereof who
have lost their all, will call upon the publ,
sympathy as the deprivatons Of those o
Chicago have. The fire has consumed tn,
crops, houses, live stock, and property Of al
kinds belonging to the Minnesota farmers, 5,
1 that families who a couple of weeks ago were
amply supplied with everything to make liy
ing comfortable are now without food, shelf
or or the means of procuring them. Tn,
vicinity Of the winter season makes thei
condition peculiarly distressing, and calls 70
immediate steps towards their relief
The Detroit Post calls attention to the fac
that the distress which will exist during tn
approaching winter in the States of Mime
sofa, Wisconsin aud Michigan, owing to tn
recent extensive fires, will be equally as III
gent as that felt in Chicago, with this differ
ence that the sympathies Of the whole countr
have been so aroused that Chicago will receiv
speedy and doubtless sufficient relief, Will
the suferings Of the fre-scarred people q
those States are scarcely thought of. TIL
wholesale burning of houses, barns, accumu
lated grain, lumber mills, entire villages, an
valuable property Of all kinds, must entail
large amount Of suffering, aud the Posts sue
gestion that some movement be made for til
relief Of the people Of those sections is apprc
pirate and timely.
Another terrible fire has been raging in tn
counties of Huron, Sanlac La Peer and S
Clair in Michigan. These counties, which ar
upon the east coast of Michigan, on LAX
Huron, have been nearly all swept over b
the Fire-F iend, and many lives have been los
Great restitution exists among the people
these counties, and their call for aid is imperi
tive, and demands immediate action.