Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-10-18

at ten When the IRE struck The
lown it seemed to swallow Op aud Iite,-
aliv drown every thing The fire came
on swifter than raee-horse, and within
twenty minutes OF the time ii struck
the oae-skirts of the town, everything
was in flames.
What follows beggars al description
About the tine the fire reached tie
Peshtigo House, I ran ont at the east
door, and as, stepped on the platform
the wind caught NE and uurIed me
some distance on my head and shout
ders and blew me on to my face several
times on going to the river Then
came a fierce, devouring, pitiless rain
of ire and saud, SO hot as to ignite
everything it touched. | ran into the
water, prostrated myself, and put my
face in the water and threw water over
NY back and herd The heat was so
intense that | could keep nay head out
et water but few seconds at time, for
the space Of nearly an hour. Saw-Io@s
in the river caught fire and burned.
"A COW came to me, and rubbed her neck
against me and bawled piteously |
heard men, women, and children cly-
ing for help, but was utterly poweress
TO help any one. What was my expe-
rience was the experience of others.
Within three hours Of the time he
Are struck the town. the site OF Pesh-
tigo was literally sand desert, dotted
oyer with smo.ing ruins Not hen
coop CT even d, y goods box was left
Through the sugar-bush the case
seems to be even worse than IN the
| town, as the chances for escape were
much less than near the river. | es
innate the loss Of life to be 1t least
three hundred, in the town and sugar
bush. Great numbers were drowned
in the river Cattle and horses were
burned in the stalls.
The Peshtiso Company barn burned
with over fifty horses in tie stable \
great many women aud children and
men were burned in the streets. and SO
far from anything combustIbe that it.
would seem impossible they should
burn; they were buried to crisp.
| " hole families. heads Of families, chill
dren. mothers, fathers. brothers and
sisters, were burned. and remnants Of
families were running hith~r and thlih-
err, wildly calling and looking for their
relatives after the fire.
Peshtigo had neany 1000 inhabit-
auts. The village vas mainly owned
by the Peshtigo Company, Of which
VIM B. Ogden, of Chicago, is Presi-
dent and chief owner, and Thomas II.
Bebee, also of Chicago, General Mana
ger. W. \. Ellis is the Residing Man
ager, at Peshtigo It was tie chief
point of the Comp,ny for its large OPP
erations on that river, aud there were
concentrated all the offices, stores and
general headquarters. 1t is about seven
miles from the harbor at the mouth
with which it is connected by a railroad.
1t is also on tie highway from Green
Bay 0 Ilscanaba. between Oconto and
Ienominee, and is to be station on
the Northern Extention of the G and
u. " Railway. Among the main
features the place was the extensive
pail and tub factory, enc of the largest
and most complete in the United States
and quite new, having been running
less than a year.
There was also an extensive mill for
the manufacture Of sash, doors, blinds
and , v-orirtr . { ,r,o,.l ryrrI- Tho n an,
pany also had large hotel and board
Ing house. and a great number q
dwelling houses-one of which, the
residence Of the local manager, was a.
complete as all the modern improve
ments could make it. There were alsu
the Company's shops, for the building
Of cars, logging sleds, and all the i'm
Elements required by this great lum-
b ring concern Green Bay Adcocoft