The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-16
InE FOREST FIRES.
>~~~~>~>>~~~>>D~->-~>~c~~-
Terrible Devastation in Wis
consin and Michigan.
A TORNADO OF FIRE.
Over Fifteen Hundred
Lives Lost.
.>~~~>~~~~~~>>~~o~~>o~
The Property Destroyed Be-
yOnd Estimate.
Destitute and Helpless Condi-
ton Of the Survivors.
HORRIBLE INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
HORRIBLE INCIDENTS or THE DISASTER.

from Northern Wisconsin and Michigan IL now
appears the widest rumors and imaginings which
have prevailed have, for days past fallen for short
Of the actual reality In describing the loss of life
and property In
THESE DEVASTATED REGIONS.
The chairman OF Relief Committee sent from this
city states that arriving at Dashligo harbor he
found considerable number OF those who had
fed from the village, seven miles up the river, many
OF whom were seriously burned and all dep!orably
destitute At Peshtfgo village there renamed only
o few engaged In searching for and burying the
dead. The fire which destroyed PeshtigO occurred
ON the evening OF the 9Th inst and history has
never furnished parallel or Its terrible destruc-
tiveness Shortly after the church going people had
returned from evening service, an ominous sound
was heard, like the distant OF the sea or OF q
coming storm. This increased In intensity, and
soon the inhabitants became alarmed and appre-
hensve of coming danger.
BALLS OF FIRE
were observed to fall like meteors In different parts
CT the town. gnlting whatever they came III contact
WITH by this time the whole population were
thoroughly aroused and alarmed, and caught up
their children and what valuables they could hastily
seize and began TO Zee TO place Of safety. Now
bright light appeared In the southwest horizon.
gradually increasing Till the heavens were aglow
with the light But few moments elapsed
after this before the horrible tornado OF
fire came upon the people and enveloped
them In flames, smoke, burning sand and
cinders. Those who had not now reached the
river or some other place OF safety were suIocated
and burned cinders before they could ADVANCE o
half dozen steps further.
THE CHARACTER OF THE FIRE
was unlike any described before. 1t was a fame
famed by hurricane and accompanied with vari-
Gus electrical sparks, while they saw electrical
flames fash In the air and dance
over the surface OF the earth around
them. But the fury OF the flash was past in half
hour, though the fire continued to burn more or
less during the whole night. The full effects OF the
storm were not apparent until daylight returned
and the survivors could come forth Ircm their
retreat.
TERRIBLE INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
party OF $50 Fortunately ran together upon
| low meadow below the bridges and were all saved.
| A family Of five persons saved themselves by jump
| ing into shallow well. Another family OF the
| same number were all sunocated by like
resort. A large number threw themselves into the
| milpond and sustained themselves by clingiDg to
| the boom and floating logs at the same time con.
tinually wetttng their heads to prevent them from
roasting. Many children, and some only few
months DID, kept in the water all night and vet
survived Many Others were drowned by being
trampled or thrown from logs by cattle and
horses that mady rushed into the waters TO escape
the flames.
EXTENT OF THE CONFEDERATION.
The tornado came from the southwest ana swept
over tract OF country eight or miles wide and
OF indefinite length. Timber In Its course was
feled by the hurricane and burned by the fire, and
every vestige OF fence and buildings was swept
away. with two or three exceptions.
Sometimes the wind struck the earth with such
force that the small underground was torn up in
wnnows. At other times IL would skip away from
the earth. The population OF Peshtgo and vicinity
was 1000, and fully nethird OF these persisted that
fearful night. Marinett, six miles eastward, on the
Menomnee river, Is the city OF refuge for the Pesh-
tigo sufferers and the Dunlap Hotel has been con-
verted into temporary hospital for over fifty OF
the sick and burned. Many others are distributed
among citizens OF the village. About fifteen per
cent OF them are so badly burned that 1t Is mpos
sine TO recover. Others will be able to return to
business in O months time or less The burns
CURED most frequently on the feet and hands and
face and nearly all suffer from the eXhalation OF
hot sand and cinders ana from the usual pulnon-
airy complications OF burns.
STATEMENT OF AN EYEWITNESS.
The editor OF the Menominee Herald, just from the
scene OF the disaster, says that the dat the
river, the poor creatures gathered many of
them so distigured as to be unrecognizable. Hun
dreds lay In their agony, with perhaps piece OF
tent q few boards or blanket on sticks, as pro-
lection, and often entirely nprotected-helpless,
proaning miserable human beings-many OF them
dlsGgured for life, and some destined to drag along
few miserable days or weeks Of existence and then
die.
Twenty.one persons were burned TO death by the
same tornado or fire the same night In the little VII
laae OF Birch Creek adjacent.
OVER FIFTEEN HUNDRED MEN. WOMEN AND chill.
DREN
have been burned to death In Wisconsin alone. |
Their houses and farms are to large extent utterly
destroyed, the very soil having burned up and de.
stroyed all their and root crops. They are
destitute and VIII require full support till another
season. Seven counties In our own State are thus
in great part desoated. Whole regions OF country
in Western Michigan are in the same condition.
Fires are still raging and destroying.
The loss OF life in Northern Wisconsin Is more |
than
FIVE TINES GREATER THAN THAT OF CHICAGO
by the late fire, and the suffering OF survivors |
destined to be infinitely greater from the sparsely
settled condition OF the country and Its remoteness
from populous and wealthy communities. The loss
OF property there can only be computed by millions
embracing farming utensils, houses, barns, gram,
fences and lumber OF every kind in every state OF |
manufacture
Recovery of Four Hundred Bodies at
pe.htiso-FataIity In Dover and Kewnnec
(ouutics-TerribIe Rnvages Of the Flames
I'm MichIsaa-A Copious Rain Coming the |
Relief Of the sufferers.
CHICAGO, Oct. Is, 1871.
Peshtgo, Wisconsin, dates TO the 18th, record the
inter destruction OF the town.
FOUR HUNDRED DEAD BODIES
have been recovered, and 1t Is thought that 300 |
more are in the river, where the intense heat |
caused death by inhalation while the rest |
OF the body was under water. The velocity
OF the fire was 80 great that all escape
was impossible. large number OF dead were
brought to Oconto for burial. no materials for
collins could DC procured.
The loss OF lie on the east shore In Dover
and KewaRee couutics are appaulng. all