The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-10-18
Terrible Devastation in the
North West. !.
TORN4DoES OF FIRE SWEEP
OVER TIE COUNTRY. {

FIFTEEN HUNDRED MEN, WOMEN
AND CHlLDHEN 1sURNED TO
DEATH IN WISCONSIN.
GREATER LOSS THAN THE CHICAGO
FIRE. > :.
A correspondent Of the New York
Herald writes from Milwaukee, October
Is.
From various persons who have inst
returned from Northern Wisconsin and
Michigan, it now appears the widest
rumors and imagininys which haze pre-
vailed, for days past, have fallen far
short Of the actual reality in describing
the loss of life and property in these
devastated regions. The Chairman Of
Relief Committee sont from;t this city
states that on arriving at .DaShligo har-
Dor he found considerable number Of
those who had fled from the village.
seven miles up3the river, many Of whom.
were seriously burned, and all deplurably
destitute. At Peshtigo village, there
remained only few engaged in search
ing for ard burying tic dead. The fire
which destroyed Pcslitigo occurred on
the evening of the Stll instant, and his
tory has never furnished parallel Of
its terrible destructiveness. Shortly
after the church going people had
returned from evening service, an olni
nous sound was heard, like the distant
roar OF the sea, or of a coming Storm.
This increased in intensity, and SOON
the inhabitants became alarmed and
apprchensive Of coming danger. Balls
of fire we're observed to fall like mctcors
in different parts of the town, ignitins
whatever they came in contact with.
by this time the whole population were
thoroughly aroused and alarmed. and
caught up their children. and what
valuahlcs they could hastily seize. and
began to flee to place of safety. Now II
bri ght light appeared in the South vest
horizon, gradually increasing until tho
heavens were aglow with the light But
a few moments elapsed after this before
the horrible tornado of fire came upon
the people and cnvcloped them in flames,
smoke, burning sand and cinders.-
Those who had not nov reached the
river or some other place Of safety were
suFocated and burned to cinders before
rhey could advance half dozen steps
further.
The character of the fire was unlike
any described before. 1t was hauie
famed by hurricane and accompanied
with various electrical sparks, while they
saw electrical flames fash in. the air aId
dance over the surface of the. Garth
around them. But the fury ofthe fash
was past in half an hour, though the
fire continued to burn more or less
during the whole night. The full effects
OF the storm were not apparent until
day light returned and the survivors
could ccme forth from their retreat.
y party Of $50 fortunately ran togo
thcr upon a low meadow below the
bridges, and were all saved. A family
of five persons saved themselves by
jumping int q shallow we'll. Anothcr
family OF the same number we're all suf-
located by like resort. A large num-
Der threw themselves into the mlll
pond and sustained themselves by cling
ing to the boom and floating logs, at
the same time continually wettins thci.
heads to prevent them from roasting
Many children, and some only lew
months old, were kept in the water all
light and yet survived. Many others
we're drowned by being trempled 90 or
thrown from logs by cattle and horses
that madly rushed into the waters to
escape the flames.
The tornado came from the South
west and swept over q tract of country
eight or ten miles vide and Of indefinite
length. Timber in its course was 'felled
by the hurricane and burned BY the
fire, and every vestige Of fence and
building was swept aHay, with two or
three exceptions. -.
Sometimes the wind struck the earth
with such force that. tho small under
.;rowth was torn up iu winnows. At
other times it would skip away from the
earth The population Of Peshtigo aud
vicinity was 1000, and fully one-thiTd
of these perished that fearful night