New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-27
THE WISCONSIN FIRES.
TIE BELT OF FLAME.

INFE-THE RESCUE OF TIE PESHTEGO SUk-
yIYORS-SCENEs IN THE DEVASTATED REGION.
IPROM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB TRIBUNBl
MARINrTTE, Wis, Oct. 22.-The ordinary
man. like the Government census, is respectcr Of
paces Even that retchoest Of delusions the
"complee" railroad guide ignores communities that
have no visible Of approach. It's astonishing the
number Of fine thriving towns finds In the most IN
expected Western places Traversng the burnt districts
have come upon a hafdOzen villages that exhibit
more thrift enterprise and substantial worth than
an Eastern city. For instance you may run your finger
along Green Bay and the northern chain OF lakes and no
warning dot Will stop you at the place whence this
epistle is dated Halfway up the wide waters OF Green
Bay the Menominee River debOuches from the pictu-
rescue pine lands, and cmpties its sluggish waters
into this great inland lake. making O cOmnodous
harbor for the lumber traffic Of three contiguous and
competing towns. Separating the last encroachng prov
nce Upper Michigan from Wisconsin the placid Memo
nec deals out impartial water privileges to the flourish
ing rivals either bank MCnOmiHee the Michigan entire
pot first in and prctensOn, spreads it's sprawng
streets over the last conerOts OF the Michigan shore
and jutng ambitiOusy into the water monOpOzes the
port privileges and the lions share Of all good things
Built the high moral sentiment, " Take all you can
get and keep all you cam the busting place blocks half
the river with its loGbooms, and its dwellings, into
the very shadow of the pines Originally the place may
have had the solid earth for foundation but now
that respectable undament has sunk TO the commercial
insgnifcancs Of an unknown sub-stratum. For miles
there is desert Of DUST the roads are sawdust
the gardens saw-dus the foOrs often sawdust
and saw-dust not nfrequently mnCles with the food
Drop spark anywhere in the street and raging sea
fire will inundate the place Let gentle gale
spring up and demoniao storm Of saw-dust Obscures
the face Of heaven and drifts like in mountainous
piles through the wide, sloveny streets.
The logs cut the up country" and along the Ne
nominee here and at the neighbOrng towns turned
into lumber and transported to Chicago. These towns
originally built by keeneyed, ccar-brained specu-
lators that ilustrous CITY, and all the energies Of
colonies turned to the enrcbng of the founders
THIS Is Il land where fever comes there but
two In the year-Wnter and Summer. The
former Il water-ockcd, frigid half year, with never
ceasing ice and At that season traffic Is carried
by sleds and snOw-shOes and the hardy lumbermen
invading the ackless forests bide in camps until the
streams are open and the work OF floating is resumed
Great encampmcns formed in the woods, and only
occasional communication with the world kept up Ven
isoD and game Of all sorts plenty, and primitive
wants are abundanty supplied with simple comforts
Even first bitter chill of the coming Winter is
in the air notwithstanding the soft haze Of Indian Sum-
is upon the wasted fcds and covers with gentle
vail the harsh picture Of ruined homes. Across the
river from Menominee the southern bank, the two
towns Of Mcnekaunee and MariRette adoin both built
for the same ndusrythe lumber trade. The former is
now wasted with fire, and presents only blacRened
clearing set in frame of spectral forest and river
For weeks these towns had suffered the same condi-
tons forced upoa Pesbtego. away to the southwest
scarcely a dozen miles All the aids and articles OF
civilization lad been brought 10 bear to keep the fires In
the far from the settlements For weeks the people
had moved in suOcating atmosphere Of smoke, hut no
alarm felt for the towns Every day farmers driven
from their by the flames, in to get aid, and
the ravagcs constantly This was the sua
ton that awful Sunday night when the fiery cyclone en-
quilted Peshtego Most Of the people had been in he'd
and asleep hour in Menekaunee Marinette,
and Menominee, when the flaming heavens the first
Az war Of fha mil "
almost simultaneously the three vlages-but Meme
kRunee to the bush, struck with fire well
In urid cloud hung above the place. and the
buildings attacked with darling sheets of flame.
Over the entire town Of fame rose and fell in roar
Ing surGes, and everything inammabe was soon an I'M
disng uishable of fire. There had not been sem
banCc Of warnng the appalling roar that preceded the
catastrophe Peshtego not heard here, and the
panic-strcken people, hOusedfOr the night, were for
time the mercy Of the flames But Menekaunee, unlike
Peshtego open the bay and the river and offered
every facility for flight Convinced Of the uselessness of
attempting to stem the mighty cataract Of fire pouring
them, the people with accord fed to the river,
the bay and the Marinete clearngs Whred and tossed
by the Ccng currents OF air the fire presented the
splendid horrors that came upon Peshtego save only
that tie currents emitted nothing like the darling
dCrous of fame that wrought such fearful
sacre Speed and discretion saved every soul in
the place but one who old and ILL., and who seems to
have fallen by the way-side unnOtced In an hour the
town, wcn.built, of seasoned timber and Milwaukee
brick was glowing bed OF embers The disaster scarcely
ended here To the nearest outskirts of Marnette the
famcs in great spreading advanced while the fire
was falling upon Menekaunee. Acres OF oDdurate sumps
were reduced like paper and the fences were eaten of
by the waves Of fame that ebbed and flowed the
brown Autumn grasses But the volume not strong
enough leap the cleared places and fasen upon the
houses and with vigilance the danger presently
avered But the burned place testhes to the singular
tenacy OF the fame. The wooden culverts and drains
were caught and reduced to charred remnants; the |
fences attacked by the ground flames. just eaten
of few inches, and lie fat the burned fields, all
about the town.
Meantime g1ea the people in the town;
Menekaunee could be seen volcano Of fame, and the
women and children, never dreaming that Marmctte |
could escape nOcked wildly TO the wharf and rushed on
board little vessel that plies about the harbor Fully
800 women and children crowded on the fra craft
and before they could properly apportoned the fire.
advancing from Menekaunee, snapped the shore rope
and set the boat adrif tumult Of ndescTbabe fright
followed dense Of smoke obscured the channel
and the boat rendered unmanaceabe by such throng
drfed heplessy into the midst Of the dartng smoke
and fame that ragged the river Parts Of the three
towns were in flames, and the perplexed nayigators
dared not touch any Of them The little vessel mrac
uousy escaped grounding running afou Of the network
Of log bOoms or catching FIRE. and the thankful multi
tude very fearful, terrified smoked, and ncoherent
emerged safely in the tranquil harbOr where at least the
danger Of fire no longer threatened. In MenomiDee
equal danger threatened The cinders from Menekan
nee flung high in air by the whrng currents, |
crossed the river the northern bank and Aired the
duat streets of Menominee The women at Marnete,
made for the wharf and flung themselves into the small
barber craft lying along shore. The situation
douby perilous These little boats without motive
power lay heplessy at the mercy of the IRE crossing
the river in sparks and names and were liable at any
moment 10 upset the deep water By dDt Of ceaseless
drenchng the Outwork kept wet and the danger in