Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-23
The Wisconsin Fires.

A correspondent of the Milwaukee
Wisconsin, who has Travelled through
the burned regions in Wisconsin, thus
sums up the loss of life and property in
the country through which he has
passed:
CATER making q deduction for exag-
gerations, l had supposed that five hun
bred would cover the number of dead on
the west side of the bay. now learn
from reliable sources that the actual
number Of interments up to Monday
night counted up to five hundred and
four. Add another hundred for remains
of ashes and charred bones at Peshtigo,
and L think we have not far from the
true number on the west side. Add one
hundred and fifty for the east side
making seven hundred and fifty in all -
and the death roll is nearly complete.
ut is impossible to figure the aggTe-
gate losses of pine timber and farm
property with any degree of closeness.
1t is the interest of mill men to under
rate the amount OF fallen pine that must
be secured this winter to save it. A me-
dunn estimate of damage to pine lands
in the Green Bay regions is $500, O0O,
The damage on the Wolf is figured at
100000. There is abundance of hard
wood left in places the damage to indi-
viduals may amount to 100000. The
loss of the fifteen saw-mills burned is
put at $3.50 The loss of cordwood,
ties, hemlock bark, etc, is set at 5000,
600. The losses of fences, buildings,
wagons, cattle, crops, among the six
hundred farmers cannot be less than
100000 Making total aggregate of
more than 100000, aside from those
at Peshtigo.
"There are three hundred or more
wounded sufferers remaining at hotels,
boarding-houses, and hospitals about
the bay. Fifty of the Peshtigo sufferers
were at the Dunlap House, Marinotte.
Half of them were able to be about.
Burned ears, faces, hands and feet were
common to nearly all. Many in rooms
could hardly stir in bed. There were
women with great burns on the sides
and limbs, with faces like kettles, and
hands like claws, burned to the bones.
Men could fight better and dare more
than women. Most of them persisted
by sullocation. Little children are sadly
MANNED in their feet and faces. | saw
one with a heel gone, and another with
an eye. Nearly all will recover without
loss of sight or limb. 7 could fill book
with stories of the hospital. Most of
them suffer more from hurts of mind
than body. have sad memory of a
poor widow who lost her crippled boy,
who went on crutches, and sprightly
little girl who fell between the burning
logs. They were all her family. THE
screams of both, she said, seemed for
ever sounding in my ears There is a
future, and, no doubt, compensation for
all these suffering ones.
"NTost of these cabins that are left are
crowded with two and three families
each. | saw one with four men, five wo-
men and sixteen children-two of them
sucking. They had just received an
outfit of clothing-warm stockings, knit
hoods, thin shawls, thin CATERS, and
light-colOred dresses for the women and
girls; old-fashioned hats, burst boots,
thin jackets, and summer coats and
pants for the men and boys. There
were some occasions of laughter, but
none of rdicule all were glad and sur
prised at getting what they did. I saw
no immediate want of provisions. Flour,
pork, and hard bread are distributed to
all, packages Of tea and coffee to most.
There are nearly potatoes enough in the
country, if distributed. Their stock
that is left has been driven off to mea-
dows and fields not burned over. One
large-hearted old farmer was keeping
eighty odd cattle belonging to his unfor-
tuxutp uelghbOrs. Without stopping tC
consider the ways of Providence or the
uses Of philosophy, these simple minded
people seem 10 have understood the art
of helping one another. -