Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-10-26
From the Milwaukee Sentinel of Saturday
Letter from the Relief Com.
lnittee.
GREEN BAY, WIS, Oct. IA.

C.. Il. 1Mil,Cdukee:
DEAR SIR:-In accordance with
the instructions received from the
association, your committee of relief
accompanied by S. III. Thompson, OF
Milwaukee, with quantity of sup
plies, reached Green Bay late on the
evening of the 18th inst. We found
that the relief committee at this
point had discontinued their labors
for the day, and that we could not
ascertain that night definitely the
condition Of the country over which
the fire had swept, but the impress
sion given us was that all the imme-
diate necessities of the destitute peo-
pie had been supplied. We were
much disappointed in not finding
something for our hands to do i'm
mediately; and, not being quite sat-
isfied with the reports given us, 1t
was decided that DIR. Nichols, who
was familiar with the location of
Peshtigo, should Immediately pro-
ceed there and report upon the ne
cecessitiis of the people. The next
morning Mr.. Childs ascertained
from Capt. Hart of the steamer
Northwest, that the sufferers of the
district lying between Peshtigo and
Oconto were reaching the latter place
in a deplorable condition, and that
there was an urgent demand for i'm
mediate supplies of food and clothing
at that point. Captain Hart kindly
gave permission for the committee
to shipa large quantity of our sup
plies at once by his steamer, and DIR.
Thompson and Mr.. Childs proceeded
at once to Oconto upon their own re-
sponsibility. A portion of the sup
plies were left at Pensaukie, to be
sent across the bay to Little Sturgeon
bay, from whence cry had just
come.
Proceeding next to OcontO, these
gentlemen found that the story of
suffering and restitution had not
been half told. They met, however,
with a hearty cooperation from
Mayor Smith and Messrs. Cole, Ellis,
Goodrich, and many other citizens,
who were already doing all in their
power to alleviate the suffering.
The ladies as usual, were working
nobly, and had fourteen sewing ma
chimes constantly employed, furnish
ing two hundred per day with cloth
ing, some with whole, others with
parts of suits.
DIR. Nichols, on his arrival at Pesh-
tigo harbor, examined as rapidly as
possible the situation there; then
proceeded to Peshtigo village, seven
miles up the river, and from there
crossed over to Marinette, six miles
away to the east, on the Menomonee
river: Here the larger portion OF
the sick and burned had been taken.
At Peshtigo harbor were a consid-
cradle number of those who had fed
from the village after the fire. Some
were severely burned, and all de-
plorabIy destitute.
At Peshtigo village there remained
only few engaged in searching for
and burying the dead. AT Mari.
nette fifty of the sufferers were found
in the Dunlap House, which had
been converted temporarily into a
hospital. Many were distributed
among the homes of the citizens.
These were attentively cared for by
Drs. Jones and Brunchweller, as
sisted by a corps of volunteer physi-
ciads from different parts OF the
State, who had come up to render
some assistance in the emergency.
The relief committee at this place
was active and efficient, and with
the concerted action Of all parties
everything was being done that was
possible for the comfort and restora-
ton of the sufferers.
About fifteen per cent of these in
iured are so badly burned that 1T Is
impossible for them to recover. The
others will be able to return to busl-
ness in months time or less. The
burns occurred most frequently upon
the feet, hands and face, and nearly
all suffer from the inhalation OF hot
sand and cinders, and from the usual
pulmonary complications of burns.
The fire which destroyed Peshtigo
occurred on the evening OF the oth
inst. and history has never furnished
parallel of its terrible destructive
ness. Shortly after the church-going
people had returned from the even
ing service. an ominous sound was