The New York herald., 1871-10-15
Full Account of the Havoc
Wrought by the Flames.
THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST.
Heartrending Details Of the
Burning of Peshtego, Wis.
Seven Hundred People Slain by the Fire
in a Few Minutes.
The Loss Computed at Tens of
Millions of Dollars.

The concentration OF horrors in the awful IRE at
Chicago has 10 some extent diverted attention from
the more widespread and lar more fatal condagra.
uons which have been raging for the past couple OF
weeks ali over the Northwest. Seas OF dame
are even now-at TINS very moment probably
roaring IN uncomfortable waves OF destruction over
hundreds OF square miles OF country, and
threaten unless God IN His mercy again
opens the windows Of the heavens, and
bedews the parched and witherlng earth with plen
teous rams, TO sweep away in few eventful days
The accumulated results OF the Industry for half
generation OF two or three young and thriving
commonwealths. How vast has been
THE ARENA OF RUIN
as shown by the map which publish to-day, but
broad as is the territory which thus been ald in
ashes, there Is still imminent danger OF the flames
spreading over regions yet more immense In area and
more important In wealth and population We can
even now count up the lives lost by many hun
dreds, and the villhges destroyed by the score out
what, II this should not be the end The year
would indeed become nirabafs in the
annals OF human suffering-a year filed up with
wonderful mlsfortunes. 10 would rank even in dis
and terror and loss with the first two years or
the war.
THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
The map indicates, of course, only partially the
extent OF the fires. Not all OF the territory shaded
over has been backened by the flames. As often
happens in such connagrations, lucky acci-
dent may exempt certain portions OF the
threatened country from rum. AS set-or against
those happy exceptions, however. 1t may be stated
that many isolated nres too small to be specially
noted, have broken out all over the Northwest.
Three months OF continued droughG have made
meadow and field as dry as a CHIP OF kndling
and aS q n A rk
from a passing locomotive the careless ninglng
AWAY OF match, the wlnd-strewn embers OF a camp
rre are enough to wrap the entire land in flames
aud consgn hundrces and thousands OF honest
farmers to ruin II is therefore easily to be under
stood that the has the victim OF a
gle great IRE. but of many Isolated connagrauons.
GREEN BAY.
Perhaps the worst OF all these fires has been that
terrible one In the neighborhood OF Green Bay, Wis
COnsin, which, commencing near New London has
ragged through the country east and north beyond the
Menomonee River. This is a region which
has not yet been 10 any great extent re-
nuened IRON It's prmeval forest condition,
and It's scanty population suosiss TO great extent
by getting and Transporting lumber which they OBJ
tam IN imable quantities from the great pine for
csts with which the soil covered. Altogether the
hre Is computed to have devastated no less than
nrcc .nVusano square miles and probably not
fewer than
ONE TO TWO THOUSAND LIVES
have been sacrificed. A letter from Green Bay on
the 4th inst. gives the following graphic account OF
the fire.
The fires In the woods that have been raging 10
The and the shore OF Lake Michigan are stII
burning, with no prospect or abatemeHf ana new
hres have broken out TO the OF the Bay. The
loss Is beyond computation.
TERRlbLE DESTRUCTION.
Fully 200 families. burned oat Of house and home,
have now come 10 tins place, destitute OF every
n md mn fam tttao
are IN an equally bad condition. Houses,
barns; larm buildings iences, bridges,
swept away. The smoke is SO dense ana sufo-
eating that no attempt be made TO
The ire; but IL RACES IN ManItowoc Kewaunee
Door and Brown counties on the east and In Sha-
wano and Oconto counties at the west and north.
~ tne latter The settlements are scarcer
and less loss to families has occurred. Bot
the ground Is 50 dry that tne IRE eats
into the vegetable mold q loot and
nall deep, and burns The roots OF trees so that they
ial and lie IN all directions for miles extent like
nmoer 'slashings.n Miles and miles of The most
valuable pine lands are rendered worthless.
TIE WILD BEAsTs
are driven In distress from the woods Bears APP
proach human habtatons, and deer and wolve
nee across the fields In every drec-
lion, seeking distant forests where The
Of name. The plank road TO the eastward Is burned
tne streets tnat man cannot be seen 1ve rods
AWAY. The poor settlers
FIGHT TEE FIRE
~ IT approaches their homes retreating foot by
loot as IT creeps towards them, gather round their
barn ana work to save 1t as long as possible
hIl blinded and surocated by the heat.
and the smoke, they are forced to retreat and see
related OF men falling from exhaustion and being
carried away 10 save them IRON the names
MORE HAVOC
VIC daily near OF mills that are burned up with
thousands OF dollars worth OF logs ana lumber. The
Telegraph lines are burned up in all directions The
roads are impossible except at night, when the smoke
s not so thick, and the Snawano stage crosses the
burning district, There Is no telling where and
when the fire will stop as nothing Will stop II but
rain, which does not come nor promlse TO
rome rome al All the he supplies OF food for men
throughout fifty townships and starvatlo lon stares
the human and brute population iE the lace during
the coming winter. The work OF charity will need
70 be thorough and generous 10 save many from
famshng.
THE FATB or PEsHrEGo.
But a more terrible story than TINS has now to be
TOLD. Advancing steadily onward the fire at last
saveoped en- soIss and W. DESTROYED =, the lttle town
accounts OF the tragedy but we know
already that between SIX ana seven hundred unfor-
tunate people have perisned The village some
seven miles from the harbor, and on sunday even
ing The, same WIND probably that worked the rum
cane, famed the smouldering fire In the forests
around into blaze and drove the fire into the VII
.ase ms was al withln few minutes OF the time
eleven O'CLOCK. In less than ten minutes the entire
VILLAGE VILLAGE was 10 names many poor people, who had
men homes, and were burned alive In their own
homes
WAY or ESCAPE.
There was no possibility Of checking the flames
snd the surrounding forests presented one mass OF
bre The people could only ny to the river for
safety. Those living IN close proximity to the water
reached IL and waded IL I'LL II reached their
necks Here they renamed from two 10 four hours
and ~ wettlng their neads we're able to escape
Win he. but many were badly burned about the
nead and face while IN the water. Many were
drowned Others, women and cnlldren, led from
fne exposure Those who lived only one or
Two streets from the rirer were stricken down by
fhe flames aud burned 70 death before reaching the
wafer, whole families were destroyed. In the morn.
ing The streets were strewn with burned bodies.
Eight or nine bodies In one corner were found
near together One family, consisting OF father,
mother anu SIX children, were found dead together
within three feet OF The water IL impossible to
give correct estimate CT the loss OF life u Is sup
posed tliat me inilmates OF the Pestgo Company's
boarding house. one hundred and upwards In mum.
Def, nearly AL per1sned Every report from the
ncgnbOrlng settlements bring Information Of houses
burned and many lives lost. The immense pan lac.