The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-20
WORK OF THE FIRE FIEND.
FRIGHTFCL DETiSTITTON OF THE
FLAMES IN WISCONSIN.
The Destruction of Peshtigo-The Fire
Blown by a Tornado Entirely Across
the Village-Great Loss OF Life.

A correspondent. writing from Menasha,
Wis, on the 1lth instant, describes the de-
struction of Pesht'go:
The village was situated on Peshtigo River
seven miles from Green Bay. 1t was nice
little town of about TWO thousand Inhabitants,
quite regularly laid out, had fine hotels, stores,
churches, schools, &C., besides the large FAC
tory owned by the Peshtigo Manufacturing
Company, sash, door and blind factory ana
foundry also owned by the same company, VINO
owned nearly every building In the town. Tne
pals, tubs, broom handles, &C., and gave en-
ployment TO about seven hundred hands In
the different branches. The town Is nearly sur
rounded by pipe forests, the suburban portions
being built ''among the pines" The inha6it-
ants have for the past ten days been lighting ire
In the woods, trying to save the town, ana
had settled down into feeling of compare,
tive security, since the woods on all sides mad
been more or less burned over On Sunday
night they were awakened from this feeling
of security by noise like distant thunder,
which increased in volume until the crash OF
falling trees and the roar of the wind and FIRE
could be plainly heard. Soon after tornado
burst upon the town, unroofng a number of
buildings, and quickly followed by a. solid
sheet OF flame, extending the whole length OF
the village and far beyond each way. In an
instant the whole exposed side OF the place
WAS III uduSS. cucus NOuCh ouu
sushed into the street, and. surrounded by
fire on all sides, were soon either smothered
or burned to death. In the less exposed por-
tions tAe people fed to the river, and, jump.
ing in, many were drowned. Some saved their
lives by keeping their bodies we'll under water,
,Rnd once in awhile putting their heads under as
4ne heat became insufferable. Others TOOK re-
fuge in wells and csterns and were saved. quite
a large portion of the Inhabitants ran 10 held
to the leeward of the fire, and by lying on the
ground were saved, although some OF these
were badly burned. There Is but one house
left standing, and that is isolated and lately
built OF green lumber. As near as can at pres
ent be ascertained, $50 lives have been lost,
mostly women and children. Although good
many men have perished, there are Is who
are badly burned, many OF whom WILL dle, anu
nearly all are more or less burned. The de-
structlon has been SO complete tnas tne streess G
cannot be traced, all being covered with sand,
which was swept In great clouds by the toEna-
do. In some instances bodies have been
found completely covered by sand.
I could iii columns with heart-rending incl
dents of this conflagration, but will only give
few as Illustrative Of the rest. In one in-
stance man took. his family and fed to the
bridge spanning the river. The bridge was
soon on fire, and the poor unfortunate family
were nearly roasted alive, and then jumped
into the river and were drowned. A woman,
on seeing the fire approaching, put her little
girl, a child OF six years, In well, which was
nearly dry, and ran to the river herself for
security. The woman was saved, and, as
soon as she could, found out the locality, and
her 10y was so great at finding the little one
alive and well, that she swooned, and on re-
covering clasped her child in her arms, and
ran off crying for Joy. Two few, alas, were
so fortunate. In many cases cases. whole Whole
men have lost their families, they
being, at the time of the fire, work
ing to save the factories. In other instances
men perished in their endeavor to save their
families. In one case to which my attention
was called. q little boy Of seven years Is the
AS soon as the fire had sufficiently subsidized,
all that were able went to the relief Of the
sufferers Backened, charred corpses were
lying In every direction, with their clothing,
r as general thing, nearly or quite burned
toff. Many dead bodies were found IN the
cred. number have died from their bruises,
while others are crippled or fearfuly dis1g-
ured. The most Imaginative mind cannot be-
gin to realize this fearful calamity. much less
my poor pen to describe It, The shrleks ana
groans of the dying, and OF those who had lost
near and dear friends; the ghastly aspect OF
the blackened corpses; the shocking appear
ance of many who, badly burned and almost des-
utute OF clothing, were running they knew not
where; others In the last agonies Of death
made picture too horrid for contemplation.
The sufferers have all been taken to Green
Bay and other towns, where they will be kind
ly cared for, as hospitality is one of the mark
ed traits of the West The loss to the Pesh.
tigo Company. who owned the factories and
most of the town, besides large pine lands, is
estimated at three million dollars, besides the
loss OF their extensive warehouses In chicago.
Mennekaunee, a town of seven or eight hum
dred inhabitants, is all destroyed but three
houses. Fortunately, no lives were lost here.
MSkinette Is also nearly all destroyed. Busi.
ness in this section is partially suspended. All
the saw mills and factories at Oshkosh, Fon du
Lac, and other nelghboring towns, are stopped
by an order of the authorities.