The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-11-03

II almost seems as though q aconRge
II fire had fallen upon the Northwest.
Close upon the heels Of the ovaFwhnlm.
Of conhagrations in Wisconsin and Mich
igan, more extensive, and In their de-
structinn Of life more appalling even,
than that which desolated the prairie
metropolis In Wisconsin at least two
thriving settlements have been utterly
annihilated, wiped out as though they
had never been. What IL worse, hun.
dreda Of their inhabitants are believed
10 have periEhed amid the ruins 0f their
homes. Numbers were driven into the
river and drowned, and In one place one
hundred and fifty persons are said to
have been burned up with large barn
in which they had taken refnge Al
Pishteg0 500 bodies are reported 10 have
been burned, while nt Little Sturgeon
Bay seyenty-Ave are supposed 10 have
been destroyed by tie iiames
or course In every calamity like thia
there in tendency nc first 10 eKagEef-
ate the actual loss Of life. II is 10 be
hoped that more careful investigation
wall materially lessen these shocking ns-
Inmates Even then il is 10 be feared
that the death-roll win be long Ia
Michigan, the fiery visitation was even
more fearful East and south Of Sagi-
nav for forty miles the FIRE has made
fearful ravages. and the best part Of tllree
fair counties ia now a blackened wmske.
Through the vast pine ranges that Gil
that country the flames spread with al
most the apidity of thought, and towns
and villages ceased 30 exist before they
fairly knew they were in danger. OF
course, in this swift. relentless sweep.
life soon became as difficult TO save ns
property, and. not so speak Of multi.
tudes Of the brute creation, hundreds Of
human beings, il In feared, were destroy
ed. Elsewhere men, women aud child
rem were driven into the lake, where
they remained up 10 their waists in wa
ter for hours. I'm other parts of the
State the ruin was scarcely less COM
plete. Indeed, il is said that scarcely
county has escaped In the words of
the narrator Of the sad story. 1.-The
whole country seems 10 be in flames.
To these helpless people. fleeing through
a flaming land, pcnnilesR and homeless,
from the ashes Of al they held most dear,
IL must have seemed like the advent Of
that dread day when the heavens shall
be rolled together like q scroll
With this enormous destruction. not
alone OF property. but Of all the indus
trial interests which that property sup
piled, there must come ineAlcalallle dis
tress and suffering. The Collector Of
Customs telegraphs 10 Washington that
hundreds OF people thereabouts are
starving. In the abundance Of our
charity for Chicago let not these un-
fortunatos be forgotten. So generously
has the entire world come 20 her aid.
that Chicago may safely be said 20 be
beyond the faor Of immediate want.
For the relief Of these Michigan and
Wisconsin sufferers, bound TO them by
no such intimate ties we can scarcely
expect the outside world 10 eontribnt0
They must look for rescue 20 n narrower
field, and il hehoovos their counsrymen
10 be mindful Of their sore affection.
The magnificent generosity no larishly
poured out upon the people Of Chicago
will not we are very certain, fail their
fellow-suffercrS, whose need In now even
more pressing. NJ " Popcr.