Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-10-18
Gbe FIREMAN.
MONTPELIER, VT,
WEDNESDAY, OCT. Is, 1871.
Another Fearful Fire Devastation.

Chicago, and has not given due attention t.
the scarcely less destructive. and, 50 far as
human life is concerned, more horrible deyas-
tatiOns Of the fre-fend, among the town $
and settlements 10 Western Michigan and
Northern Wisconsin. For several days forest
fires have been prevalent III those sections,
and 10 rain having fallen for two months the
woods, and indeed al other things, were dry
IS finder The inhabitants had been pcrsc-
veringly fighting these fires with varyin 2
success, till the gale Of Saturday night and
Sunday-which seems to have ex ended over
the entire Wrst-ianned these forest firca, as
it did the fl ,mes at Chicago. into such resist
less ferceness that they oyerpowered all
human endeavor and swept the country with
swift destruction.
All the western portion Of Michigan lying
east Of Saginaw Bay, and north of point
forty miles above Port Huron have been
devastated by the fre-fend. Many villages,
among them Forrcstville, W hite Rock, Elm
Creek, Sand Beach Holland and Huron City
were wholly destroyed Mam.str a city
of 1000 PC pie and one Of the greatest lum-
Der producing towns in the State, was also
burned. The whole country was deserted.
the inhabitants h cling for their lives, and
saving nothing Nultitudes are left without
food, bedding, or shelter.
The fugitives were being brought in to
safe ports by the steamers which gathered
them up on the lake shore. Many were
badly burned and MANNED and sick, and all
were destitute. A temporary depot for the
suffering refugees has been established at
Port Huron, and funds are being contributed
for their relief. Michigan will have her
benevoleuce stretched to the utmost to pro
vide for her own sufferers by these fires
The people OF Port Huron are in constant
receipt Of messages asking for provisions and
clothing, and the victims Of the fire are
hJcking in from the interior.
In the counties of Huron and Sanilae it il
stated that l0,0 900 # the $4,000 people have
been rendered bouseess The cleared and
cultivated fields have be swept over by this
fire, and the people have lost their houses
their barns, their stock, their mills, even
their clothing. Some Of them almost liter
ally have to commence the world over again
The loss of property Is Of course immense
La the towns mentioned above the / IS l.
estimated at 52,OOO,OOO The loss Of life i
considerable Men AID women fleeing before
the flames were overtaken and sufioctted
Prot. Charles Scott OF Hope CJIlege,p persisted
and minister whose name is unknown, and
five children persisted near Rock Fails
Northern Wisconsin suffers still more ter
ribly. Over 5000 people are repor Cd az
burned to death, and a large per cent. Of thos,
injured an yet alive viii pr. badly die. The
dire calamity that befell the town Of
Peshtigo, Wisconsin, recalls the history OF
the de- truction Of Herculaneum and Pompeii.
The village was situated seven miles from
Green Bay, up the Peshtigo river, contained
2OOO inhabitants, and was nice, thriving
and orderly village. The town was nearly
surrounded by pine forests, the suburban
portions being built . among the pines =
On Sunday night. the srh inst, Just a ter
church services the inhabitants were startled
By an omlnous roaring as Of 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, unroohng a
number Of buildings, and quickly followed
by solid sheet of fame extending the
whole length Of the village and far beyond
each way In an instant the W ole exposed
side of the place was IN flames Men. wo-
men and children rushed into the street and
surrounde by fire on all sides, were soor
either smothered or burned to death. Il
the less exposed portions the people aed t,
the river, and, jumping IN, many weI,
drowned. Some saved their lives by kepn.
their bodies well under water, and putting
their heads under rs the heat became insul
ferable. Others took refuge in wells ant
cisterns ard were saved. Quite portion O
the inhabitants ran TO fell to the lewar
Of the FIRE, and By lying on the ground wer
saved, although some Of these were bad
burned. Those in the mill pond sufsre
much by being thrown from the logs B
madieucd horses and cattle, that rushed int
the water. Up to the 18th four hund.e
dead bodies had been recovered, and it wa
thought that three hundred more were +
the river, where the il tense heat cause
body was under water. The velocity Of tt
fire was great that escape was impossI BIZ
A large number of dead were carried t
Oconto for burial, as no materials for coiir
coul be procured elsewhere
The storm was a fame borne by a hurricane
accompanied by electrical spark and ftshc
in the air, and danced over the whole eartt
1t lasted only half an hour, but the builC
ings and woods burned all night The t0
nad1 came from the southwest, and deva
tated the country for some ten miles +
width. Only one house was left standing
Peshtigo. The destruction was 50 clmplet
that the streets cannot be now traced, beir
completely obliterated by the sand swept
by the tornado b ID es are also four
entirely buried in the sand.
The loss Of life on the east shore in DIV
and kewauee counties are appalling :
Pensaukee % dwellings were burned and sc
crll lives lost. In Brussels, Dover County, ?
houses, comprising the Belgian settlenen
were stTOyed, and large number of pc
sons are missing; roads arc filled with ca
casses Of animals horses, cattle, and shet
dying from smoke and heat, while hung
and starvation most be endured by q
wretched people
L Ie editor of the Tenoninee Herald stat
that over fifteen hundred men. women al
children were burned to death in the ira
Of the tornado in Wisconsin All roo
crops and provisions were destroyed in sev