The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-17

universal spirit Of fraternal charity never
before SO broadly made manifest in the history
of mankind. We are startled by it with
amazement and admiration, as we were star
tied by the grand and glorious uprising of
New York aud the mighty North in 1861 In
the common cause Of the preservation OF the
Union. We see in the generous contributions
OF relief for Chicago pouring in from high
and low and rich and poor, in both hemi-
spheres, that Notwithstanding the crying evils
of the times, in high places and low places,
the world is really advancing toward that
golden age when 'sthe desert and the solitary
place shall be made glad and the wilderness
shall blossom like the rose." We have here
the evidence before us from thousand sepa-
rated points, near and remote, of what in the
moral world in these latter days has been
achieved by the schoolhouse, the printing press,
| the steam engine and the electric telegraph and
| our faith is greatly strengthened that through
these all-powerful agents Of fraternity the
different nations of the earth will yet win their
way to the millennium in a universal confed-
GRAFTON Of ''peace and good will to men,"
But while this overwhelming calamity at
Chicago is the absorbing topic in the public
mind, from the Golden Gate of San Francisco
to the Golden Horn of Constantinople, it is but
one, though the most appalling and destructive
| one, of the many fiery disasters Of this fiery
season in the West Outside of Chicago the
| aggregate Of human desoation and suffering
resulting from these ruinous fires has been, or
will be, we fear, greater than that resulting
from the burning of that beautiful city, though
we have reason to believe that the welcome
rains have now extinguished them all. The
forest fires in Michigan have been very extern
sve and destructive. In addition to hume
rous detached farm houses, with all their out
bulldogs, crops, stock, &C., whole villages
and towns on the Lake Huron and Lake Mich
| igan sides of the peninsula have been swept
| away. From the interior we have no details,
but whole counties in the heart Of the State
are reported among the suffering districts.
Equally disastrous have been the fires in
Michigan, ON the north side Of thai lake, ex-
tending thence southwark into the Gree, Bay
district OF Wisconsin, of which we haze
already given the particulars to our readers,
with the dreadful losses of life at Peshtego and
other settlements From these forest fires in
Michigan and Wisconsin the losses of life sur
pass The losses at Chicago, and the losses of
property, involving the beggary of thousands
of people, will amount to millions in money.
We published some days since reports from
Minnesota of extensive fires in that State,
sweeping over the prairies and through the
wooded districts with resistless speed and
fury, and leaving scores of families destitute
in their course and flying for their lives.
From Dakota we have had similar reports, and
from Iowa. though the total value of the pro-
perty destroyed by these Iowa and Dakota
fires is comparatively small In the splendid
forests on the Canadian side of Lakes Huron
and Superior these fires have been raging
since July, darkening with their smoke the
atmosphere for hundreds of miles over the
land and water, and destroying many thou
sands of acres Of timber, with the scattered
settlements therein. An officer of a govern
ment surveying expedition in the Rocky Noun
tains reports that from the smoky atmosphere
resulting from the fires raging in those noun
tarded for many days; and late despatch
from San Francisco informs us that fires pre-
vail in The California mountains, the whole
length Of the State. Nor can we omit the
fact that within month We have had similar
reports from the mountains Of Colorado.
The immediate consequences of these
fires are The peris Of restitution and starva-
ton 70 the Thousands of the suffering people
who have escaped only with their lives-men,
women and helpless children. Here is field
for Christian inquiry ard charity which, even
in the presence OF the one hundred thousand
people burned out of house and home in
Chicago, should not and will not be neglected.
We presume that the Michigan sufferers have
obtained or will receive immediate assistance
from the rich city Of Detroit, and that the
untortunates Of Wisconsin, wandering house
1 less and furnishing from their homes destroyed,
are being looked after by the prosperous city
! of Milwaukee, with its bountiful stores of
breadstuifs and provisions. But orr benevo-
lent citizens of all creeds may still be called
upon TO aid in providing the ways and means
needed to enable these homeless and destitute
I people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and
| other States and Territories TO weather
| through the long and cruel winter that is be-
fore them. We have no misgivings, however,
upon this point. Let the local authori ard
communities Of the districts devastated by
these terrible fires make known their wants,
and we repeat it, they, from all points, far
i will hp uanarnuslv cupnlia6 Wa
know it from the universal and spontaneous
relief coming in to Chicago, from the st. Law
renee, the Hudson, The Thames, the Rhine
and the Danube.
/ w. arn hnraver aarinuslu nnnnnrnaI 90