The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-10-18
PESHTlG0,

A CORRESPONDENTS ACCOUNT OF THE
WISCONSIN HORROR.
lMenosha, Wis, Letter to the Cleveland Leader
1 have just returned from what was
once Pcshtigo. whittier / went yesterday,
that might be able to give to the readers
of the Herald correct account of the
destruction tf that place. The village Wa,
situated on Peshligo river, seven mics
from Green Bay. 1t was nice little fowl
of about two thousand inhabitants, quit,
regularly laid out, had fne hotels, stores,
churches, schools, ect,, besides the larg,
factory owned by the Peshtigo Manufactu-
ring Company, II sash, door and blind
factory and foundry also owned by the
same company, who owned nearly every
building in the town. The factory wa.
devoted TO the manufacture of pals, tubs.
brUom-handes, etc, and gave employment
to about seven hundred hands in the differ
ent branches.
The town is nearly surrounded by fine
forests, the subur ban portions b.ing built
among the pines. - The inhabitants have
for the past ten days been fighting fire in
the woods, trying TO save the town, ana
had settled down into II feeling OF compare
tive security since the woods on all sides
had 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
volum 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 q 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 in flames. Men, women and
children rushed into the street, and, sur.
| rounded by fire on all sides, were soon
either smothered or burned TO death. In
the less exposed portions the people fed &c
the river aud, jumping in, many were
| drowned. Some saved their lives By keep
ing THEN bodies under water and once IN
while putting their head, under a. tn,
heat became in,ufierable Others took
refuge in wells and cisterns and were saved
Qnlte large portion of the inhabitants ran
| to field to the leeward of the fire. and by
| living on the ground were saved, althoug .
| some of these We're badly burned. There
| Is but one house left standing, and this is
| isolated and lately built ofgreen lumber
| a. near as can at present be ascertaned
| two hundred lives were lost, mostly wO-
men ana children. Although good
many men persisted, there are seventy five
who are badly burned, many Of whom
will die, and nearly all are more or less
burned. The destruction has been 20 com
| plete that the streets cannot be traced, all
| being covered with sand which was swept
| in great clouds by the tornado, In some
instances bodies have been found completely
covered by sand.
As soon rs the fire had sufficiently SUBJ
sided all that were able went TO the relief
of the sufferers. Blackcned charred corpse.
we're lying in every direction, with tner
clothing. as a general thing, nearly or
| quite burned off Many dead bodies were
! found in the river and many more have
| been recovered. A number have died
| from their bruises, while others are Grip
| Piled or fearfully disfgured.
The most imaginative mird cannot te-
| gin to realize this fearful calamity, much
less my poor pen to describe 1t. The
| shreks and grOans of the dying and OF
those who had lost near and dear friends
the gastly aspect OF the blacened corpses
| the shocking appearance of many who
| badly burned and almost destitute OF
clothing, running they knew not where
others in the last agones of death, made @
| picture too horrid for cuntem platon.
| The sufferers have all been taken to Green
Bay and other towns, where they will be
kindly cared for, Us hospitality is one OF
the marked traits of the West
The loss to the Peshtigo Company, who
owned the factories and most Of the town
besides large pine lands is estimated II,
three million dollars, besides the loss OF
their extensive warehouses in Chicago.
Mennekaunee, II town of seven or eigh'
hundred inhabitants, is all destroyed Lu
three houses. Fortunately no lives wer.
lost here.
Marinette is also nearly all destroyed.
Business in this section is partially sus
pended. All the saw-mills at Oshkosh
Fon du Lsce and other neighboring town
are stopped by an order of the authorities