The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-11-11
the NORTH.
Graphic Account OF the Destruction Of
PcshtigO.

From the FOn du Lac Commonwealth
The first news of great disaster is gen.
orally exaggerated, but the first reports of
the recent fires in the northwestern part of
this State fell far short of the truth. When
We heard that Peshtigo was burned, and
sixty lives were lost, every one said It must
be On exaggerAtion. They could not under.
stand how, in village, SO many lives could
be lost; but . recent visit to the fields of
desolStion and death made Us wonder any
were saved.
From Oconto, twenty five miles north of
Green bay, we went by teams Though the
burnt district 10 the Sugar Bush, Prshtig".
and Mxrincttc. The fire came close to
Oconto. tho pe"plc having to work heroic
miles north Of the city the country was
burned over destroying immense quantities
Of timber and some Il FUSES. Scarcely an
acre Of ground escaped unburned. II the
owners could cut the pine which was burn.
ed 90 badly as to kill 1t. and get it manufac-
turcd into lumber this year. the loss would
not he ~ fearful; but 1t would he impossi.
BILE TO cut ~ much in one year.
Eight miles north of Oconto the tornado
hogan its terrible work of destruction.
From this point to Peshtigo. a distance Of
twelve miles. the timber was very heavy.
Where the tornado began the timber was
mostly pine, and further on it consisted of
oak. beech and maple, many trees running
up eighty feet to the first limbs. 1t Is prob.
able That the tornado carried the fire along
with it with wonderful rapidity. For mile
after mile not \ tree of any size WAS left
bending to the blast. wi,hstood the storm
The trees were blown down, the roots. in
many instances, after the trees had fallen,
standing from twelve to fifteen feet high,
with rocks and dirt among them. The
ground was either covered with ashes, or
burned until it looked red. I he underbrlsll.
the small limbs of the trees, the bark, the
leaves-wcrc all burned 1t seems imp0ssi-
bic that week ago ii was forest Of ever
green trees.
Wherever there was culvcrt in the road
built OF logs, and covered with ground. it
Vas burned; also the logs in the corduroy
road. leaving the ground hollow. There
was no sign Of life, either animal Or yegeta
bic. Deer and cartridges were lying along
the road burned to death. About fifteen
miles north OF OcOntO Is the lower Sugar
Bush settlement. The road through the
!
back and cultivated about three. quarters Of
mile on each side of the road. The farm
houses were scattered along this road for u
distance Of five miles. Not building nor
fence Is left. The clover fields were burn.
ed over as il stuDble; every stump was
burned black, and in many instances in
plOwcd fields the stumps were burned en-.
tirely up. leaving holes in the ground where
the roots had been. The heat must lave
been intense. We saw the iron work OF u
wagon Ivy the road side. and there WAS no
evidences of any combustIhle material near
the wagon, and yet not splinter Of the
wood work of the wagon was left. Tie
skeins had dropped in their proper places,
chain used to faslcn the oxen IL the wagon
was stretched out from where the forward
axle would have been. and at the other end
Of the chain lay the irons OF the end Of the
tongue.
Near by where every farm house had
stood, were living dead horses, cattle and
hogs. Some Of the horses were Ilnrnessed
and br,dled. Through this settlement runs
. small stream Of water; the fish in It were
dead. In this district but one family were
saved. They ran down into creek behind
u small mound of earth; others went int,
the stream. but were found dead. Nune of
the inhabitants were burned in their houses.
They were found scattered in the fields.
Twenty six bodies were found in one field.
A Mr.. May WIS found thrue.quartcrs Of Y
mile northwest Of his house, his wife about
the same distance north, and his little boy,
four years old, tho same distance northeast
The Newbcrry families, consisting of sew.
cnteen persons. were all lost. They lived
near each other. They owned q mill and
three farms. Old Mr.. Ncwberry WAS not
found. Charles Newberry ran about half
mile and fell. and his two little boys, run.
ming hand in hand, were found little be-
You'd the father. lying side by side, while
wife and mother was found on the road near
bridge; che, forgetful Of her own suffer.
Ing, tried to save her babe Her charred
hand was pressing the head of her child
upon the ground. SO that it might not
breathe the fire. The child's face was all
that was uninjured. One Of the Newberrys
WAS found dead in the water under the
worse death, cut his throat with jack
knife. Charcs Lamp took his wife and four
children In y wagon when the fire began;
the horses became unDansgeshlc and ran
away; the children were thrown out one Ivy
one; Mrs. Lamp was thrown out. Mr.. Lamp
was dragged into the corner of field, and
was the only one Of that family saved. Mrs.
Caroline England, expecting u he confined
every hour, rode four ind . half miles to
Peshtigo. stood in the water five hours,
saved three out of four Of her sister b child.
rem, and gave birth to daughter the day
after. In the middle Of Sugar Bush, by
jumped into barrel Of rain water that stood
near the house. but seeing his father and
mother ~ green turnip patch, started to
70 0 them; but getting badly "urned Us he
tried 10 climb the fence, he went back and
got into the barrel again. The father and
mother were burned. The hoy was found
there. two days after, alive. The Davis
family sought refuge in well. The curb.
ing burned, and the whole family oil six
persons were lost. They were not found
tor three days. One woman with a babe
ten days old. and four other small children,
displayed more bravery than many Gen.
eral ON the battle. field. She gathered her
children around her and picked the Goals of
her family rs they fell She WAS bsdly
burned, and one Of her children has sinc,
died. but the babe escaped. Mr.. Tanner,
son in.law If A. II. Hart, Of Calumet ct,un.
~, tried tn cave his WIFI and Two children:
when his wife fell dead. he toOk child un.
der each arm and started on the run. His
children died IN his arms. aud then he dew
knife and tried 10 take his own life iAf
ter stabbing himself twice. and before he
could AcCslnlD)ieh his design n liml, Of =