Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-21
THE FOREST FIRES.
THE pEvAsTATED DISTRICTS.
Extent Of the Fires-The Losses.


The most striking fact about these great fres
l. the apparent spOntaueity with waich they
burst forth in a hundred widely separated places
AT the same time. If hand OF incendiaries,
scattered over two States. had lighted the fires
by pTecCncerted arrange me mt, the result would
rot have been widely different from the actual
fact. There are reports of villages ablaZe all
along the Huron shore, from the st. Clair river
TO Saginaw bay. The east and west shores of the
bay have alike been devastated; CONGREGATIONS
are reported in the Saginaw valley, at various
points along the Detroit and Grand Haven Rail-
road, and even as far south a. the Central Roai:
while on the western shore OF Michigan, from
Grand Traverse bay to South Haven, over DO
miles, the destruction has been great. IL was
on this coast, about % miles south of Grand
Haven. that the prosperous town of Holland
stood, which was entirely consumed. Further
north, ManiStee, lumber town, was in great
part destroyed, and Glen Haven, on Grand
Traverse bay MAS wholly burned.
Across the Lake, in Wisconsin, both shores of
Green Bay were ravagrd Il. and the fire swept
Ere are also reported in The Counties of Fond
du Lac, ManitOwOc, Shebogan, Dodge, Mara
'hon, and Winnelaga. There is no information
to slow how much of the uniuhabitcd country
in the northern part of the Lower Michigan
Peninsula has heen swept, or how far into the
wild region forth and west of Green Bay the
fire has penetrated. Some exaggerated
counts represent Michigan burned from lake
to lake, hut these are manitestly based upon the
number of fires reported at many different
points, which to one not knowing the frequency
OF forest fires in dry seasons in the Northwest
would give the impression that the whole coun-
try for hundreds OF miles was in flames.
The character OF the country desOated in
Michigan and Wisconsin is quite similar. Vast
forests of pines and hemlOcks, with occasional
groves Of beeches and naples cover the land.
1t is gloomy wilderness, whose mOnotOnOus
Loneliness Is relieved by an occasional manufaC-
tnring village on the shore, at the mouth of a
stream, or a camp of lumbermen in the interior.
The villages are created by establishing extern
sive mills for saving the logs that are iOated
down the streams, and shipping the lumber or
working 1t up into tubs, pals, barrels, chairs
bedsteads, and variety of other articles There
are few farms. The climate is bleak and the
soil generally thin and sandy. On the Door
peninsula in Wisconsin, however, there is con-
siderable good land cleared and devoted to wheat
culture; and IL is here that the principal destruc
ton of faTm-hOuses and crops has taken place.
In some parts of interior Michigan and in the
country around Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, damage
TO farmers is also reported. The numbering VIII
lagos along the lake and bay coasts and on the
rivers are seldom surrounded by clearings. The
forests, from which only the large trees have
been removed, are in immediate proximity to
the houses, and this made the destruction of
these places certain when the woods took fire.
The villages reported as burned in Michigan
are Birch Creek, Little River, Center Harbor
Sand Beach, White Rock, FOrestville, Cato We
roma, Huron City, Port Austin, and half of Port
Hope, all on the Lake Huron Shore; Holland
Grand junction, part of Manstee, and Glen
Haven, on the Lake Michigan shore
In Wisconsin, the villages of PreshtegO, Up
per Bush, Lower Bush, WilIiamsonville, RO-
the west shore OF Green Bay, were DESTROYED
and on the east shore of the bay, Little Sturgeon
Frenken. scoville and Casc0 persisted. The
camps of the wOrkmen on the railroad con-
structing north from Fort Howard were con-
sumed, and so were many lumber camps
The loss OF life by these calamities cannot yet
be aScertaned. In PeshtegO over 100 persons
were burned or drowned, and $50 were seriously
injured. In the neighbOrihg lumber districts
over 200 dead bodies have already been recOv-
cred. 1t Is believed that 800 persons persisted in
the Green Bay region, and the victims in Mich
igan will swell the total number of the lost to
nearly 1880. The condition of the survivors in
the burned districts is pitiful. Many are far
away from towns or railroads, and they cannot
be promptly reached and relieved life the suf-
ferers by the Chicago calamity. Prompt meas
ures for their relief ought to be taken by the
benevolent throughout the country. Their needs
are pressing, the winter is approaching and
navigation on the lakes, which gives the only
ready access to them, will soon be closed.
AT last accounts rain had fallen in the burn
ing districts, the wind had subsidized, and fears
OF the further spread of the flames had abated.