Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-26

PESHTIGO. MICH.
destruction of The Teyyu-The Air
n NaasS of E1ame-EerVibie suit
fering of the people of the Doom"
ed CiGy-A Tornado of Flame.


Mass of E1ame-Terrib,e SUIT
ferIng of the people of the BOOM
cd City-A Tornado of Flame.
Hon. J. F. briggs, who has just re-
turned from Green Bay, furnishes us with
the sad particulars of the burning OF
Peshtigo. He informs us that be left
Marquette week ago last night, and says
he saw no fire north of the Bay, but there
was great destruction going on east and
west of the Bay, bat they did not extend
north. He passed Sunday night and
Monday at Esconaba. The boat was
greatly detained on her upward trip on
account of high wind and smoke, and the
latter was so high that the boat had to be
steered entirely by the compass. The
fire on the east side of the Bay extended
in an almost unbroken line from the east
ern shore of Like Winnebago to the
nothern extremity of the Eastern penin-
sula, fully $50 miles. burning up in it's
course fences, barns, houses and an end
less quantity of cedar telegraph poles and
tan bark, the latter of which was pileed
up in immense heaps on the docks. SO deep
and dismal was the darkness, caused by
the immense volume of smoke, that the
sun was totally obscure for a distance of
two hundred miles. This midnight dark
ness continued for a week. The boat, Of
course, was delayed, but she left E~canabt
for Green Bay on the fatal Sunday night
at - o'clock, but only made her way II
miles ont when forced to return on ac-
count of the stormy sea beneath and the
sea of fire overhead. The air was red
with burning fragments carried all the
-. L5- vNtnp n ono
the shore, distance of nearly so miles
The boat laid in Escauaba barbor until 9
o'clock ii. m, Monday, when she again
started, the storm having but slightly
subsidized, but the course was pursued and
Menominee was reached with great diff
Guilty. AS they approached Menominee
they passed vessels loaded with furniture,
ETC., all being ready to leave if the place
took fire. 1t was here the passengers
learned of the destruction Of P shtigo.
Mr.. Stevenson, the we'll known lum-
Der man of Menominee, stated that the
people Of that place had been fighting the
fire for the past II hours and had become
exhausted, but they succeeded in keeping
the fire on the opposite shore Mt Marin
EFT, which place escaped with the loss of
few small mills, houses, enc. But few
lives were lost, and most Of those from
drowning and exhaustion. He was iu-
formed that short distance north - per-
Sous who had dug holes in the ground to|
escape the general coDf q. tion were
found suff0cated.
Taking on board all anxious to escape,
the boat proceeded to Peshtigo. On ar
irving there the steamers Favorite and
Union were lying at the dock ready to
carry off the sufferers, having thrown
away their cargoes to ave the lives oil
the people. The town Of paehtigo des.
troyed was seven miles from the landing,
and contained about 500 people, large
portion of whom were employed in pail
factories and mills situated thve. The
town Is on sandy ground, and il sur
rounded with g dense growth &C cedar
and pine. There was q railroad belong
ing to the company manufacturers there, /
the engine and cars cf which = re all
DESTROYED The sta.mar Dunlop brought
a large number Of perso1 away ~H0 had
escaped bv rushing from tA il loJ--z to .
the Peshtluo liver, and into the w'.ac TO
their reolIs, where tAoy constantly lash I.
ed water over their heads to Eaan taem
from being burned.
Two yonug men. rauc5 Williamson,
who had q hardware -asra Z P htigo, /
who were th.re st :Ae t:.n- r5 She fire, |
au1 .?ho SAVED their lives by plunging |
into tie rjz-r, Live FIJI. Is.r.3ealars of the !
fro Thy -s55 tt people were all at
church .a th,, t;..@ All at once there
was terrible roar like thunder, end then .
rushing noiao like tornado. o. going
to the door OF their store, they saw sreat.
Z n ~