Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-11-09
THE WIsCONsIN FIRES.
a sunming Up 81 the Loss of Lie and
Property


A correspondent of the Milwaukee
Wisconsin, who has Travelled through
the burned regions in Wisconsin, thus
sums up the loss of life and property
in the country through which he
passed:
After making deduction for exag-
gerafions, 1 had supposed that 500
would cover the number of dead on
the West side of the bay. now learn
from reliable sources that the actual
number of interments up to Monday
night counted up to 504. Add anoth-
er hundred for remains of ashes and
charred bones at Peshtigo, and l think
we have not far from the true num-
Der on the west side. Add $50 for
the east side-making $50 in all-and
the death roll is nearly complete.
1t is impossible to figure the aggrC-
gate losses of pine timber and farm
property with any degree of closeness.
1t is to the interest of mill men 10
underrate the amount of fallen pine
that must be secured tnis winter to
save it. A medium estimate of dam
age to pine lands in the Green Bay
region is 100000. The damage on
the Wolf is figured at $500, ,000,-
There is abundance of hard wood left
in places. The damage to individuals
may amount to 100000. The loss
of the fifteen sawmills burned is put at
1925, 600. The loss of cordwood, ties,
hemlock bark, &c, is set at 5000, 900.
The losses Of fences, buildings, wag-
ons, cattle and crops, among the six
/ hundred farmers can not be less than
5000, 000-making a total aggregate
of more than So, 900, 900, aside from
those at Peshtigo. .......,.5.s
/ The country through from Brown
county north to Big Sturgeon Bay
for 400 square miles, is utterly devas
tated At least four hundred farms
in this tornado section alone are left
stripped of every. improve
ment. Fences, barns, dwellings, i'm
| plements, furniture, wagons, harness
and crops, all went up in a .''WhirlwinC
of fire." 1t will take 80 years, in tha
cold, hard soil for their timber tt
grow again. In the aggregate thei
losses must foot Up to 81 900 a fami
ly. Farmers here have saved one
half of their teams that were let lOOs
in the woods, and a third of thei
stock. But they have no hay, straw
grain, or feed Of any sort-not eTeI
the poor chance of browse IN tn
/ woods. Nearly all, with large familie
have lost their last COW and pig. Il
ride of six miles, on nearly
straight line, saw but three hens an
tanning mill-the only farm imple
ment left in the town. In the Belgia
settlement, on Red river, 50 familie
were burned out in a row! Not
house, not shed, not coop-no
one fence rail left upon another. Th
families had fed, almo st naked au
breathless, to the few cabins on tn
outskirts that were. saved. .y. s--
There are 300 or more wound
ed sufferers remaining in hotels, board
. ing houses and hospitals about th
! Bay. Fifty of the Peshtigo sufferer
were at the Dunlap House, MarinettC
Half of them were able to be about
Burned ears, faces, hands and fee
were common to nearly all. Many
rooms could hardly stir in bed. Their
were women with great burns o
, their sides and limbs, with faces lik
, kettles, and hands like claws, burne
to the bones. Men could fight bette
. and dare more than women. Most {
I them perished by suffocation. Lit
/ children are sadly maimedin their fee
and faces. / saw one with a he
gone, and another with an eye. Nearl
= all will recover without the loss {
. sight or limb! I could fill boo
! with stories of the hospital. Most I
!. them suffer more from hurts of min
> than body. have sad memory I
! poor widow who lost her cripple
). boy who went on crutehes, and
sprightly little girl who fell betwee
i. the burning logs. They were all
= her family 'tThe screams of both
q she said, "seemed forever sounding
q her ears" daThere is a future, and +
y doubt compensatIons for all these su
Il fering ones. ''--
a Most of these cabins that are le
1. are crowded with two and three fam
a lies each.7 ] saw one with four me
Il fire women and sixteen children--tv
It of them infants. They had just I
ceived an outfit of clothing-war
stockings, knit hoods, thin shaw
thin CATERS, and light colored dress
l. for the women and girls Odd fas
20 ioned hats, bursted boots, thin jac
cts, and summer coats and pants f;
. the men and boys There were son
a. occasions oflaughter, but none of ri
a icule. All were glad and surprised
Sc getting what they did. Isaw no il
r mediate want of provisions Flor
pork and hard bread are distributed
all, and packages of coffee and tea
a most. There are nearly potato
g enough in the country, if distribute
y, Their stock that is left has been dri
K, en- off to meadows and fields IL
IS, burned over. One large hearted o
le farmer was keeping eighty odd cat
ty belonging to his unfortunate neig
8; bors. Without stopping to eonsid
re the ways of Providence, or the uses.
rs philosophy, these simple minded pc
'el pie seem to have understood the
en- of helping one another. .ssa3 &.
10 = The Treasury officials are endes
's- oring to devise some more satisfacto
er method than the present for the