Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-11-11

Eircs ian ehr Green Eeay Regional
GVapiIic Description o; it's sfor-
TorS.
The first news ola great disaster is gen
orally CSaggcratcd, but the first reports Of
the recent fires in the northwestern part Of
the state fell far short Of the truth. When
we heard that Pcsh,igo was burned, and
sixty lives last, every one said that it must
be cXnpgcraton. They could not under
stand how, in n village, 50 many lives
could be lost but Il recent visit to the
fields of DISSOLUTION and death made us
wonder how any were saved.
From Oconto, twenty-five miles north OF
Green Bay, we went by teams through the
burnt district to .hc Sugar Bush, Pcshtgo
aud Mmine.te. The fire came close to
UGonto, the people having to work hcrUical-
~ g. save the city. For the first eight
miles north of the city the country was
burned over, destroying immense quanu-
ties Of timber aud some houses. Scarcely
an acre of ground escaped unburned. If
the owners could cut ;he pine which was
burned 50 badly as to kill it, aud get il
manufactured into lumber this year, the
loss would not be 50 fearful but il would
be impossible to cut 81 much in one year,
Eigh, miles north of OconD, the tornado
began It's terrible work OF destruction.
From this point to P,shtigo, a distance of
twelve miles the timber was very heavy.
| Where the tornado began the timber was
mostly piuc, and further on IL consisted Of
oak, beach and maple, many trees running
Gp Cighly feet 90 the irSt limbs, II Is pro-
hable that the tornado carried the fire along
with it with wonderful rapidity. For mile
after mile not "a tree OF any size was left
standing, only sapphns here aud there,
bending 10 the blast, withStood the storm.
The trees were blown down, tho roots, in
many instances after the trees had fallen,
standing twelve to liNeen feet high, with
/ rock and dirt among them, were lclt. The
ground was covered with ashes or burned
/ until IL looked rod, The undcrhrush, the
small limbs OF the trees, the bark, the
( leaves were an burned, II seems impos-
sIblc that week ago it WAS II forest OF
evergreen trees.
/ Wherever tayrc was a culycrt in the road
/ built of logs aud covered with ground, II
/ was burned also the logs in the corduroy
road, leaving the ground hollow, Thcro
/ was 40 sign Ot life, either animal or yegt-
table, pser aud parlrldgvs were lying
/ along tho road burned to death, ht"'
? Uitgru miles north 81 a. .tutu IN the lower
snIar nuaL settlement, The road through
/ the bush ruas east aud west, The land Is
. cleared back and cultivated about lhlcr-
quarters of miln ou each side ui the road,
The Arm houses were scattered along this
road tura distance OF i've miles. Nut a
building nor l,uce is lyN, Tho clover
fields wuru burut over aa Il stubblo : every
stump Was burnt black, aud Ia many
INSTANCES ia plowed liglds lha stumps were
burned entirely up leaving hui,s la the
ground where thu roots had herm The
heat must have bneu lntepse. We SAN lhe
igun work of a wagon by the road slide and
lh,u waa un vNldcneu uf auy eambusllb.a
material upaF tho Wnsan. aud yea uut a
splinter ol Wund work pl lho wagon Wau
In. The sAelns had dropped m lhrlf propr.
places, With thr tlss bins around thrm,
lhn chain usal tu laslrH thu oxen o. g.
wagon Was stretched uut lf1n Nherr ths
Goa laagl aAle Wuuld have hepn, aud az lh.
utheg cad uf the chain ay lhe iruas of lhs
cad ul lhe l0lisap,
Apar bi ah,Tu every hum house bad
stini sstp bmg dad h0fses, eAil.p and
huaa anns "a ihe hulsrs srge hArnesaTa
anl Lsiilsi Ihruush lhla .alllsulsnl lun'
sifsaM ~ salfI, 4ili lhe lsh in a aei,
sll dad. Ia ihls District tul ulls Lilnlll
sess saged Ibey raA dpsa lnla = ggesl
hehlnd salal nouai II eaHh olhsn