New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-22
PESHTIGO'S DESTRUCTION.
The Night Of Destruction In Northern
Wisconsin.

The Night Of Destruction In Northern
Wisconsin.
fFrsn the Marinette and Peshtigo Eagle Extra.
MARINErTE, Wis. October ll.-Yesterda,
morning, in company with several gentle
men from Marinette, Wisconsin, and Memo
1nonee, Michigan. we visited the site %
what was once the beautiful and thriving
about 1900 people. and was one Of the
busiest, iveiiest. and one Of the most enter
prising communities along the bay shore
Standing amid the charred and blackened
embers, with the frishtfully mutilated
cOrpses OF men. women. children, horses,
oxen, cows. dogs, swine and fOwls-every
house, shed, barn, clubhouse or structure OF
any kind, swept from the earth as with the
very bosom Of destruction-Our emotions
can not he described in language. No pen
dipped in liquid fire can paint the scene:
language Tin thoughts that breathe and
words that burn gives but the taintest i'm.
preston Of its horrors.
From the survivors we CLEAN the follow
ing in reference to the scene at the village
as the sugar Bush Sunday evening,
after church. for about half an hour, a
deathlike stiffness huu. over the doomed
town. The smoke from the fires in the
region around was so thick as TO be sitting.
and hung like funeral pail over every
thing, and all was developed in Egyptian
darkness. Soon light putfs of air were felt:
the horizon at the southeast, south and
southwest began to be family Illuminated:
perceptible trembling OF the earth was
felt. and distant roar broke the awful
silence. People began to fear that some
awful calamity was pending, but as yet no
one even dreamed Of the danger
The illumination soon became intensified
into fierce, lurid glare; the roar deepened
into howl as if all the demons from the
internal pit had been let loose when the
of the tornado struck Chimneys were blown
down, Houses were unroofed. the roof of the
wOodenware factory was lifted, large
warehouse. filed with tuns. pals. kanakans,
lk@elers aud fish kits was nearly demolished,
and, amid the confusion. terror and terrible
apprehension of the moment. the fiery ele-
ment, in tremendous inrOiling pillows and
masses Of sheeted flame, envcloped the de-
voted village. The frenzy Of despair seized
on all hearts, strong men bowed like weeds
before the fiery blast, women and children
like frightened spectres fitting through the
awful gloom, were swept away like autumn
leaves. Crowds rushed for the bridge, but
the bridge. like all else, was receiving its
baptism Of fire. Hundreds crowded into
the river, cattle plunged in with them and,
being huddled together in the general con-
to the water were drowned. A great many
were on the blazing bridge when it feel.
The debris from the burning town was
hurled over on the heads OF those of those
who were in the water, killing many and
manning others, SO that they gave up in
despair and sank to a watery grave.
In less than an hour from the time the
tornado struck the town. the village Of
PeshtigO was annihilated!
Emil one hundred narished either in fha
flames or in the water. and ali the property
was wiped out Of existence.
In the ''Sugar Bush" tue loss of life was
even greater in proportion to the number
of inhabitants than in the village. Whole
families are destroyed. and over a thickly
settled region in the heavy hardwood tim
Der. consisting OF two or three townships, !
there is scarcely family but is now left |
destitute, and mOurns the loss of some o.: |
It's loved ones.
Hon. l. Stephenson of Marinette. went !
yesterday short distance on the road |
Leading to the upper bush, and counted |
thirty -seven dead bodies.
Another party informs us that he found |
over fifty dead on the road and over forty |
ON another.
In the lower bush the trunks Of the fallen |
trees. lying in every conceivable direction. |
are strewn SO thickly over the ground that |
it must be many days before the entire re-
gion can be thoroughly penetrated. SO as to
bury the dead and sUccOr the living
The number who have persisted is not vet
definitely asccr,ained, but enough is known
to place first reports far in the background.
At Peshtigo village over one hundred were
either burned to death or drowned in the
river in their efforts to escape the flames.
The '.Sugar Bush is divided into what is
known as the upper. lower and middle bush.
From what we can learn. and by cleaning
our information from all possible sources. |
we are quite certain that over sixty were
seventy-ive in the middle, and fully one |
hundred and twenty in the lower bush,
miserably. terribly persisted.
Hundreds are MANNED and helpless, many |
Of them rendered cripples for life. Thus, |
in one short hour, Whole townships vert
devastated by the fire tiena, nearly four
hundred human beings We're hurled into
tons ever known in the history Of the
world, and the wretched survivors left with
nothing to subsist on but on such supplies
as are and may be contributed by the char
tiles Of the people. To the despairing cries
for help the people, having their sympathies
aroused, have and are responding nobly.
The whole country is a scene of devasta-
ton and ruin that no language can paint or
tongue describe.
There is only one farm Of any note in the
entire bush that has escaped. This is the
tine farm OF Mr.. Abram Place. in the Upper
Bush. tie, having an immense clearing,
and protected by the roads. was enabled to
save his house, barn. and nearly all of his ,
stock and supplies His house has been an
asylum for the suffering ones of that region
and he has rendered them all the assist.
ance in his power. t
Yesterday, Mulligan, having in his charge t
gang of railroad employees, was engaged q
n gathering together the remains at Pesh- a
iyo and in the immediate vicinity, and
,o1 oil hot pnssihvo ~ |