The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-07-22
THE FIRE FIEND.
Our People kept on the Rag
ged Edge" for Three or
Four Days.
Terribly Scared and Slightly SiDged,
But Not Seriously Damaged
Il HOuSe and Barn and Several
Hundred Rods Of Fencing
Probably the E'rtent Of
the Loss.
A Drouthy Fire for a Newspaper.

a Drouthy Fire tor Newspaper.
1t is probably great many
years since the inhabitants of our
lovely village have experienced as
m ch excitement, agitation and
CONSERVATION as they have during
the past few days, the cause being
the great fires raging in the woods
at the back of the town, and thus
placing in imminent danger of
cremation the future metropolis of
Northwestern Wisconsin, and
causing it to go up, in reaIity,-as
the village across the bay has, tig-
urat vely-in smoke. Bul thanks to
kind Providence, assisted by a
large quantity Of water and a mum
ber of resolute men, we have been
saved and the possibility Of a
repetition of the scenes and / errors
Of Peshtigo removed 1t was a
very close call, however, and we
may, indeed, consider ourselves very
fortunate at havir G escaped.
The origin Of the fire, we believe,
was on the cIearingS Of Judge q.
w. Perry and Mr.. J. I. Smith,
situated a short distance blck of
town, these gentlemen-without,
course, thought that they were
'ncurring any risk-having started
fires on their places, sometime last
week, In order to continue
clearing their land. Owing, how
ever, to the long-continued drouth
we have been experiencing, every
thing Is as dry as powder, and the
fires, consequently, spre ID rapidly,
though no danger from them was
anticipated, as the wind was blow
ing IN an opposite direction from
superior. Mono ay morning, how
ever, the wind changed, and blew
directly toward t. wn, blowing very
strong and driving the flames bef re
1t so rapidly that by noon it had
reached the outskirts of Uppertown,
where it burned a barn belonging
TO John Collins and a dwelling
house owned by Mr.. Knutson, and
also came very near destroying the
residences OF Judge l. W. Gates,
and otI ers In that neighbo rhood,
their occupants only saving them
by almost superhuman efforts. The
smoke was so thick as to be almost
uncomfortable and hung like pail
over the heads of the seemingly
doomed Inhabitants, who, by this
time, had become greatly alarmed,
many OF them packing up their
household goods ready for removal,
and some of them even taking them
downto the shore of the bay. Fortu-
nately, about dusk, the wind veered
around to the Northeast, and
though it soon died out entirely, it
had the efficacy to stay the fire,
giving our people quite a relief and
greater sense of security The
respite was of short duration, how
ever, tor having remained calm all
day Tuesday, as if merely to give
our inhabitants a rest, the wind
again treshened up Tuesday evening,
blowing in very strong gusts from
the west and southwest, and again
driving the fire toward Superior,
this time giving our Lowertown den
izens a deal, they having heretofore
escaped. By Wednesday noon the
fire had reached Sixth street, and
now the alarm and consternation
throughout the town became very
general, nearly every one packing
up their household effects, ready
for instant removal, and one of our
merchants, Mr.. Roy, even going so
far as to transport the greater por-
non OF his goods across the bay to
Ninnesota Point.