The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-09-17
Thrilling Account Of the Recent For.
est Fires Near Upton, Can.

Thrilling Account Of the Recent For.
est Fires Near Upton, Can.
A Montreal special of September 8
to the Chicago Times gives the follow
ing thrilling account Of the terrible
devastation wrought by bush fires in
the vicinity Of Upton, Can:
The people Of Upton, in one Of the eastern
counties Of this State. are overwhelmed with
sudden catastrophe. On Sunday the farm
ers and their happy wives and children assem-
church, looking wen and prosperous, content
ed with q harvest, better than the average,
carefully slowed away In their barns. On
were nying homeless and destitute along the
sDsfcieS away tSeir homes and happiness.
% has BEEN tSe Of
wealthy agricultural class, comprising
many French Canadians. who having got
Mean In the returned to pass
quiet scenes Of their native land. 10
these the calamity will be double bitterness.
As nearly as can be estimated the fire has
unhOused one hundred and twenty-five fami-
lies, or about eight hundred and fifty souls.
These are at present huddled together In the
small village Of Upton and surrounding
neighbors who have been fortunate enough to
escape. One man named Mallette, who has
harbored thirty-six OF the refugees on his
Children would ss Id draw tears from the most
stolid. The fires have lasted for the last week,
and were caused by the burning Of stubble
and trees. On Monday afternoon q strong
dimensions beyond human control This wind
fortunately blew from the village OF Upton,
which contained about one thousand inhabf
tants, 50 that the risk which 1t ran was con.
sfderabY diminished.
The devastating work of the flames has
been along three principal roads-Ste. Char.
night the Tunes correspondent drove out on
the Ste. Helene road along the route of the
greatest destruction. On starting man was
the Ss s
pockets. He stated that bis name was J.
TOuhon, and that his two barns, filled with
grain and one thousand bundles OF hay, had
been consumed. with his poultry, cattle and
farming implements. BY desperate exertiOnS
he had saved his house, but the future looked
blank enough for him. Driving ahead, we
merry the wealthiest man in the parish. was
stopping. He appeared with his hair all
scorched, and his ears. nose and hands terribly
burnt. He had one of the finest houses OF the
range, and had stacked the produce Of two
farms into his barns. He had saved his family,
but his cattle. swine, horses, carriage and house
were consumed. Further along the load we
saved. Throwing open his coat he exclaimed:
THAT is all" When the fire was increasing
he was three miles away, and rushing through
doned by all save the cattle, which were bel
Of no insurance. < strong north wind was
blowing, and it wes hard to refrain from chat
tering with cold. but we soon experienced
change as we drove into the burning district.
Pelting ashes, and cinders, and hot blasts Of
air warmed US up, while the Startled horse
sped forward with more speed than was pleas
q smoking heneafh
DR.. Gauthier, who 80 narrowly escaped with
several scars from the bush, met us and warned
US not to go too far, as the wind was rising.
sis of a household abandoned In the race with
the all cOnQuering nre.
It was a sad sight to view the blackened ru-
FMS of SO many homes. What maple, poplar,
hemlOck and tamarack adorned the landscape
was naugh1 but smoking cinders. The
scorched fields Of grain and the burnt crops
of corn potatoes and oats could be seen on
e in the @ trenches. The place snere
stood the house of Currier was reached. The
barns and stables had been leveled to the
ground The driver pointed out the re-! spot
his son and grandson were discovered. The
grandfather had lain himself out in q ditch,
but the extreme heat had curled him up SO
that he stood on his head and feet. Under
him a frightened hare had taken refuge, and
when the poor old man was moved it darted
out across the smoking fields, its worthless
Along the road were frequently met dreary
cavalcades returning from their hopeless
search in the ruins. Pierre Cote gave vivid
fire in Chicago, hi, house stands in the mid
die of the burnt district and is the only one
remaining for miles around: BY bis exertions
with his family, but had not gone far when
he determined to see the last Of it. The fire
had taken hold in several places, and he then
wished to make his escape, but saw the impos.
what water he had and with the earth around.
He disconnected his fences and chopped down
the beams Of his barn, that had ignited. The
very badly burnt, and will probably die. This
family did not leave until they could not see
each. other in the house, ON account OF the
The return to Upton gave US some idea Of
the terrible grandeur Of some of the scenes in
q brush fire. Night had fallen, and strong
flames shoot up on every hand, Illuminating
the darkness of the night. At dawn we set out
for the st. Charlotte road, where even the logs
miles the drive was unrelieved by the sight of
o human habitatiOn. ditch crossing the
road is covered with planks, and in this cavity
thus formed, three human lives were saved.
Two men named Roy and RObinette were
escaping with their families on cart and some
articles of household furniture. The violent
wind which caused the fire to assume so great
blew Roy and two of the women
OF the cart, with q feather bed, into the road.
The frightened horse could not be stopped,
and they were left to the mercy of Providence
and their own wits. The road ditch was their
only chance, and into 1t they crawled. and
stuffed the entrance with the feather bed. The
whole night long, the old man assured us, was
spent in repeating Ave Marias and pater nos
tiers.
At small clearing of three or four houses,
saved by the greatest exertiOn, fifteen or
twenty families were found huddled together.
Some of the men had gone to st. LibOire,
where q merchant, j. u. LeriOuX, had offered |
to supply them with bread. Those remaining |
hohiDd m hourly of the PffQofa i |