New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-10
THE GREAT FOREST FIRES
AN APPALLING LOSS OF LIFE

pa theatre of the greatest destruction and suffer-
Ahg An eyewitness states that darkness and a
| copber-colored sky preceded the approach of the
me- Later the sky changed to a deep rci and Nom
oay afternoon became 20 dark that lanterns were
necessary for the people TO find their way Ibis
eondinon OF affairs continued until about o'clock
! wednesday morning when the wind shifted from
west 10 north, cooling the air and bringing slight
relief.
In the woods were many scorched and charred
oodles which presented a revo.ting appearance The
high winds that prevailed cut of nearly every ave-
nue. OF escape, and large burning masses would be
hfted up bodily and borne along for great distance
In many instances these burning masses started
fires in fresh places. The skill and courage Of man
seemed nnpotent to combat with such flames and
'he leemg people were caught in the fire traps and
roasted. One farmer who ploughing with his
oxen few miles from Sand Beach, perceived the
approaching darkness and started for his house On
reaching home he found that his wife had gone 20 a
neighbors He then took two Of bis children, his
eldest daugh' er taking three Others Before going
many rods they found themselves cut of by the
hames The farmer then turned i'm another direo-
ton and escaped with the two children. His
daughter and the other three children were found
next day, all in heap, charred beyond recognition
Up to Wednesday night, forty-five bodies had been
found within mile. In Paris township many are
missing. most of them Poles. The whole settlement
buildings fences and crops swept clean. In Della
ware township, all the country south Of Forestvlle
from the lake seven miles back there is hardly any
thing left, not one house TO the square mile. They
were new settlers and had small clearings and the
fire swept over the clearlugs like a hurricane They
lose all they had and owe for their places Many Of
them fed TO the lake. The shore line has been
crowded with human beings, cattle and everything
that could get 20 the water.
FLEEING TO SAVE LIFE.
Eyewitness say that the utmost confusion
prevailed. Many could not see One man..
who had lost his all, both blind and
crazy, and had TO be led to the lake
North of Ssnilac the fire on Monday night
terrible, sweeping away almost everything; but
it seemed to leave tine houses. The people here did
not know any fire them until it was on
them and had To run for the lake. and il being but
short distance away all reached il safely. john
Kerr and family asleep when their building
caught fire, and a neighbor seeing il ran and woke
them and they succeeded in saving the house, but
lost everything else Mrs n. Burgess got separated
from her husband and hid all night in a ditch
large party of men have gone 10 bury the dead
beasts in the Forester township DIR. Hoyt who re-
turned for more medicine, reported several badly
burned persons. Many ar so blind they had
TO be led, and many without food A num-
Der parties have already gone with food clothing
shoes and medicine. More help must come quickly,
or much suffering will They have no -four
or provisions.
| THE BURNED VILLAGES.
| George Ferguson, of White Rock who has been on
the road since Monday, reports that he has seen I16
burned bodies. At one place be saw four wagons
| bea ing eight coffns with one man walk
ing behind all alone. 1t was his family.
! Another following three Collins,
! Every farmer lost crops and fences
| On Wednesday night the burning district between
Deckersville and Sand Beach visited by q rain
storm which put out a considerable portion of the
he lat
are that the fires appear TO be abating. dis Iatc
from Post Austin nm at the top Of the burned penin-
The loss of hives by the forest fires on Monday and
Tuesday rs estimated at from 200 70 800. The fol-
| lowing villages burned: Bad Axe. Verona
Forest Bay, RIchmondville, Charleston, Anderson
Deckersville HaTisonville and Sandnsky. The
and Ubly. The great loss in villages is nothing 10
that IN the country; where the loses too
Gus TO be named. Reports from Saginaw. Tuscoa
| and Lapeer counties, one tier back from the lake
while showing much destruction of prom,
shore Counties fRe os. bE fe SsSeS was IN mIe 5es
less sweeping and general, and the loss of
counties hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
property destroyed. The latest reports from,
visited many sections and that the dcluCe of flame
is largely subsidlng The work Of immediate relief
must now he systematically e tered upon. Lumber
to build houses provisions of all kinds, clothing
and seed for future crops, must be furnished IN
The benevolent every can safely send money
TO +. C. Carleton, Mayor of Port Huron or TO Sena-
". y.
ance that the means will be judiciously used
Prompt action is urgently demanded.
THE EXTENT OF THE DISASTER NOT YET KNOWN
A point has now been reached where it NAV ha
reasonably hoped that no fresh disasters to the
afflicted people of the burned district will be heard
of. Rains have fallen in probably sufficient guam
tty to quench the fires but not enough 20 soak the
ground and revive the dropping vegetation. The
lowest estimates indicate that 2l5 families have
been burned out in the towns of Marlette, Flynn
Argyle, Evergreen, Moore, Lamotte and Elmer in
Sanilac County, and thirty-two persons ara
known To be dead Men who travelled through. tho
burned district yesterday report that the fires are
mostly ont, and the inhabitants sitting about tho
ashes of their burned houses, many burned and
otherwi.e injured. They disconsolate and
almost bereft of their senses. Pro
visions, clothing bedding and other neces-
saries are being constantly forwarded
and men travelling through the burned sections
distributing supplies and taking the names of those
who are in need. Many persons still missing in.
the burned district and the exact loss cannot be
known for some days. Sixty-fve burals already
reported in six towns and II is said that twenty
seven dead have been found in the country between
Bad Axe and Port Hope. Trains are now running
regularly 10 Sand Beach aud Marette.
The older settled towns have suffered no losses
to speak Of, but the loss falls on the poorer
class of people who are just starting in tho
lower townships. good deal of suffer-
ing is also reported from the back part Of
can be ascertaned, some of families have
been completely burned out, and IL is feared that
there has been loss of life, but 10 what extent
ably at end. The work of relief must now be
energeticallv and Systematically pursued. In many
instances these poor people must be carried through