The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-09-15
TERRIBLE FOREST FIRES,

The Effects in Mchigan-Five Hundred HUI
man Beings Have Perished in the Flames
Their Charred Remains Being Brought In
Thousands of Families Rendered Homeless.
Northern Michigan, which is heavily wooded,
has been subjected for a long time to q severe
,routh. Everything was dry when, on Monday,
September 5, hurricane swept over it, carry
ing with 1t sheet of flame that hardly any
thing could withstand A most appalling dis
counties of Huron and Sanilac, with some ad-
jacent territory, a section of country recently
covered with forest and now occupied by nearly
$4,000 people, largely recent settlers, and
either poor or in very moderate circumstances,
s sas the css late s account:
90 A dispatch from Detroit says that the
fire came with hurricane OF wind Monday
noon, and the whole heavens seemed to be on
fire. The inhabitants thought of nothing but
10 sscase with their lives In some sections
with such rapidly that the people wers Obliged
to flee with only the clothing IN their backs
There is no such thing as 81 Ting particulars,
but it is known that over 200 men, women
and children are burned to death in Sanilsc
county alone, and as many as 100 more in HUI
ron county. Thousands Of families are home
less and almost naked. The villages of Forest
Bay and Huron City, both in Huron county, arr
gone A special from Sandusky, Sanilac coun-
ty, reports that the entire central portion of
that count is burned over, and scarcely any
tli:g left Twentn- three DEAD bodies were
found along the reads in Moore, Ar*ye, Gus
ter and Waterton townships. Within fifteen
mics OF Mindon over 200 persons are known
to have burnctl to death.
Aspecial from reputable citizens of Lexington
says: Dead bodies are brought in from all
ircctions. It is now known that over 500
were killed in Salilac county.
Another diqnatcl aava roporka ftor, ~
is known as the Ecskine estate, about eight miles
vest of Sand Beach and running south through
the township of Paris, are heartrendering.
Dad bodies are lying along the road and in thu
door yards, having apparently been overtaken
by the fire. The best estimates place the num-
Der Of families that are entirely burned out and
destitute of food and clothing at 500!
1t is stated by good authority that 100 or
moro people persisted in the flames in the vi
cinity of Port Hope and Huron city, Vernon
Mills, Charleston and BAD Axe are lying in
ashes
The villages Of Charleston and Threa are TO-
tlly destroyed. Ubly, Huron county, partially
destroyed; Bad Axe and Verona M lis, Huron
comfy, are probably burned
An appeal has been issued for aid by com
mittee OF citizens OF Port Huron, headed by
Senator Conger, Mayor Carlton and otherA
A dispatch from Port Austin, at the top Of
the burned Peninsula says the following vii
lagos are burned: Bad Axe, Verona, Forest
Bay, Richmondville, Charleston, Anderson,
Deckersvile, Harrisonvllle and Sandusky. The
following are partly burned: Port Hope, MINI
den and Utley: The great loss in the villages
is nothing to that in the country, where losses
are too numerous to be named.
The flames in almost all quarters subsidized on
Wednesday, owing to copious rains, and the
details arc slowly coming in. The scenes Of
| horrer in the woods are too frightful for any
pen to portray. Tho dead were found every;
where verv rarely recopnizable and in mOs1
ca Is nondistipguishable as human beings
Many were mere masses Of burnt flesh, which
fell apart when touched, and very few could
eek OF age be distinguished.