Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-09-10
MICHIGAN FIRES.
Great Losses of Life and Property.


signed make this second report after visiting
the burnt regions, and reports of the large
number of persons with their families with
their fates, and in most instances giving us
the names of the victims and sufferers al
ready ascertained in twenty towns in Camille
and Huron counties. We find over two hun
dred persons destroyed by the fires, includ-
ing entire families lost The homes of 1900
families have been burned out, in most cases
not only losing houses, but barns, cattle,
horses, grain, hay and everything of which
they had an abund ant amount. few have
been found without food, shelter, clothing and
almost without hope. They huddle together
in crowds, or wander about half crazed and
alone until help comes.
They must not perish, they must not be-
come exiles they must have good clothing
and habitations, winter wheat for sowing.
grass seed, hay, and thousand things until
the next harvest comes. We will do all we
can, but the calamity is too overwhelming and
beyond our utmost means to relieve alone.
The generosity of the American people is
proverbial.
We invoke its exercise. Send your con-
tributions to Hon. f. +. Carlton, Mayor of
Port Huron, and chairman of the relief
committee.
(Signed) o. u. CoNGER,
w. l.. BANCROFT.
DETROIT, Sept Q.
Details continue to come in in relation to
the destruction by the forest fires. Huron
and Sanilac counties have been the princi-
pal theatre of the greatest destruction and
suffering. An eye witness states that dark
ness and a copper colored sky preceded the
approach of the fire. Later the sky changed
to deep red, and Monday afternoon it be-
came so dark that lanterns were necessary
for the people to find their way. This con-
dition of affairs continued uutil about eight
o'clock Wednesday morning when the wind
shifted from the west to north, cooling the
air and bringing a slight relief. In the woods
were many scOrched and charred bodies. The
high winds that prevailed cut off nearly every
avenue of escape, and large burning masses
would be lifted up bodily and carried along
for great distance, starting fires in fresh
places. The fleeing people were caught in
the fire traps and roasted. Up to Wednes-
day night forty-five bodies have been found
within mile. In Paris township MANY are
missing, many of them Poles. The whole
settlement, buildings, fences. crops, etc, was
swept clear. In Delaware township all the
county south of Forestville, from the lake
seven miles back, there is hardly ANYTHING
left, not ore house to the square mile They
were new settlers and had small clearings
and the fire swept them like hurricane.
They lose all they had and
owe for their places. Many of them
fed to the lake, the shore of which has been
crowded with human beings, cattle and every
thing that could get to the water edge.
Witnesses from Forestville say that the
utmost confusion prevailed. Many could
not see. One man who had lost his all, was
both blind and crazy, and had to be led to
the lake. North of Sanilac the fire on Mon
day night was terrible, sweeping away almost
everything, but it seemed to leave the houses.
The people here did not know that any fire
was near them until it was on them and tbey
had to run for the lake.
large party of men have gone to bury
the dead beasts in Forester township. A man
who has been on the road since Monday, re-
ports that he has seen l l6 burned bodies. At
one place he saw four wagons bearing eight
collins, with one man walking behind ali
alone. 1t was his family. Wednesday night
the burning district between Deckersyille
and Sand Beech, was visited by rain storm.
which put out considerable portion of the
fire and cleared the atmosphere. The fires
now appear to be abatinR.
A dispatch from Port Austin. at the ton of
the burned peninsular, sums up the general
destruction as follows: Loss of lives bv
forest fires on Monday and Tuesday is esti-
mated from 200 to 800. The following vii
lagos were burned Badaxe, Verona. Forest
Bay, Richmondville. Charleston, Anderson.
Deckersville, Harrisonville and Sandusky.
The following were partly burned: Port
Hope, Mendew and Abbey. The great losses
in the Villages is nothing to that in the
country. Reports from Saginaw, Tuscole
LaPeer counties, do not approach the losses
IN the shore counties, although in each of
these counties hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars worth of property have been de.
stroyed. The latest reports from ali these
counties encourage the belief that rain has
visited many sections. and that the deluge of
flames Is rapidly subsiding.