Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-09-15
.aLIakLllI04
Fire-swept Michigan.


the United states, ON Denait OF the
stricken people of Michigan. from SEN
ator Conger and w. L. Bancroft, will
tell. In brief. of the fearful calamity
which has come upon our sister State:
The most appalling disaster has fallen
upon a large portion of the counties of
Huren and Sanilac, with some adjacent
territory, a section Of country recently
covered with forests and now occupied
by nearly $1,000 people, largely recent
settlers, and either poor or in very mod
crate circumstances. In the whoie of
this section there has been but little rail-
during the past two months, and every
thing was parched and dry when, on
Monday, September ), a hurricane swept
over it, carrying with it a sheet of flame
{ iat hardly anything could wit IS a I'd.
We have reports already of over 200
persons burned to death, many of them
by the roadside or in the fields, while
seeking places of safety, and it is proba-
ble that twice this number have perish
ed. We also have reports from. twenty.
or more townships in which scarcely a
house, barn. or supplies of any kind are
left. and thousands of people require
immediate assistance and most of them
must depend on charity for months to
come. We are doing all in our power
to- succor them, but the necessities of the
case are so great that contributions of
the charitable throughout the country
will be required to keep them through
the winter.
We, therefore, appeal to you to send
money, clothing, bedding, provisions, or
any other supplies that will help main
tain the sufferers and enable them to
provide shelter for themselves and be-
gin work again on their farms.
Contributors may be sent to the May
or, E. C. Carleton, Chairman of The Re
lief Committee appointed by the citizens
of Port Huron, who have sent agents
through the burned district to ascertain
the wants of the sufferers and distrib-
ute supplies.
Few additional particulars have been
received this afternoon. From Lexing-
ton. Sanilac county, the following addi-
tional casualties are reported in Moore
township: Mrs. Strong and her two
children; Humphrey, the stage driver; |;
Mrs. Frank Dennison, child and sister ,
Paul Wetzel, wife and FIVE children, and
George Krietch, who went to their res
cue.
Twenty persons are reported burned
to death in Custer township. In Bing-
ham township Thomas Barnes,his wife's
sister, mother, and two children; in Aus
tin township an old man named Payne,
Michael Welsh, wife and two children.
Nearly every farmer in that township
has lost either his house, barn, crops, or
all of them. -.f4 a-.Fa Er7A
! The loss of life and property is i'm
mense Dead bodies are being brought
in from all directions. 1t is estimated
| that 500 human beings have periShed,
and 5000 people are homeless and in
immediate want of assistance. The
farmers in newer townships lose their
live stock, houses, barns, crops, and ev-
erything. fE.fsBEEEE Ecf8 az.
A farmer who just came in from Aus
tin township saved his family of eight
children in field of buckwheat, but
says the whole country in that part is
totally destroyed, and many lives were
lost. The loss of live stock is simply
Immense. The older settled townships
escaped with but little loss, but in most
of the newer townships nothing remains
but ire-swept, blackened wilderness.
| IA 6AoPoSA 1lOAA 4ufhA ACbOCs kooiAiinC
county, says a terrible state of affairs
exists at this point. The entire section
of country lying to the north and east of
this place has been on fire, and the num-
bel of families whoare rendered homeless
will reach the. hundreds. Up 10 this
time seventeen persons are known to
have met their death by fire. The horse
of Ira HumphTey,a mail carrier between
this place and Davis Corners came home
badly burned, with card attached to
the saddle written by Humphrey, stating
his peril from fire. a relief party found
him in the road dead. He was entirely
ldepuded, his clothes either having been
burned on his person OF torn off by him
self in his desperation.
In the township of Argyle, Huron
county, the following were burned to
death: Paul Whitesle, wife and live
tehildren; Geo. Gratch, wife and three
children: Mrs. Morris Welsh and two
children; James Gibson, and two wo-
men recently from Canada, names un-
4 knowP. There are also several so badly
buried that they can not live. Iii some
sections the lire swept everything before
it, and spread with such rapidity That
the people were Obliged 10 tiee with only
the clothing on their backs. :. -f.s..--,-
j In Eapetr and Huron counties. back
from the lake shore, the devastation has
i been more serious, especially in the loss
of life, although the property losses have
been severe. La ruscola county the
loss is estimated at 100000. - .s -
The work of forwarding supplies of
{ food and clothing from Detroit WAS be-
gun tonight by boat and railroad. Eff
licient committees have been, or will be
appointed TO receive and properly dis
tribute supplies, and every effort will be
made to reach the sufferers as promptly
: rs possible, and to see that all contribu-
tions are properly bestowed.
PORT HURON, Mich, Sept. S-The un-
, dersigned makes this report after visit
! ing the burned region and receiving the
reports of a large number of persons fa-
mitiar with the facts, and in most in
stances giving us the names of the vic
! TINS and sufferers already ascertained.
In twenty towns in Sanilac a:id HUI
ron counties We find over 200 persons
destroyed by the fire, including tntire
families lost. We have lists already of
more than l,500 families burned out, in
most cases losing house, barn, cattle,
horses, grain, hay, everything. of which
they had in most ihstanees abundant
possessions few hours before. With
out food, shelter, clothing, and almos.
without hope, they huddle together IN
crowds or wander half crazed alone till
khelp comes to them. They must not
perish. They must not become exiIes.
they must have food, clothing, habita-
tions, with wheat for sowing, grass seed,
hay, IA thousand things, till next harvest
comes. We will do all we can, but the
calamity is too overwhelming and be-
= yond our utmost means to relieve alone
Il; The generosity of the American peo-
pie is proverbiat Ne invoke its exer-
else. Send your cont iributiohs to- Hon.
E. C.Carleton, Mayor of Port Huron,