Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-09
THE TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST.
Further Particulars Concerning the
Michigan Fires.
An Appalling story Of Loss OF Life
and Property.


DETROIT, Sept. o. Details continue q
come to hand relative to the DESTRUCTIVE
forest fires in Huron and Sanilac coun
ties the principal theater of the create
destruction and suffering An eye wit
ness states that preceding the approach
of the fire there was darkness and q cop
per -oolored appearance of the sky; tina
later il changed TO a deep red, and BY
the middle of the afternoon 1t became SC
dark that lanterns were necessary in or
der that the people might find their way
out of doors. This condition of Affairs
continued until about O'Clock Wednes
day morning, when the wind shifted
from west to north, which cooled the air
and brought slight relief.
In the woods were many dead of every
age and presenting the most revolving
| appearance, the bodies of which were
scorched and charred by the fire. The
high winds that prevailed cut off nearly
every avenue of escape, and large burn
| ing masses would be bodily lifted up
and borne to great distances and in many
instances start fires in fresh places
The skill and courage of man seemed
impotent to combat such flames, and the
| fleeing people were caught in the ire
and roasted as were their live stock. One
farmer, who was blowing with his oxen,
few miles from Sand Beach,
perceived the ap preaching dark
ness, and started for his house,
and reaching there he found that his
wife had gone to neighbours. He took
two children and gave three Others in
charge of his eldest daughter, but be-
fore travelling many rods they found
them selves cut off by the flames. He
turned in another direction and escaped
with the two children, but the three
children and the daughter were found
near by, all in 9 heap, and charred be
yond recognition.
Up to Wednesday night As bodies had
been found within a mile in the town
ship of Paris, and many more are miss
ing. Nearly all are Poles. The whole
settlement is swept clean.
In Delaware township all the country
south of Forestville, from the lake seven
miles back, there is hardly anything left;
not one house to the square mile They
were new settlers and had small clearings
and the fire swept them like q hurricane.
They lose all they had and owe tor their
places. Many of them fed to the lake
and the shore line has been crowded with
human beings, cattle and every thing
that could get to the water.
Eye witnesses from Forestville say that
the utmost confusion prevailed, and that
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, Monday night, was ter
rible, sweeping almost everything, but
seemed to leave the houses. The people
here did not know that any fire was near
them until it was on them, and all had
to run for the lake, and it being but a
short distance, all reached it safely.
One woman, while they were
running for their lives, saw her oxen run
into the slashing, and in spite of the
efforts and the cries of the Others rushed
into it and succeeded in driving them
out before her to the lake. John Kerr
and family were asleep when their build |
ing caught fire and the neighbors seeing |
it ran and woke them and they succeeded |
in saving the house but lost everything |
else. Mrs. N. Burgess got separated |
from her husband and laid all night in a |
ditch. Another person laid down In 8 |
mud puddle ard rolled over aud over |
all night.
A large party of men have gone to
bury the dead beasts IN Forester town
ship. DR.. Hoyt returned after more
burned, many SO blind they had to be
leo, and many without food. Numbers
of parties have already gone with food,
shoes and medicine. More help
must come quick as much suffering will
ensue. They have no flour or provis-
ions.
George Ferguson, of White Rock, who
has been on the road since Monday, re-
ports that he has seen 1 l6 burned bodies.
At one place he saw four wagons, bear
ng eight coffins, and one man walking
behind alone. 1t was his entire family.
Another man was following three collins.
The latest reports say that the back
townships are burned over with large
oss of life. Wednesday night. the burn
ng district, between Deckerville and
sand Beach, was visited by rain storm
which put out q considerable portion of
he fires and cleared the atmosphere. The
attest reports are that the fires appear to
De abating.
A dispatch from Port Austin, at the
OPP of the burned peninsula, sums up
he general destruction as follows:
The loss of lives by the forest fires,
Monday and Tuesday, Is estimated at
rom two to three hundred. The follow
ng villages are burned: Boddie, Vero
Ia, Fores. BAY, Richmondville, Charles
on, Anderson, Deckersville, Hsrrisville,
md Sandusky. The following are
partly burned: Port Hope, Win
len, and Nubley. The great loss
n the villages ifs nothing to that in the
country where the losers are too numer-
,us to be named. Reports from Saginaw,
ruscols and Laper counties, one tier
back from the lake, while showing much
of property, do not approach
hose from the shore counties The losses
~ fire were much less sweeping In gen.
raj and the loss of life small, but in
.ach of these less favored counties humid
eds of thousands of dollars worth of
property have been destroyed. Latest re-
ports from all these counties encourages
he belief that the rain had visited many
ections, aud that the deluge of fiame is
argely subsidlng. The work of imme-
late relief must be now systematically
inferred upon Lumber to build houses,
provisions of all kinds, clothing and
eed for future crops, must be furnished
n large quantities to prevent still great
II restitution The benevolent, every