New-York tribune., 1881-09-09
DEVASTATED BY FIRE.
FIVE HUNDRED HUMAN LIVES LOST.

A'OAi' 1hicHs, Sept S.-1elegraphiC cOmmuni-
c''oh is entirely cut off with the worst parts of the
burnt region of this State so that reports are vet
somewhat fragmentary. and, it is hoped, exag-
put there are many fears that the worst is
Lar rom having been told. The complete destruc-
Iioh OF klchmondvie, Sanilac County. is con-
hrmed. The villages of Carson Charleston and
iyre are reported to be completely destroyed and
hshley partly so. The townships of Delaware
nanhii' Austen, IN Sanilac County, and Bingham
Sherman and Paris in Huron County, are burned
over ana deserted. The crops in these townships
We're all harvested, and nearly all are now lost.
lhe remains of the Redmond family of seven per-
SONS were found IN well Charleston thew
having entered the well FOR shelter and there having
been suffocated The charred remains of Henry
Cole were also found at Charleston and family
h''leo olsala Ill Paris township and Mrs. Diebert
''I nor "ree children were overtaken by the flames
anu burned to death In Watertown township tbe
members OF the Dennison family are believed to
have been burned Two families Tbornton and
Lee, IT IS feared fell prey to the names
Near Richmondville there was a gale CARRYING the
IRE with rapldity that often prevented escape.
yesterday afternoon the direction of the wind
changed, and this, it is feared, will add new de-
stfuctlon by sending the flames over sections that
hao escaped 1t was much cooler last night which
Is in that respect favorable, bnt the wind "a high
ana the country helpless. There are no signs of
ancc.
lhe Board of Trade of this city Yesterday an
pointed COMM tees to solicit relief for the destitute
GohtnnnitleS, as is very evident that large work
i wa, direction Is necessary Hundreds of families
nave loSt al their property and their years crops
a" are reduced 10 u condition of absolute and i'm
mediate want.
EAST SAGINAW, Mich, Sept. s.-Reports show
That III MillIngton Township, Tuscola County,
twenty-one families are left homeless; in Denmark.
} EuIfOfl and tba
county, twenty or thirty families have been burned
ont, ana many acres OF timber and crops and miles
oi FENCES destroyed by the flames. In this vicinity
the hrcs are chiefly confined to Buena Vista, Blum
field, Bridgeport and Birch RIM townships on the
east, and kOchvlle Zlyaukee and Saginaw Town
slp' on the west IN all of which numbers of build
lngS ana largo quantities OF property have been
swept away. The Indian settement seven miles
bciow this CITY, which is surrounded by dense for
est reported to have been burned, and. doubtless
ives were lost, Thirty families lived there. and
thcre was no mode Of escape. Fires are reported to
nave oohe grcat damage IN Isabella County
AN APPEAL For ASSISTANCE
The following appeal has been issued by COM
mttec of citizens at Port Huron headed BIZ Senator
Conger, Mayor +. c. Carleton and others:
10 ne ptop'c Of he United States 4 most appalling
OF lInron aud sannc with some adjacent territory
srcir - country recently covered with forests,
occupied by nearly 10000. largely settlers and
''Iher poor or tn very moderate circumstances.
but lte rain during the past months and eyery.
th'rg wa parched dry when On Monday Srntemh3r
flame INT lurdly anything could withstand We have
rrt'r's oRrdy ~ Oyer 2Qo pe sons burned 10 death
places ci safety aud e = ossihe THAT thrice this num-
twcnty or more townships, in Which scarcely q
hone barn or supplies o. ANY kind nre left and thou
people require Immediate eEsistancc most OF them
depend charity months To- come We ar@ a."
ing All IN po them but the necessities
Of thu great that the contributions OF the
charitable throughout tho country win required TO
Keep t'~in through TIE We therefore appcni TO
you To F'd MONEY e,nthlng' bedding provisions or any
other supplies that "h heip 10 maintain the sufferers
and caahr them to provide shelter for themselves
Conlripntous may be sent to the Mayor f. C. Carlo
ton CHAIRMAN ot ne relief committee. appointed by the
citizens OF Port Huron. have ngcats through
the burnt district 10 ASCERTAIN the Oi sufferers
AMI disfr'bnte supplies.
few additional particulars have been received
this afternoon fron Lexington, Sanac County
Tho following additional casualties hayo been re-
ported in Moore Township: Mrs. Strong and two
chil lrcn; Humphrey, stage driver; Mrs. Francis
DcnnisOn, child and sister and George
Krict"h, who went to their rescue. Twenty
persons are reported burned 10 death
T G1'T Ss r,@y TSTHsp d sitr In B5ha~ mohr and 1T4wns
dren. In Austin Township an Old man named
Payne aud Michael WEIGH wife and two children
Nearly every farmer IN that township has lost
either his house, barn crops or all OF them. The
loss Of lie aud property IS Immense.
Dead bodies are beng brought in from oil direc-
tiors. IL - estimated that 300 human beings have
persisted and that 5000 people are homeless and in
newer townships lose live stock, houses barns, crops
--Cverythlug.
farmer w Go hasJust como in from Austin Town
ship saved his family of light children in field Of
buck hedt but says that the " hole country in that
part is totally destroyed and many ives have been
lost. The loss Of live stock Is simply immense. The
older townships escaped with but ttle loss, but in
most of the newer townships nothing romans but n
ire-swept. hlack"aed wilderness
A dIspytch from Maniette, Sauilac County, says:
terrible state OF affairs Xist9 at this point. The
entire sect on o the contry lying TO the north and
IN her
OF families rendered homeless will reach the hun
Grcds Up TO this time seventeen persons
are known b. have met their death by fire.
The horse of Ira Humphrey, mail carrier, be-
tween this place and Davls's Corners, came home
badly burned with carl attached to the saddle
written by Humphrey, stating his peril fron fire.
A relief party found bin in the road dead. He was
entirely denudcd, his clothes either having been
burned on hug person or torn OFT by himself i'll his
IN the township of Argyll, Sanilac County tho
following we're burned 10 death Paul Wmfscl, wife
children, Mrs. Morris Welch and two children,
james GIlson, and two women recently from Can
ada, names unknown There are also several so
badly burned that they cannot live.
In sections the fire swept everything before
IL and spread with such rapiGity that the people
were Obliged 90 flee with only tho clothing on tcir
backs. In Lapeer and Huron Counties. back from
Lake Shore, the devastation has been more serious,
especially in loss OF life although the property
losses have also been severe. The loss IL Fuscola
County IN estimated at 100000.
Tho work of forwarding supplies of food and cloth
ing from Detroit, began tonight by boat and rail
Efficient committees on the ground have been or
Will be- appointed to receive and properly distribute
supplies, and every effort will be maGo to reach the
sufferers promptly aS possible and 10 that all
contributions are properly bestowed.
PORr HURON. Mich Sept. S.-The following is
offered for publication:
The undersigned make this second report after visiting
number of persons familiar with the facts, and
In most instances giving us the names Of tho
twenty towns in sanliac and Huron Counties We tGd