The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-09-15

have advteea 1t 300 1,ersons burned tC
death, many Of tIlctn by the roadside or Il
i=Tieias, while seeking places Of safety, auG
Iit il probable that lWict this number havt
persisted. We have reports from nine toW1s-
Iships il which scarcely a house, barn ol
supplies OF any kind are left, and thou-
sands OF people arc ,iestitute and ElelpIesa
All Of these people require assistance, and
many d them must depend Oh charity fo1
months to come. Nt=are doing III! in ON
power 70 succor them, bat the necessities
Ate 80 great that contributions rreln the
charitable people throughout the country
viii be required to keep them through the
winter. We therefore appeal 10 yon &C
send money, bedding, clothing ana pro-
visions, OF any other supplies that will help
to maintain the sufferers and eiia11lo them
TO provide sIeltes for themselves ana be-
gin work again on their farms.
/ Contributions will be sent 10 Mayor Z.
G. Carleton, chairman, ct the relief COM
nlittee appointed By tlae citizens OF Port
Huron, Vtln have sent aganta through the
burned district 10 Ascertain 1lae wants oil
the s1ttferers and distribute supplies.
4 few additional particulars have been
received this afternoon from TesingI0n
Sanilac county. ,IlIls It.gIowing additional
calanities3 are reported III Moore toWn@lip:
Mrs. Strong and two children, Humphrey
the stage tIriyey. klra. Frank Denn5sogs,
child and sister, Paul Wetzel, wife anti
five children, and George holciI, who went
10 their rescue, are reported burned 70
deStis III Custer EnWnaliD. I'll Biugnam
township Ishns. Earns, with I1ia Wife's aia-
ter, mother and two children were burned
rn death. Ia AnstIn township All OLD man
named Payne, Michael WEIGH. wife aud
two children are missing. Nearly every
farner in THAT township ilas ioat eithe, Il
house, barn or crops. or all Of ti1etn.
The loss OF life and property il immense.
Immense numbers of dead bodies are bting e
brought III from all directions. II il esli-
mated that 600 Elunan beings persisted and
5000 people ere homeless and III immedi-
ate want Of assistance. Farmers In newer
townships lost live stock, houses, barns,
erops--eferythiug. 4 farmer who just
came iii from Austin township said his
family Of eight children were ina field Of
buckWheAu* but saya the whole country IN
that pagt was totally destroyed and many
lives lost. The loss Of live stock il i'm
mense. The oldest settlers in the tonn-
ships escaped with but little loss, but in
most OF the newer. townships nothing re-
mains but tirc-sWept and blackcned viii
derness.
4 dispatch from Marlelle, sanilac cont-
ty. says: i terrible state OF affairs exists
at this point. The entire section OF coun-
try lying To the north aud east Of this place
has been on fire and the number ct fam
lilies rendered homeless will reach the hum
dreds. Up.to this time seventeen persons
are knoWn to have met their death BY the
fire. The horse Of David Humphreys, the
mail carrier between this place and David
Corners, came homo badly burned with a
card attached to the saddle written BY
Humphrey, stating that he was in peril
from the fire. \ relief party found him
III the road dead. He was entirely cenuded,
his clothes either having beeusbnrned On
I.s body or torn off III desperation. in
township Ares.tlea. Huron county, thn fol-
lowing persons were burned TO death:
Paul Mhitesle, isfess and 1lsseelIii5ffeIl;
George Gartci1, wife and three children;
Mrs. Morris Welch and her two children;
James Gibson and two women recently
from Canada, names unknown. There are
also several so badly burned that they cam
nor live. Ii some sections the fire swept
everything before It, and spread with such
rapidity that people were obliged to flee
with only the clothing oil their backs.