Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-09-14
TERRIBLE ERE.
UPWARDS OF FIVE HUNDRED
PERSONS PERISH.
WHOLE VILLAGES WIPED our-rnou'
SANDS or PERSONS HOMELESS GREAT
SUFFERING ny THE IsHABiTANTs-
APPEAL TO THE NATION ron AID
OTHER TOPICS.

y
dent, and whole communities have
been rendered houseless, homeless and
destitute, while tho loss of life is appall
ing, A despatch from Sand Beach
states that the towns OF Bad AK, Yer
ona, Port Hope and Huron City are
all burned. Eight dead bodies were
brought into Port Hope. AT least one
hundred lives have been lost in this
county, r.. j, Meade and his whole
family, living four miles west OF Sand
Beach, were burned, Ono family was
found in well, safe, but all their goods
houses and barns were burned
Reports from what is known as the
Ersklne estate, about eight miles west
of here and running south through the
Township Of Paris, are heartrending
Dead bodies are lying all along the
road and in the door yards, having ap.
parently been overtaken by the fire
Port Hope was entirely consumed
Huron City was entirely destroyed
The depot and Wards elevator, four.
teen miles south of here, were burned
There has been no railroad, mail OF
telegraphic communication for several
days.
ESTIMATE or THE DEVASTATION.
The best estimates that can be made
place the number Of families that are
entirely burned out and destitute OF
food and clothing at five hundred
Tho fire along the St, Louis railroad
has evidently done its worst, and il
working its way back into tho coun.
try.
In Saginaw and Knoxville town,
ships the fires are still running and do.
ing great damage. Several farmers
are reported to have lost their ontire
crops, and many miles of fences are
totally destroyed on the Flint and Pere
Marquette Railroad. Fires are report.
ed as having started on the Western
division near Coleman, Amber, Custer
and some other points. The fires are
running through Maple Grove town,
ship, and doing great damage The
fires east of this city are very bad, and
the destruction has been great, partic-
ularly along the plank road between
that city and Yassar and on the Wat.
sonvillo plank road, portion of which
has been destroyed. Probably thirty
families have been burned out in Buena
Vista township and Plumfeld town.
ship, in this county, and thirty miles
of fences have been burned up.
EIGHT MILES OF FIRE.
a reporter who came in from Cass
City, ruscola county, reports the coun.
try east for eight miles swept by fire.
But only one building is standing. A
number Of houses in the southern part
OF the village were burned, but the
business portion is all right A special
messenger also arrived from Cass City,
stating that fires are raging for ten
miles east Of there, and nearly every
settler Is homeless, and asking lor
cooked provisions for distribution. One
report says that the scene at Q o'clock
p. NJ. was heartrending. Eighteen
persons saved themselves by staying
in the well at Bates mill, while all the
dwellings were burned. At Cramp.
toms Switch, three miles south of here,
mills, lumber aud houses are burned
all around.
In one township in Huron county
seventeen persons persisted.
A despatch from Port Sanilac says
1t ia stated by good authority that one
hundred or more persons perished in
the flames in the vicinity of Port Hope.
Huron City, Verona Mills, Charleston
and Bad AK are all lying in ashes
Richmondville, seven miles north of
this place, was all swept away. In
Forrestertown two bodies were identi
fed as those Of Abel Thornton and
wife. Christ. Thornton, John Mahall,
Sarah Varkey and boy, name un.
known, were burned to death, and
several more are reported as lost. 1t
is estimated that 1000 families are
made homeless, with nothing but what
they have on their backs.
A dispatch from Minden says: The
villages Of Charestown and Tyre are
totally destroyed. Ubly, Huron coun.
ty, is partially destroyed. The remains
of Henry Cole have been found in
Charlestown. A family of seven, resi-
dents near by, named Rideman, were
found dead in a well, suffocated. A
family named Susula, Paris township,
Huron county, were burned to DEATH
Arnold Ladyr was also found dead. 1t
is thought that not less than thirty,
perhaps fifty persons, have perished
The townships of Delaware and Aus.
tin, Sanilac county, and Bingham,
Sherman and Paris, Huron county, are
almost burned o desert The crops
were harvested and nearly all have
been consumed. Communication is cut
off. The railroad track and telegraph
poles are burned. This despatch was
carried eighteen miles TO telegraph
station. The smoke is sitting and
many are nearly blind. There arc no
signs Of rain. Other towns may be
destroyed soon. The total loss of
property is no less than 100000, with
very little insurance, and few are able
to bear the loss. Aid is needed. Help
must come from other cities, or many
will perish In Beaver township, Bay
county, everything is reported as being
burned,
H0RRoRs ACCUMULATE.
From Lexington, sepilpc county,
the following additional casualties are
reported in Moore township Mrs.
Strong and two children, Humphrey
the stage driver, Mrs. Frank Dennis.
ton, child and sister, Paul Wetsel, wife
and five children, and George Kratcb,
who went TO their rescue. Twenty
persons reported burned 10 death in
Custer township. In Bingham town.
ship, Thomas Barnes, wife, sister,
mother and two children. In Austin