Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-09-14
Forest Fires.

than one thousand square miles OF couh-
try have been burned over, and that from {
ten to twelve thousand people are abso-
lutelv homeless and destitute. Families
have been left with no covering but their
night clothing. The stencil from the {
burned bodies Of stock is already o"gIn,
ming to be very offensive. On account OF
the widely scattered location OF the peope
there is great danger that some oil tae
survivors will starve.
The burne district comprises the town
ships of Titathawassie, Rockville FRANK
enluth, Saginaw, Buena Vista. B.umteld.
Bridgeport, Birch Run and raymouih. in
Saginaw county. and from a point about
three miles west of Saginaw City 10 with
| in ten miles from st. Louis, on the Sigi
nav Valley and St Louis railtoad, strip
one mile wide on both sides of the ROAD.
IN Tuscola county the townships OF Mill
ington. Nuvcsla. Dayton, Tuscola, Den
marx. Vassar, Fairgrove. Newburg, Arbe-
la, Clifford and Wells have been swept
clean.
Huron county has been burned over
| from one end TO the other, and presents
the appearance of blackened desert
Scarcely green thing is visible and the
ground is plentifuly strewn with the dead
bodies of human beings and domestic
animals. For miles the trees are destitute
of branches, the trunks black as coal, ami
burned of to IL sharp point Ike lead
pencil. The north half of Sanilac county
has also had similar visitation. A. far
as known at the present time the hire was
confined to the limits above described,
although there have been smaller fires AT
other points, one being reported ut 81.
|, Mnry's Lake, about four miles north OF
, Battle Creek The loss of life is unprec
edented, but actual facts flicull to obtain.
It is certain that not less than the hun
bred persons have persisted, and 1t may be
+ us some say, that five hundred were lost
Fifteen hundred families have been burned
? out, and more than seven thousand er
, sons are not only homeless but entirely
( destitute.
The conditions which made the fire so
, disastrous were these: Fully two-thTds Of
[ he entire burned tract was destroyed by
r the great fire of 1871, and was piled up
; for miles, or. if standing, were mere
4. kindlng wood. The settlers preferred
:. burned lands because they were more
=. easily cleared, and HUNDREDS of rev
G homes were surrounded by great tracts OF
o fallen timber. The roads we're lined on
u either side by it. and many who persisted
o were caugnt on these roads and hemmed
). IN by burning LemlOcks, black ash and
| pine. There had been no heavy rains
q over this region since spring. Even thr
IS swamps, which were usually covered viii
Il two or three feet of water, had become
II dry.
n Monday morning opened with II cIOua-
- less sky. The mercury gradually rose tc
r. one hundred degrees and over. The wind
o was south, then veered to the southwest
ID md soon increased to II forty gale
Is By noon the whole country was shroul led
N IN darkness. and sense of impending
id calamity Oversprerd the population. Al
:. about O'Clock p NJ. the wind assume
IA The violence of II tornado. The fl tines
. we're of Il CHASTITY blush hue, giving no
II light but licking up timber, houses, barns
10 stock, animals and human beings with
Ne resstleSs fury. On Tuesday the extent oil
N the horror began to be known. Tn
al charled bodies of men, women and chill
* dren were found ut what had been the
id door steps of their homes, in the fields
M and along the highways, some untouched
.r by fire and other clarred and blackenpd
" The living were fugltives, suffering from
D, blistered feet, hands and ears. Many
IS women and children Were entirely naked
n separated from The rest of their families
is olInd, helpless and despairing.
II. The following villages and hamlets were
as burned in Sanllac county: Cato, popula
is ton 100 IL clean sweep of every building
at and one lite lost; Tyre, population 5O,only
ia one dwelling left; Deckervlle. population
nd 100; Anderson, population 100, cIeal
he sweep OF all buildings Gambler, population
nd 80. only one house left; Rchmondvlle
population 100. Il clean sweep and sever
lives lost; in Washington township thirt,
homes were destroyed and five lives 'ost
IN Elmer township, thirty homes in Moor
township, forty homes and fourteen lives
ne in Argyle thirty homes and thirteen lives
ny in Austin sixty homes and nine lives; il
.or Marion twenty six homes and twentytiv
-, lives; in Delaware, forty homes and >eve
''' lives; in Minden, thirty homes, and u
o Bridgehampton forty homes. Lamott,
ny Evergreen, and Greenleaf have sutferc
.r. IN lives and property in the same proper
:, ton, but there are no particulars. In Fiyn
70 ownship thirty homes were destroyed
sr in Speaker, twenty five; in Maplevallel
~ twenty-tive;in Stnlac, ten; in Lexington
OF wenIy; and in Elk, twenty-five. In Huro
OIL county the losses were us follows Tn
mi village of Bad Axe, population 800. onl
his h" court house and one sore saved
an Huron city, population 200, clean sweep
'd- UmbIey, population 100, Clean sweep
we Parisvlie, population 100, clean sweep
an Port Hope, three mills salt block, lumbe
Tin AMI SIX dwellings destroyed. The town
ships of Bingham, Paris, Bloomfield, an
he Rubcon are burned black. There AT
be eighty five dead in these four township.
.te and many others missing.
di. the deatn rate. Every township sufftre
be in the same degree. B. r. Noble, banL
Sc. er ut Lexington, estimates the loss
ng properly in huron and Sanilac counties q
ain 80, 600, 600. The insurance among tt
to tanners was mostly in mutual compan,
Ilss whose members are the principal sufferer
The and who, of course, are unable to pt
tie assessments.
un- Al witness who has lust come
the from White Rock, Huron county, said;
PHI " 1t is almost impossible to describe
the you the rava9es the fire has made. | ira,
per eled miles where every farmer is burne
me out. | went four miles on one road, An
every building, fence and almost ever
head of stock are destroyed. On this roa
G there have been fifteen lives lost. N,
L., one team and wagon on this road contain
lint ing three rough board boxes with eigl
nm corpses enclosed. The man that was alon
Il , was The only mOurner; he was walkln
hat kehind the wagon following his wife an
inc five dead children to the gave, they ha,
hen ing been burned to death. A little fuuh,
o.k along here was another woman aud hy
+ 10 children found in the middle # the rua
md dead. tell you it is terrible. 1t is almo
r impossible to realize it without sering
There is nothing bur barren waste TO /
nu seen, with dead CATTLE hogs, sheep At
'ef' chickens. At one place where | called
II bear had taken refuge under the house an
uld burned along with the building"
but Appeals for aid have been sent out in :,
AN directions. The helpless survivors are.
MS most cases, entirely destitute, and assis
Gu ance is urgently needed.
hey
Itch
and Rev. Stephen G. Abbott, the Stamfor,
liar minister charged with immortality deni,