Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-09-15
MICHIGAN'S MISFORTUNE.

Ragiag Forest FTres-Ni,ic Viiiages Burned
-Beheeen flco and three hundred kres lost
DETROIT, September ga dispatch
from Poss Austin, at the head OF Bur.
net peninsula, sums up the general de
struction as follows: The loss Of lives
by the forest fires on Monday and Tues.
day is estimated at from 200 to 300, and
the following villages were burned ::
Bad Axe, Merona, Forest Bay, Rich.
mondville and Sandusky. The follow.
ing were partly burned Port Hope,
Linden and Eiby. The great loss in
the villages is nothing 10 that in the
country, where the losses are too mum.
.erous to be named.
REPORTS FROM VARIOUS OTHER COUNTIES.
Reports from Saginaw, Tuscola and
Laper counties, one tier back from the
lake, while showing mucL destruction
of property do not approach the losses
in the shore counties. The loss by fire
was much less sweeping and general
and the less of life was small. but on
each side of these more favorable coun.
ties hundreds of thousand of dollars
worth of property has been destroyed.
The latest reports from all these coun-
ties encourage that rain has visited
many of the sections and that the del.
uge of flame is largely subsiding. The
work OF immediate relief must now be
systematically entered upon. The lum-
ber to build houses. provision OF all
kinds, clothing and seed for future
crops must be furnished in large quan.
titles to prevent still greater destitu.
ton. The benevolent societies can safe.
ly send money To f. Carleton. mayor OF
Port Huron, or to- Senator U. j. Conger
in the same place with the assurance
that the means will be judiciousiy used.
Prompt action is urgently demanded.
CHICAGO, September 1.-THE Rev. 4.
Grenell. Jr., pastor OF the First Baptist
church of Detroit. has arrived in that
city from Sand Beach by the Narrow
Guage and Grand Trunk, passing
through most of the burned region in
Samilac county. lie gave a reporter a
graphic and fearful description OF the
calamity as he saw il and heard Of il
from eye witnesses. On his way to Port
Huron by the Narrow Gauge railroad it
was noticed that in some places the
track had been an effectual barrier to
the flames, which did not find fuel in
the gravel of the road bed. In other
places, however, it burned the ties and
twisted and destroyed the rails which
had TO be replaced. In other places il
had leaped clear over the road and
taken a new start on the other side.
For the most part, IL got across in some
way, and the spots of unburnt country
were small, few and far between. From
the car windows. all the way, il present.
ed TO the view the aspect of burned
desert Of ashes and smouldering EN-.
bers, without n sign of animal or vege-
table life, n country abandoned by God
and man, and to which il was impossible
to imagine any one returning. The
telegraph poles had all burned and the
wires had been reset upon any stick that
could be found, and for long distances
were merely laid along the ties beside
the rails.
The scenes of horror in the woods
were too frightful for any pen TO por.
tray. The dead we're found everywhere,
very rarely recognizable, and in most
cases undistinguishable as human be-
ings. Many we're mere masses of burnt
hesh, which fell apart when touched,
:. and in a very few could sex or age be
distinguished. From one body the head
fell when II was lifted up; from anoth.
er, that Of . young woman. the leg sep
arated and hung suspended by the ten.
dons. In some places families were
found reduced to an undistinguishable
heap Of roasted and blackened blocks
Of flesh where they fell together, over.
whelmed by the rushing flames. The
manifold horrors Of the calamity were
multiplied by fearful tornadoes, which
cut of retreat In every direction. The
awful heat OF the atmosphere raised the
smoke little from the ground, and 10
hung above the earth in an impenetra-
bic mass, shutting out every ray OF
light and leaving the poor creatures
below, helpless and blind, until the FIRE
caught them and closed their agony In
death. Nov and then flames shot up
in tremendous masses, which would be
yasized by tornado and carried bodily
- .euartsr of q mile away and then
.pushed down again to start the flames
in .new quarter. Ia this way helpless
lugitives fging for life were penned in
: by seas of same and roasted like rata
in q cage.
Among The persons burned out rho
have come 70 detroit 20 get relief for
the sufferers Il Johs Bollantyne, Of
Verona Mills. Ir an Interview be told
the following stofs; 's0n Monday morn.