The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-09-24
THE MICHIGAN FIRES.

A correspondent OF the New York Herald,
who has travcrsed nearly the entire burned
district in Huron, Tuscola aud Sanilac
Counties, Mich, gives the following graphic
description of what he saw and heard
Approaching the desolated region, the
earth, sea and sky presented an unusual
appearance. At Port Huron the sun was
very red and rose in a cloudless but murky
sky. As the steamer passed out into Lake
Huron 1t ran into dense atmospheric ocean
OF smoke and haze that was very painful to
the eyes, injurious to the lungs and creating
a cloud so dense that at MONDAY the sun
merely made a scky, yelowish smear in
the air. This vast cloud Of smoke covers the
entire lake where it is eighty to one hundred
miles wide with a haze so diffused that nav
igation is difficult and dangerous. The
vision extends scarcely ne-eighth of a
mile from the boat. The shores are invisi-
BILE, and unseen steamers are heard sound
ing their fog whistles IN various directions.
1t may be thought strange that, with
forest fires known to be in the vicinity,
with the losses of ten years ago remem-
bered, and with other instances daily heard
OF, any one could be surprised. But
there are wood fires yearly; they rarely
amount to much. Then all hoped to es-
cape and were willing to believe that the
worst was over. The people did make
preparation; they often packed their valua-
bles to take away; they set back fires; they
plowed burrows about their farms; they re-
solved to fight bravely for their homes.
The danger sent out forerunners; the earth
was parched, the air heated, everything
dried up generally. There had been brisk
winds, but as the fire approached the
winds died away, creating a delusive hope
of escape Then, finally, preceded by
showers Of burning cinders, the fire, after
lingering long Oh its road, perhaps, sudden
ly rushed forward with the speed of a fast
trotting horse and the roar of railway train.
The dead wind sprang up and blew hur-
ricane just in front of the flames. Every
barrier was leaped, the very air seemed all
on fire. There was no resource save in a
swift flight for the lake or the nearest living
water; so awful was the heat and the show
er Of cinders that man placed in the CEN
ter of newly plowed field of twenty-five
acres would inevitably burn to death in a
short time. A dense and deadly smoke chung
to the ground. In flying for life along the
roads, the falling trees made it necessary to
abandon teams, even il the frightened ami
mails could be managed.
The dense smoke made it dark as night in
the day time, and awful in the night, bus
the roads were the only paths to safety. One
man, riding toward the fire, found it sud-
denly behind him, and only escaped by
abandoning his horse and buggy to the
flames. Those who escaped come in with
their clothing scorched and often with blis-
tered hands, faces and feet. On a space of
seven miles on one road six persons dead
and dying were found. One family consist
ed of the husband, nearly dead, with hair
and whiskers gone and face and hands
peeled, but his feet protected by high boots;
his wife, lying near, had her clothing burned
off up to her waist and her legs singed;
their two children, which they were trying
! to save, were dead. Probably number OF
parents could have saved their own lives, but
/ they died In trying to save their children, The
awful fury OF the fire is shown in its effects
] upon the earth; in places, the soil Is actual
! ly burned TO n depth of several inches, acres
| and acres Of land have been Invested of
! every living thing, clear down to the very
/ roots in the ground, leaving the country as
! bare as desert, and strewn with ashes. In
| many cases one cannot tell by the looks the
! difference between plowed field and one ON
! which there was dense wood. There are
! square miles of lands already for the pillow,
| cleared as thoroughly as if years Of labor
had been expended upon them. And there
! are other square miles where the pioneer
can now make a farm by removing a few
scattered chunks not wholly consumed and
/ putting up fences There are places where
the telegraph lines were so effectualy de-
stroyed that one cannot even find a Yestige
! Of the iron wire.
y typical case Of the ruin wrought to
those who escaped with their lives was that
! OF farmer named Carr He had a large
rich farm, with over one hundred acres
cleared; large barns, with stone founda-
! tons; a handsome, well furnished house,
half II dozen horses, number of cattle,
sheep, hogs and poultry, fine orchard,
! 1000 bushels of wheat, nearly a dozen
stacks Of hay, plenty Of oats, corn and POI
tatoes IL short, he was what is called q
| rich farmer, with farm twenty to thirty
years old, with every convenience and
comfort. lie and his wife were past
| middle age, with grown children. They had
| everything necessary for prosperous, quiet,
! pleasant old age, but of all this prosper ity
there is nothing left save ashes. Houses,
| fences, barns, horses, cattle, tools, orchard,
grain and hay, everything except the burned,
! bare ground, are gone, The rich man and
wife of yesterday must begin life over again
| tomorrow, with absolutely nothing but
their bare hands and their fire-swept land.
One experience in escaping is also typi-
cal. The wife was confined to her bed
| sick; the husband was tired with fighting
fire. There were several children. At noon
| on Monday it was evident that they must
fly for their lives. 1t suddenly grew dark,
SO dark that the man had difficulty in get-
ting the horses. BY The time he got them
it was so dark from the smoke that, he could
not see to harness them; besides, the smoke
blinded the eyes and oppressed the lungs.
lie got the horses harnessed to the wag-
on; then he went into the barn for "a neck
yoke, and when he came out he could not
md the wagon and team. For min
ute or two he had to feel about for them like
a blind man. Then he went into the house
and carried his wife out on her bed, bed and