Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-09-09
HORROR OF HORRORS.
Devastation by Fire in Portions
of Michigan.
HEARTRRNDING LOSS OF LIFE.
Hundreds of Families Bereft of all
Their Possessions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TERRIBLE SCENES.
Men, Women and Children victims of the
Flames.

| ESPECIAL TELEGRAPH TO THx RxooRp-uN1os.l
| CHICAGO, September Sth. - The Times
Sand Beach, Mich, special says The FIRE of
last night was worse and did more damage
than that of Badas.
Charleston, Tyre, Verona, Port Hope and
| Huron City are all burned. Twelve dead
bodies were brought here.
| At least 100 lives have been lost in this
county. r. j. Meade and his whole family,
living four miles northwest of Sand Beach,
have been burned. A child of James Meade
was found dead this morning. James Maule
and wife have not been found. One family
was found in a well safe, but all their goods
were burned. People buried themselves in
their gardens. The hose company of this
town was up all last night, and are now wet
ting the streets, houses, barns, etc. The only
danger here is from sparks and cinders, but
the town is shrouded all day in darkness.
Gas lamps are all lighted. The smoke is
sitting.
HEARTRENDING SIGHTS.
A correspondent described the burned Sec
tion near this place early this morning as fol-
lows: No one can imagine the havoc made
by yesterdays and last Hight's fire. One little
child was found clasped in an older sisters
arms, and two others were burned to crisp.
One entire family, consisting of five persons,
were burned within twenty rods of their
house.
Reports from what is known as the Erskine
estate, about eight miles west of here, and
running south through the township of Paris,
are heartrending. Dead bodies are lying
along the road and in the door yards, having
apparently been overtaken by the fire.
Port Hope is entirely consumed. The
depot and Wards elevator at Meriden, four
teen miles south of here, are burned There
has been no railroad, mail or telegraphic
communication since yesterday noon. The
safety of the town depends on the wind.
Large Goals of fire are blowing into the town
through the day. II is thought now that the
worst is passed.
! These dispatches are sent by boats to Port
/ Huron.
| The best estimate that can be made at
present places the number of families that
| are entirely burned out and destitute of food
and clothing at 500. They must have help,
and that very soon, as this place can't sup
port all that are coming here, and the sur
rounding towns are entirely destitute of pro-
visions.
The remains of Henry Cole have been
- IL F.
residing near by, named Ridewan, have been
| found dead in a well, suffocated. A family
named Susula, of Paris township, Huron
| county, were burned to DEATH An old lady
was also found dead.
The townships of Delaware, Minden and
Austin, Saniac county, are almost desert
The railroad tracks and telegraph poles are
burned. The smoke is sitting, and many are
nearly blind. There is no sign of rafu.
Everything is as dry as finder. O.her towns
may be destroyed soon. The total loss in
property is not less than $500, 900, with very
| littls Insurance, and few are able to bear the
loss. Help must be had from other cities or
many will perish. Send contributions to the
express agent at Minden or Forestville.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
DETROIT, September Sth.-The horrors of
the situation in Sanilac aud Huron counties,
| on the shores of Lake Huron, are deepening
every hour. An appeal was issued last night
at Port Huron, signed by Senator Conger
| and Hon. W. l.. Bancroft, calling for money,
clothing and provisions, to be sent forth
NIT 70 ,lE
Huron. The distress is unparalleled 1t is
believed that 800 people have persisted, and it
| is feared that many more have become vic
tins, while thousands are stripped of every
| thing-food, shelter, crops and stock, all
| swept clear from the face of the earth-and
needs must have everything necessary 70 sus-
tain life and clothe themselves
| Accounts continue to come in of the most
narrowing description. A special to the Post
and Tribune says: George Mcdonald, of
| Minden, Sanilac county, tells narrowing
tale. Over 200 families are homeless in that
section, and suffering from want of food and
clothing. John Balentine, of Verona Mills,
says 53 lives were known to be lost in the
neighborhood of Sand Beach. The fire sud.
denly reached Verona Mills on Monday and
the town was soon wiped out. The wind was
SO strong that Ballentine and his wife were
picked up, and blown fifteen or twenty yards.
A woman and her husband were found lying
| against a tree, dead, the woman being partly
| delivered of a child. The devastation done
| by the fires of 1871 are nothing in comparison
70 tho fres of tho last fau- ,1orS
In the vicinity OF Rlchmendville and West
ern Forester and Marion townships reliable
| information leads me to say that upwards of
| 300 people perished in the fames There was
no escape for them. The woods and ground
were so dry that no warning of danger was
given. Faster than race horse came the
| fire. 1t would embrace house and barn,
with its contents, and away to the next. Per-
sons who have been through the terrible
ordeal say that in ten minutes from the time
| the fire struck there would be no vestige of a
| house left. l have just returned from trip
| through the burned district, and description
| of the sight would make the readers blood
| turn cold. In many instances men, women
| and children were found lying on their faces
in the road where they had fallen when over.
taken by the FIRE. Children were living on
logs where they had clambered for safety.
| There was no finding each other when once
separated. Many took refuge in wells
and outhouses, thinking to escape, but
in almost every instance were suffo-
Gated The details of suffering in Huron
are as bad as here I believe that
when the returns are in LOCO persons will be
found to have perished in the flames. Forester
township will turn out Thursday and bury
the dead cattle, horses and sheep, the stencil
| from which is unbearable. Rev. Mr.. Alling-
ton found 16 dead bodies near Deckerville
and five buildings left between that place and
Minden. John Flitewager's family of seven
children and his wife were all burned to-
gether in Paris township, with fifteen others.
The Day family were burned. with Morris
Clifford's wife and child. a man and woman
were lying dead in theroad between Downers
mill and Tyre. Fifteen families were burned
in Argyle. Five hundred families at reported