Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-01
A Vivid Picture Of the Forest Fires.

was sOlVed, all through the magic influence OF
"Needle and Thread"
A Vivid Picture Of the Forest Fires.
Fires had been burning in Sanilac Huron and
Tuscola counties, but no one apprehended any
danger. Farmers had set fire to slashings to
clear the ground for fall wheat, but this happens
every fall, and the fact that not drop of water
had fallen in from fifty to seventy days was not
considered by those who saw the smOke-clOuds
and replied that there was no danger. There
was danger. Behind that pail Of smoke was
greater enemy than an earthquake, and it had
tornado at its back and two hundred miles of
forest in the front. From noon until o'clock
strange terror held the people in its grip; then
all OF sudden the heavens took fire. or SO it
seemed to hundreds. In some localities it came
with the sound Of thunder. In others it was
preceded by terrible roaring, as if tidal wave
were sweeping over the country. Almost at the
same minute the flames appeared in every spot
over district OF country thirty miles broad by
one hundred in length.
At Richmondville ten miles above Sanilac. one
hundred and fifty people had comfortable homes,
stacks OF hay and grain, teams, COWS, pigs
sheep, and no fear Of the fire which they knew
was burning mile away. At Q o'clock the
flames rushed out of the woods, leaped the
fences, ran across the bare fields and swallowed
every house but two, and roasted alive dozen
people. 1t is hardly forty rods to the beach of
the lake, and yet many people had no time to
reach the water: Others reached it with cloth
Ing on ire and faces and hands blistered. The
houses did not burn singly, but one bllow of
flame seized all at once and reduced them to
nothing in ten minutes.
l saw many and many a spot where the bill
lows of fire jumped clean half-mile out of the
forest to clutch house or barn. The Thornton
family were wiped out with the exception of a
boy. Thornton had hitched up his team to drive
the family to place Of safety, but when he saw
that they were all surrounded by the flames he
unhltched the horses in despair. Before they
could be embarrassed they bOted in different d.
rections, and the old man became so confused
that he ran directly toward big sashing. which
was then perfect mass of flame, and dropped
and died with his head toward it.
Meantime the mother and children had taken
refuge in the root house. This was a structure
mostly sunk in the ground and the roof well
covered with earth. Here they were all right
for atime, but when the father failed to Join them
one OF the sons went out to see what caused the
delay. He was hardly out of the place before
the door through which he had passed was in
names. In this emergency he ran to dry
creek, and by lying on his face and keeping his
mouth to the ground he lived through it,
=, talked with woman who lived neighbor to
the IhOrntOns and who escaped by fleeing to
field Of plOughed ground. This was only few
rods from the root house, and she said it was
1ul.y an hour before the screams and shreks
and groans from the people inside grew quiet in
death. One by one they were suffocated by heat
ana smoke, and their bodies presented most
horrible appearance.
To one riding through the district it seems
miraculous that single soul escaped. The fire
swept through the green trees the same as the
dry. 1t ran through fields of corn at the rate of
twenty miles an hour, and fields of clover were
swept as bare as a floor Dark and gloomy
swamps, filed with pools Of stagnant water and
the home for years of Wildcats bears and snakes,
were struck and shrivelled and burned almost in
hash. Over the parched meadows the flames
ran faster than horse could gallOp. Horses
dld gallOp before it, but were Overtaken and left
roasting on the ground. 1t seemed as if every
nope and avenue of escape were cut off. and vet
nundreds OF lives were spared. People spent
ten to twenty hours in bitches and ponds. or in
nelds under wet blankets, having their hair
slnseu; taelr limbs 6listered, and their clothing
IN dozens OF cases the first flames spared
houses and barns but after seeming to have
passed on Tor miles suddenly circled back and
maze clean sweep Of everything. Unless one
Iiues over the burnt district he cannot believe
the eccentrlcitles Of forest fire. In the great
swamp, between Sanilac and Sandusky. it
pufned everything to the roots for mile in
breadth. Then it left patches from ten feet to
ten rods wide. Then again it struck in and
pu1f lanes hardly twenty feet wide. leaving
II seemed to strike the green trees harder than
the dry ones. 1t was like great serpent making
Its way across the country It would run within
three leet OF a wheat stack, and then glide away
70 so1 mex up mouse. 1t would burn stack and
spare barn ten feet of.
People felt the heat while the fire was yet
miles away. 1t withered the leaves of trees
standing two miles from the path of the fiery
serpent The very earth took fire in hundreds
OF places and blazed up as if the fire were feast
ing on cOrdWO0d. The stOutest log buildings
stood up only few minutes. The fire seemed
TO catch them at every corner at once, and after
Whlrl and roar nothing would be left Seven
miles OIL the beach, at Forester, sailors found the
neat neat uncomfortable. Where some houses and
blackened stick: Every log, beam and board
was reduced to fine ashes.
seven miles back from the lake at Forester q
farmer gathered up fifteen persons in his wagon
and started for the beach. The fire was close
1enlnd them as they started-so close that the
dresses OF some of the women and children were
on nre from the sparks. 1t was seven miles OF
up hill and down, with corduroy, ruts and roots,
ana the horses needed no whip to urge them into
q mad run. As the wagon started the tire of a
hind wheel rolled off, They could not stop for
out it.
1t is an actual fact that the horses pushed over
that seven miles of rough road at q wild run.
ana the wheel stood firm. A delay Of five min
utes at any point Of the road would have given
nfteen more victims to the flames which fol-
lowed on behind. saw the wagon at the lake
and l saw the tire seven miles away on the
roadside. W. 'AS
The people who sought the beach had still to
endure much Of the heat and all of the smoke
Wadlng up to their shoulders they were safe
from the flames, but sparks and cinders fell like
a snow storm and the smoke was suffocatinn
The birds not caught in the woods were carried
out to sea and drowned, and the waves
have washed thousands of them ashore. Sonir-
rels, rabbits and such small animals stood no
show at all, but deer and bear sought the beach
and the company of human being. In one case
man leaped from bluff into the lake and
found himself close behind a large bear They
remained in company under the bank nearly ali
night, and the bear seemed as humble as dog
In another instance two of the animals came out
OF the forest and stood close to well from
which farmer was drawing water to dash over
ms house, and they were with him for two hours
before they deemed it prudent to jog along
Deer came out and sought the cOmpanionship Of
cattle and horses, and paid no attention to per-
sons rushing past them.-Det,oI Free Press.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH AND PRESIDENT ARTHUR
Among the features of Monday in Brooklyn
was meeting at Plymouth church. Mr.
Beecher presided, and made short address, in
which he said it would be proper that the voice
OF the Christian church should be given to the
President now living. We should say to him