Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-29
THE FIRE DEVASTATION In MICH.
IGAN

VINO nas trhSerseu nearly the entiro 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 q cloudless but murky
sky. As the steamer passed out into Lake
Huron II ran into dense atmospheric ocean
OF smoke and haze that was very painful to
the eyes, injurious TO the lungs and creating
cloud SO dense that ut. MONDAY the sun
merely made a sickly, yellowish smear In
the air. This vast cloud Of smoke covers tho
entire lake where II Is eighty to one hundred
miles wide with haze SO diffused that nav.
igation is difficult and dangerous. The
vision extends scarcely one.eighth Of .
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 10 be In the vicinity,
with the losses Of ten years ago remen-
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 70 es-
cape and were willing to believe that the
worst was over. The people did mako
preparations; they often packed their valua-
bles TO take away; they set back fires; they
proved burrows about their farms; tney re-
solved TO night bravery Tor 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 delusive hope
50
Of escape. Then, finally, preceded by
showers OF burning cinders, the hrc, after
lingering long on Its road, perhaps, sudden
ly rushed forward with the speed Of fast
trotting horse and the roar of q 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 I'm .
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 q newly plowed field of twenty five
acres would inevitably burn TO death in Q
short time. Adense and deadly smoke chung
to the ground. In flying for life along tho
roads, the falling trees made Il necessary To
abandon tcams even ~ the FRIGHTENED ant
-. ..,ss
HAS cou'u DC manageu.
The dense smoke made II dark - night In
the day time. aud awful ia the night, but
az. 80. -. en-. 81, -. a.. 80. -
s.s 49,. . ue 1"y PAN ~ ssv oso
man rionhs .owaro the nre' rouna SUD
denly behind MIN, and only escaped BY
abandoning his horse and buggy to tho
flames. Those who escaped come In with
their clo,bino scorchod ana o,,.r ,-,,h h,,s.
. ~. ,os soo' .ue. s". oi.en win o's
49, Aa ',,N iases anu i's spAse y,
seven mies On one ROAD SIX persons oead
anu uylng were iouhu. one FAMILY consist
ed Of the husband, nearly dead, with hair
and whiskers gone and face and hands
IL ~ liz go "a -. .,o,.,..s ,.,,
ns "no, H,us noa,, hAu no, o'o,nlus ourneo
OH up 10 ner WAIST ana ner legs snged;
their two children, which they were trying
r ~ .,,,d h.na az .,'s,y .,,..S "
rs 49, ~ %, ~ .neM n,' D Dus
'ney uieu III lying 70 save 'neir enaarcn. Inc
AWFUL 1ury Oh the nre 10 shown In It's enec1
upon the earth; In places. the soil Is actual
" burned to depth OF several inches, acves
-. 1...'. -. -.
every living 'hinS, Clear down 70 the very
roots In the ground, leaving the country AZ
bare as desert, and strewn with ashes. In
many cases one cannot tell by the looks tho
difference between a plowed field and one on
which there was n dense wood. There arc
square miles of lands already for the pillow,
cleared as thoroughly rs IL years Of labor
had been expended upon them. And there
are other square miles where the pioneer
can now make a farm by removing n few
scattered chunks not wholly consumed and
putting I'D fences. There are places where
the telegraph lines were SO effectually de.
stroyed that one cannot even find a vestigo
of the iron wire.
A typical case of the ruin wrought "a
those who escaped with their lives was that
of a farmer named Carr. He had a large.
rich farm. with over one hundred acres
cleared: large barns. with stone fo,,nds-
tions: a handsome. weIi-furnished house.
half dozen horses. A number Of cattle
sheen. hogs and po,,ltrv. n fine orchard'
Q O06 hushels ~ wheai neariv dn,cy
STACKS ~ hav njcntv ~ oats com srd no
tafoes In sborf he was wb.t ~ c.il.8
rich farmer. with a farm twenty TO thirty
wears old. with every conyenience and
Comfort. lie and his wife were past
middle age with crov,n ch;,dr.n Th.ySaS
eyor~, nc nar...sry To- s.rosraro,,s y,, I~
,,,oan. ~. -, -, ~ ,i u'u.,
hare e. no,biny Iest ave ..hes Mp,,sas
fences barns horses cattle tools. arch.rd
grain and bay' evrrytbing excent ne hnpnsJ'
hare oronnd' are gone' The rich mar sni
wife ~ vesferdav must beoin life over again
IN. morrow, with ahsoiufcIv noth,ny Inf
their bare hands and their fire.swept iand'