Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-09-22
The Dark Monday that Bore
Disaster to the People of
Michigan,
fDetroit Free Press Corresponds derc CO. |

Op Saturday, the Sd instant, along the
Eastern shore Of Michigan a thin cloud Of
smoke rested over the Forests and gave the
lake a,hRsy look. On Sunday this cloud was
thicker. Cattle and horsos had wild,
excited look, and fowls acted in stra uge
manner.
For ten days past fires had been burning
in Sanilao, Huron and Tuscola counties.
bat no ono apprehendod any danger. Far
mers had set fire to slashings to oleur the
ground for fall wheat, but this happens every
fall, and the fact that not q drop of water
had fallen in from fifty to seventy Days was
not considered by those who saw the smoke
olouds and replied that there was no danger.
There was danger, Behind that pail Of
smoke was a creator onemy thay an Garth
quake, and it had tornado at it's back aud
200 mles Of forest in the front. 4.
Monday morning the smoke cloud was
thicker. Far out in the lake 1t settled down
until lamps on shipboard had to DO lighted
to see the compass and there was weird.
ness obout it that made sailors foar. At
noon, on land, no midnight was evor darker.
Lamps were poweress to light even small
room. All business was suspended in the
streets Of tho towns, and 10 tho country far.
mers gathered their wises and children about
them, and whispered that 1t was the coming
of judgment. Hot waves swept through the
forests and over the farms, parcbing the
green leaves rs if they had bocn placed in
hot oveus. Smoke was everywhero- thick,
bitter smoke, which blinded men and suf-
foca,ed children in their mothers arms.
From noon until 2 O'Clock strange terror
held the people in its grip. Then. all Of
q sudden, the heavens took fro, or so it
seemed to hundreds. In some localities it
camo with tho sound of thunder In others
it was preceded by terrible roaring. ns if
tidal wave were sweeping over tho country.
Almost ut tho eame minute the flames ap-
country thirty miles broad by hundred in
length.
a billow CT 6amc ten, thirty, forty, and
in some places sixty feet high, famed by
hot and brisk Southwest wind, rolled over
this track and left behind it The charrcd
bodies of hundreds of people, thousands of
live stock. and one can hardly tell how many
homes. Tho very air was in fame A gas
formed ahead of tho wall Of flames, and this
snapped and cracked and scorchcd and
withercd and left green loavcs as. dry rs
powder
AT Richmondville, ten miles aborc Sori.
lac, ono hundred and fifty people BAD COM
Portable homes, stacks Of hay ani grain.
teams, cows, pigs, sheep and no fenr Of the
fiso which they knew was burning milo
away. At 2 o'clock the flames rushed out Of
tho woods, lcaped the fences, ran across bare
fields, and swallowed every house but two
and roasted alive dozen pcople. It is
hardly forty rods to tho besch Of ,ac lake,
and yet many poope had not time to reach
tho watcr Others reached it with clothing
on Gro and faces and hands blistcrcd. Tho
houses did not burn singly, but one billow of
flamo seized NIL at once, and reduced them to
nothing in ten minutes. The two, buildings
saved we're spared by the flames-not saved
by the hand Of man. The flames swept each
side Of thoa, as If mcrcifully intending to
leave some landmark of the hamlet and
some place to shelter women and children
and The sick. Forty families in and around
this hamlet raced through name and smoke
for tho lake. Some reached it. to rco,ain in
the water for hours, while others fell on til
highway and wero burned to q crisp. There
was no time to save anything fran tho
houses. and when rode through tho dis
triot families which but day before had
been possessed Of plenty, were not the owner
Of q knife or spoon. Women were bare
headed and barefooted. and children still
woree off. and bareheaded men sat on the
parched ground and wondered if God Ind not
forsaken them.
A terrible cyclone struck this district with
the fumes and saw many and many a spot
where tho bilow of FIRE jumped a clean half
mile out Of the forest to clutch house or barn.
The roaring and crashing wero awful.
Horses rnn hero and there, neighing and
almost screaming in their terror, COWS and
oxen plunged md beloved, and tho most
savage dogs ere SO overcome by foar that
they ran bnck into tho blazing houses and
died 10 the flames.
In this awful confusion, with trees crash
ing down before tho cyclone and houses
being unroofcd by it's torrible power, while
great billow Of flame came swocping on as
fnst rs horse could gallop. fathers and
mothers were called upon to save each other
and their children. The highways wcro
lines Of fire. Rivers and creeks were dry
bitches. Tho way for cacape was to rush for
tho open folds, and yet in open fields. mcn,
women and children were burned to q Gin
der. Those who preserved their thoughts
through tho terrible confusion preceding the
| appearance Of the flames seized the oolen
| blankets, wet them thoroughly, and drew
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