The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-27
TERMS on SUBSCRIPTION.
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A Vivid Picture OF The Forrest Fires.

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A Vivid Picture OF the Forest Fires.
Detroit Free Pres:
Fires have been burning in Sanilac
Huron and Tuscola counties, but 10 ont
apprehended any danger Farmers had
set fire to slashings to clear the ground fol
fall wheat, but this happens every fall, and
the fact that not drop OF water had falleu
in from fifty to seventy days was not con
sidered by thosewho saw the smoke-clOuds
and replied that there was no danger
There was danger, Behind that pail Of
smoke was greater enemy than an earth
quake, and it had u tornadoat its back and
two hundred miles Of forest in the front
From noon until 9 o'clock a strange terror
held the people in its grip; then al OF I,
sudden the heavens took fire, or SO il seem
ed to hundreds, In some localities it come
with the sound OF thunder, In others il
was preceded by u terrible roaring us ii II
tidal wave were sweeping over the country,
Almost at the same minute the flames mp,
pcared in every spot over district oi
country thirty miles broad by one hundred
in length.
At Richmondvillc, ten miles above san,
ilac, $50 people had comfortable homes,
stacks OF hay and grain, teams, cows, pigs,
sheep, and no fear Of the fire which they
knew was burning Il mile away. At
O'Clock the flames rushed out OF the woods,
leapcd the fences, ran across the bare fields
and swallowed every house but two, and
roastad 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 II with clothing on
fire and faces and hands blistercd, The
houses did not burn singly, but one billOw
OF flame seized all ut once and reduced
them to nothing in ten minutes.
saw many and many II spot where the
pillows OF fire jumped u clean half.mlc
out Of the forest to clutch house or barn,
The Thornton family were wiped out with
the exception Of boy. ThotOn had hitck-
ed up his team to drive the family to Il
place Of safety, but when he saw that they
were all surrounded by the flames he I'M
hitchcd the horses in despair. Before they
could be embarrassed they bOltel in differ
ent directions, and the old man became so
confused that he ran directly toward u big
slushing, which WINS then perfect mlss OF
fame, and dropped and died with his head
toward 1t.
Meantime the mother and children had
taken refuge in the root house. This was
IL structure mostly sunk in the ground and
the roof is covered with earth. Here they
were all right for Il time, but when the I'll
thcr failed to join them one Of the SONS
went out to SEQ what caused the delay. lie
was hardly ont Of the place before the
door through which he hNd passed was in
flames In this emergency he ran TO dry
creek, and by lying on his fHCe and keep.
ing his mouth to the ground he lived
through it.
/ talked with woman who lived neigh
Dor to the Th0rntOns ind who escaped by
fleeing to q field OF plOughed ground. This
was only Il few rods from the root house,
and she said II was fully an hour before
the screams nnd slrleks and grONns from
tho people inside grew quiet in death.
One by one they were sullocatcd by heat
and smoke, and their bodies presented q
most horrible appearance.
10 one riding through the district 1t
seems miraculous that single soul es-
capped. The fire swept through the green
trees the same MS the dry. 1t ran through
fields OF corn ut the rlte OF twenty miles
IN hour, and fields Of clover were swept us
bare MS II floor. Dark and gloomy swalnps,
filled with pools OF stagnant water, md the
home for years Of wildcats, bears and
snakes, were struck and shrivclled and
burned almost in Il flash. Over the
parched meadows the flames ran iaster
than horse could gallop. Horses did
gallop before 1t, but were overtakGn and
left roasting on the ground. 1t seemed
as II every hope and avenue Of escape
were cut oil, and yet hundreds Of lives
were spared. People spent ten to twenty
hours In bitches md ponds or In fields
under wet BLANKETS, having their hair
singcd, their limbs hlistGrcd, and their
clothing burned off piece by piece.
III dozens Of cases the first flames spared
houses ind burns, but after seeming 10 have
passed OH for miles suddenly clrcletl buck
and made II clean sweep OF everything.
Unless one rides over the burnt district lie
cannot believe the cCCentricites OF Il forest
fire. In the great swamp between Saninc
and sandusky, II burned everything to the
roots for II mile in breadth. Then 1t left
patches from ten feet to ten rods wide.
Then Ngain II struck in aud burned lanes
hardly twenty feet wide, leaving half Il mile
Of fuel OH either side. In the timber II
seemed to strike the green trees harder
than the dry ones. II was like great ser.
pcnt making its way across the country.
It would run within three feet OF wheat
stuck, and then glide away to lick up Il
house. II would burn stack and spare II
barn ten feet of,
People felt the heat while the fire was
vet miles away. II witlered the leaves Of
trees standing two miles from the patli Of
the fiery serpent. The very earth took fire
in hundreds Of places, and blnSed up na II
the fire was feusting OIL cordwOod. The
stOutest log buildings stood up only n few
minutes. The fire seemed TO catch them ut
every corner ut once, and after wlirl and
II ronr nothing would be left. Seyen miles
off the beach, at Forester, sailors found the
bent uncomfortable. Where some houses
and barns were burned we could not find
even II blaCkGned stick. Every log, beam
md board WIS reduced TO fine ashes
Seven miles baCk from tho lake al Forest
or farmer gathered up fifteen persons In
his wagon and started for the beach. The
fire was close behind them us they started
so close TINT the dresses Of some Of the
women and children were OH fire from the
sparks. twas seven miles Of up hill and
down, with corduroy rilts and roots, aud
tile horses needed no whip to urge them
IL. 81. 4.