The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-09-17
The Forest Fires in Michigan,

tails continue to come IN relative to the |
destruction by forest fires. Huron and I
Sanilac counties have been the theatre OF
the greatest destruction aud suffering.
An eyewitness states that darkness and
a copper-colored sky preceded the approach
of the fire. Later the sky changed to
deep red, and Monday afternoon it became |
so dark that lanterns were necessary for
people to fnd their way. This condition
of affairs continued until about s O'Clock
on Wednesday morning, when the @ind |
shift ID from the west to the north, cooling
the air and bringing slight relief
In the woods were many scorched and
charred bodies The high winds that pre-
vailed cut off nearly every avenue of es-
cape, aud large, burning masses would be
lifted up bodily and borne along for
great distance. In many instances these
burning masses started fires in fresh
places. The skill and courage of man
seemed impotent to combat with such
flames, aud the flying people were caught
in the fire traps and roasted.
INCIDENTS OF THE CALAMITY.
One farmer, who was blowing with his
oxen a few miles from Sand Beach, per
ceived the approaching darkness and start
ed for his home On reaching home he
found that his wife had gone to neigh,
boris. He then took two of his children.
his eldest daughter taking three others
Before going many rods they found them
selves cut off by the flames. The farmer
then hunted another direction, and escap-
ed with the two children. His daughter
and the other three children were found
next day all in heap, oharred beyond
recognition. Up to Wednesday night
forty FIVE bodies had been found within a
mile 10 Paris township many are miss
ing, most of them Poles. The whole set
Element, buildings, fences, crops, &c, was
swept clean. In Delaware township all
the county south Of Forestville, from the
Lake seven miles back, there is hardly
anything left, not one house to the square
mile. They were new settlers aud had
small clearings, and the fire swept them
like hurricane. They lose all they ever
had aud owe for their places. Many of
them fed to the Lake The shore line
has been crowded with human beings,
cattle aud everything that could get to the
water Eye witnesses from Forestyille say
that the utmost confusion prevails Many
could not sec 0ne man, who had lost
his all, was both blind aud crazy, aud had
TO be led to the Lake.
North of Sanilac the FIRE on Monday
night was terrible, sweeping away almost
T E.,s - -.as,,nI -. l., tho
houses. The people here did not know
auy ERE was near them until il was on
them, and they had to run for the lake,
and, it being but short distance away,
all reached it safely John Merr and
family were asleep when their building
caught FIRE, and a neighbor, seeing it, ran
and awokc them, and they succeeded in
saving the house, but lost everything else.
Mrs. " Burgess got separated from her
husband aud laid all night in ditch.
Another person lay down in a mudpuddle
aud rolled over and over all night. \
large party of men have gone to bury the
dead beasts 10 Forester township. DR..
Hoyt, who returned for more medicine,
reported several badly burned Many are
so blind they had 10 be led, and many are
Eithou, food 4 number of parties have
already goac with food, clothing, shoes
aud medicine. More help mus, come
quick or much suffering win eBsue. They
have no -four or provisions
rue loss or LIFx
George Ferguson, Of White Rock, who
has been on the road since Monday, re-
ports that be has seen l6 burned bodies.
At enc place he saw four wagons bearing
eight collins, with one man walking behind
all alone. IL was bis family. Another
man was following three eoffins. Every
farmer lost some crops aud fences.
Ga Wednesday right the burning dis
trie. between Deckerssillc sad Land Beach
was visited by ! rain storm, which put out
considerable portion Of the fires and
cleared the atmosphere.
Reports from Saginaw, Taseola and La
peer counties, one tier back from the lake,
while showing much destruction Of prop
srty, do not approach the losses in The
shore counties. The loss By fire was much
less sweeping aad general, aud the loss Of
life was small But 10 each Of these more
favored eoasties hundreds OF lhOsands Of
dollars worth Of property has been destroy
ed The latest reports from all these
counties state that rain has visited many
sections aud that the fires have subsidized.
The following appeal was telegraphed
from Port Huron. Michigan, on Monday,
aud was signed by the most prominent
eilizens Of ,he city
To the American people We have To-
night returned from the burnt district of
Huron aud Sanilac counties. We have
seeu the burnt, dishsured aud writhing
bodies Of men, women and children.
Rough board collins contained tie dead,
followed to the grave by few blinded,
despaiFiag relatives; crowds of half-starved
people at some Of the stations asking bread
for their families and neighbors. We hear
of more than 200 victims already buried,
and more eharred aud bloated bodies are
daily discovered. Already more than l.,
500 families are found to be utterly des.
titute aud houseieSs. They huddle 10
barns, in school houses and in their neigh
boFs' houses, seorehed, blinded aud hope
less Some still wander, half-crazed, around
the ruins Of their habitations, vainly seek
ing their dead; some in sPeechless agony
wringing their hands and refusing to be
comforted. More than 10000 people,
who only week ago occupied happy, com
Portable homes, are to-day hOuseless aod
homeless sufferers. They are hungry aud
almost naked when found, and in sneh
numbers aud so widely scattered that our
best efforts and greatest resources fail to
supply their immediate wants Without
speedy aid many viii perish and many
more will suffer and become exiles. Our
people viii do their utmost for their re-
lief, but all our resources would fail to
meet their necessities. We appeal to the
charity and generosity of the American
Cd Ill lalnp