Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-08

Michigan Overrun by the Flames
 Whole Villages Licked Up By the De-
 vouring EIement-GreatL Loss ofLife and
 Property-People Driven Into the Wa
 ters of Lake Huron-Terrible Scenes o1
 Devastation.
 DETROIT, Mich, Sept. 7.-The latest news from the forest fires confirms the worst that has been written. The villages of Ubley, Elk Creek, Richmondville, Badaxe, Tyre, Charlestown, Verona Mills and Dickeville in Samlae and Huron counties are burned. Badaxe is the county seat of Huron county, and nothing is left in it but the court house. The latest information from Saginaw Valley shows that the ravages of the fires through out that district have been terrible, although as yet no lives are reported lost but farms, buildings, stock and lumber camps have been all ablaze. The people of Riehmondville had actually to take refuge in the waters Of Lake Huron from the flames, and many of them had all their clothing burned from their backs before reaching the protecting waters. These refugees are now huddled at Port Samlae, many of them absolutely naked Forestville in Samlae county is now burning. J. H. Schultz, editor of the Minden Post, teIegraphs as follows Fire Is now raging west of Minden and since noon yesterday it has been so dark from forest smoke that it might as well be the darkest night. At p. m. yesterday terrible hurricane set in, a wind blowing directly toward Minden. Sin gularly enough, when the flames were brought by the wind to within few rods of the town, the hurricane subsided as sudden ly as it arose, blowing directly away from the place. This providential change saved the place from immediate destruction and the town escaped with the loss of Wards eleva tor, two buildings and barns, which were lost, involving a loss of $5,OOO. The villages of .Charlestown and Tyre are totally destroyed, so is Ubley in Huron county. Badaxe and Verona mills ln Huron county are all burned. The remains of Henry Gale have been found at Charlestown The whole Redmond fami- ly, consisting of seven persons, took refuge in well to escape the flames and were all suffocated In Paris, Huron county, the whole Susula family were burned to death, so also was an old lady who has not yet. been identified. It is thought that no less than thirty and perhaps fifty persons have per ished in the townships of Delaware, Minden and Austin, in Samlae county, Bing- ham, Sherman and Paris, in Huron county. Both these counties are now almost an un- broken fire-made desert. The harvests had been gathered and have all been destroyed. The homeless in these two counties must at once have outside help or many of them will perish I had to ride sixteen miles to send this despatch, the railroad tracks and tele graph wires being ruined. The smoke is choking and blinding. No signs of rain ap- pear and everything is dry as finder. If no heavy rain comes soon many other towns will be burned. The total loss of property have seen burned cannot be less than $20O,- GOO, and it nearly all falls upon people who can i'll stand the loss.''
 Oil Rigs Gathered In By the Fla
 BRADFORD, Pa, Sept. 7.-Heavy forest fires ragged this afternoon near Coleville, in the eastern part of the oil district, about two miles from this city. From thirty to forty oil rigs with tanks and oil were consumed causing an aggregate loss of many thousands of dollars. Reports received here are con- f1icting, and it is difficult to obtain definite information, Some reports put the loss at fifty rigs. The fire is not yet under control, and there is great danger of further loss It is reported that six thousand barrel tank full of oil was burned on the Kansas branch.