Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-16
THE BURNING FORESTS
A Vivid Description of the Scenes in the
Burned Districts.
THE SKY PAINTED A BRIGHT RED,
By the Sea OfFre-The Wished For Rain
Does Not Come.
OF THE TERRIBLE FIRES


CHICAGO, ILL, August 14.-The Daily
NelrS's Green Bay, Wis, special dated yes
terday says: "All night long the fires in
the northwestern section of Brown county
have been raging, and the ruddy reflection
of the flames has painted the murky sky
bright red. The sole topic of conversation
here is the fires and the probability of
rain. Last night n breeze sprung up from
the east, and hopes were entertained that
it would bring with it the long
looked for rain. The morning came, the
sun rose bright and brilliant. Every sign
of rain had vanished and the evening
breeze sprung up which had cleared the air
that for the past week has been almost
constantly Obscured by the brown smoke.
Your correspondent drove southeast from
Green Bay this morning through the burnt
region. In that vicinity east of Green
Bay the country has been cleared OF timber
and is occupied by farm houses. Every
one is suffering from the drought and the
crops are very poor. In the township of
Bellevue the ravages of the fire became
apparent. Little patches of burnt timber
stood among surrounding pine forests.
The ground in places was covered by the
gray ashes of the brush and leaves which
had been consumed, and here had gathered
q great "wind-iall," rs 4 tree which has
fallen down is termed, giving out red
glow. A kick on the massive brush pile
sent upa shower of sparks, and little
flames darted forth from crevlces IN the
log. The woods looked as though nipped
by an early frost. The leaves OH oak and
hickory trees we're brown and faded from
the effects of the heat, while in portions of
the woods where the fire had swept away
leaves and small branches the great trees
stood grim and bare, spreading out their
great blackened branches without ObScur-
ing the rays of the sun.
The township of
EATON HAS SUFFERED TERRIBLY
and the damage has been great. Near
what is known rs Lily Lake, mere pond
now, Mt the junction Of Bellevue, Depere
and Eaton townships, stood WOOdrutl7S |
mill, which IS owned by Harry Woodruff, |
whose name will be remembered rs long as |
Brown county lasts. All along for the |
past week Harry has been anticipating the
fires, and during the time worked like
beaver hauling water to his place, and then
10 his neighbOrs who were y greater dis |
lance from the source of supply. On Mon
lay he left his house witha number of bar
relS of water for James Glansen, n German
neighbOr. Returning ut q slow trOt he saw /
he smoke approaching and whipped up
his horses. AT one moment" said MIR. |
"thcre was not q sign of fire.
Five minutes later it seemed rs though the
woods all around were blazing" He |
started the team toward home ut mad |
sallOp," barely escaping with his life.
Then
THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRE
began. He wet down his house, barn and |
he old mill with water, Of which he had
aid in q good supply, and rs the fire
brands came around eXtinguiShed them.
In less than an hour the fire had swept on
md left him out of danger. He went to |
ClanSen's place to render what all he |
could. House, barn and wheat farm had
been swept away, and all around were
strewn the dead bodies OF pigs and cattle. !
Mr.. Woodruff began the mourntul task OF
looking for the bodies of the family, but |
without success, when he heard scpulchral |
cries and traced them to an old well |
which contained about four feet of water, |
and Mr.. Clansen, with his wife and three |
children were found. The ClanScus did |
not save n dollars worth of property and
had no insurance.
All through Eaton township = similar
tale is told. Some farm sites are marked /,
by dwelling which has been saved by al
most Superhuman efforts, but not barn
in the burned districts is left. All through |
the woods, miles away from the farms, are
dead bodies of cattle and other domestic |
animals, some burned to Il crisp, and
Others with no sign Of the manner Of their
death.
Anton Borgordin, John Shatlner, Peter
ROnkerS, and Charles HrOckman barely
saved their lives and those Of their families.
They lost everything they possessed. John
and Henry Sopcr and John NorcrOSS lost
all but their houses. Most OF the families
in this belt of fire have taken refuge with
friends, but one old German has construct
ed kind of shanty out of hall-burncd
logs, and is living on the remains OF Il
sheep which had been killed by the flames
and some provisions given him by some
charitable ncighbOrs. The children, the
smaller of whom were
ALMOST ENTIRELY NAKED,
pcered out of the opening in the hut.
The old mrn returned my good morn
Ing" in half-hearted way, and cOntin-
ucd to smoke his pipe. The poor woman
looked ut me, and then, hiding her face in
her apron, burst into fit OF weeping, us
she rocked herself to and fro on the log on
which she was sitting There was no need
to ask any questions The melancholy
story was too plain. Years of hard work
to lay upa little money against the coming
of old age had gone for naught, and the
hartl-earned savings of years of frugallty
and labor had vanished in smoke.
drove back by another route through
the centre of Depere and Bellevue town
ships. Here the loss was even greater than
in Eaton. The inhabitants are Tor rather
were, for il seems rs though they had now
deserted their tOwnshipS) mostly Poles,
who have carried no insurance and Swedes
who have something coming from that
source. In Bellevue township the dcvas-
tation is complete and the suffering
terrible. Many of the burncd-Out people
have been injured in fighting the flames.
a Good Ticket Nominated.
Special T,iegrum 10 the Sunday Register.