The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-05-16
Throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and
Pennsylvania, Forest Fires
Still Rage Unabated.
Several Michigan Villages Complete.
ly MISUNDERSTANDING Left
But Ashes.
A Freight Train Crew Had a Mar
row Escape From Cremation
Cars Abandoned.
The Michigan Fires.

terlallZe for the panlc-strlcken lnhablt-
ants of the burned district in this state.
Some idea of the vastness of the fire dis
trict can be gained from the fact that al
most any two of a dozen counties now
filed with fire are as large as the whole
state of Rhode Island. The Toledo,
Ann Arbor & Northern Michigan rail-
road has been obliged to abandon all at
tempts to run cars north of the Glare
county line. A freight train and crew
had a narrow escape from cremation yes
terday. The ties in many places were SO
badly burned that the rails spread when
the the train went over. When near
Modes siding, one of the cars in the cen
ter of the train was derailed, and the
train crew was obliged to abandon the
real part of the train, after working until
the cars began to smoke. Before they
reached Farwell there was another derail-
ment, and all but three of the train of
eight cars were left to their fate. Three
Of the trainmen were badly blistered.
The wind shifted and drove the fire to
the southwest and into Neweygo, Mecos-
ira and Oceana counties. Coats Station
and Barton, both on the line of the fire,
have not been heard from and are sup
posed to be destroyed. West Troy, a
few miles north. of Obia, has
been environed by fire since
early yesterday morning and is supposed
to be in ashes. Reports from Cadillac,
Wexford county, state that the inhabi-
tants of all villages in the county have
been out fighting fire for three days and d
,~,,or 20 klo ,-,o11ov -I,ooc - NO u,1roI off
the face of the earth. Where Mir
Flint & P. M. road, there is nothing now
but piles of ashes. The village of Lake
has not been heard from since Its last ap-
peal for help. The fire is sweeping
through the woods near Red Cloud, Ne
waygo county, while more than 100 miles
away, across the state, the little hamlet
of Taft is in a gulf of flame. Monitor, in
Wexford county, above Cadillac, it cut
off from communication with the outside
world. The latest news from Traverse
city is to the effect that the entire popu-
lation is out fighting fire. Millions upon
millions of logs are burning all over the
county and state.
IN CHEBoYGAN OUNTY
CHEBoYGAN, Mich, May 1.-THE
forest fires are doing considerable dam
age to the interior of the county. Much
property has been destroyed including
barns, fences and standing timber. Un-
less rain soon comes the damage will be
great. The city is wrapped in a dense
smoke and Mackinac straits are so
densely overhung with smoke as to seri-
ously impede the progress of all boats:
On both sides of the Michigan Central
track from Mackinaw City to Frederick
Station, a small town in the southern
part of this, Cheboygan county, the
fires burn fercely and the smoke is SO
dense that lamps must be lighted at 4
o'clock in the afternoon. The towns of
Indian River and Rondo are much in
danger and last night dozens of men,
looking like so many demons, were to be
seen fighting the frey monster: Reports
from all parts of the northern half of the
lower peninsula show the fires are still
raging.