The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-20
Many Lives Probably Lost
in Michigan.
An Area as Large as New Eng
land Burning.
The Loss Is Simply Beyond
Estimate.
Nothing Can Now Save the People but
Heavy Showers.

tants Of the burned distrit 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 the dozen counties now
filed with FIRE are as large as the whole
state of Rhode Island The Toledo, Ann
Arbor & Northern Michigan railroad has
been obliged TO abandon all attempts to
run cars north of the Clare county line.
A freight train and crew had narrow
escape from cremation yesterday. The
ties in many places were so badly burned
that the rails spread when the train went
over. When near More's Siding one Of
the cars in the center OF the train was de-
rallied and the train crew were obliged TO
abandon the rear part of the train after
working until the cars began TO smoke
Before they reached Farwell there was
another derailment and all but three Of
the train of eighteen 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 Newaygo, Mecosta
and Oceana counties. Cooks Station and
Barton. both in the lines of the fire, have
not been heard from and are supposed to
be destroyed. West Troy, a few miles
north of Qua, has been envirOned by fire
since early yesterday morning and is sup
posed to be in ashes. Reports from
Cadillac, Wexford county, state that the
inhabitants of all the villages in the
county have been out fighting fire for the
past three days, and many OF the smaller
places have been wiped oil the face OF the
earth.
Where Nirvania and Fremont on the
Flint & Perre Marquette road once
stood there is nothing now but piles of
ashes. The village of Lake has not been
heard from since its last appeal for help.
The fire is sweeping through the woods
near Red Cloud, Newaygo county, while
more than one hundred miles away, across
the state, the little hamlet of Taft is in a
gull OF flames. Monitor, in Wexford
county, above Cadillac, is cut off from
communication with the outside world
The latest news from Traverse City is 10
the effect that the entire population is out
fighting FIRE. Millions upon millions Of
logs are burning all over the center OF the
state.
WHITE CLOUD, Mich, Nav 12.-The five
upper townships in the county have been
q surging sea OF fire ever since Sunday.
anu IL Is UtlltNt lual not II single one OF
the small hamlets is left. Fields Station
with its four saw mills and general store,
is no more, and the 800 people who lived
there Sunday are today without home or
roof TO cover their heads. Otis, or Ding
man as II Is known to the postal authori-
ties, is but a collection of smoking ruins
with the 200 people who called The place
nome standing around in despair. Park
City, in Lincoln township, went out in
fire and smoke yesterday morning. Moth
ing is left OF the cluster Of small houses
that marked the place. Lilly Station is
hardly worth the name of a station. as
only the small hotel and smaller railroad
station are left 10 mark the town site.
Freight cars without number burned and
logging trains melted away into ashes on
the tracks where they stood awaiting their
loads OF lumber.
CHEYBoYGAN, Mich, May 12.-Forest
fires are doing considerable damage in the
interior of the county. Much property
has been destroyed, including barns,
fences and standing timber. Unless rain
soon comes the damage will be great The
city Is wrapped in q dense smoke and the
Mackinac straits are so densely Overhung
with smoke as to impede the progress
OF all boats. On both sides of the Michi-
gan Central tracks. from Mackinaw City
TO friedrich Station, a small town in the
southern part OF this (Cheboygan) county
is burning fiercely and the smoke is so
dense that lamps must be lighted at
O'Clock in the afternoon. The towns of
Indian River and ROndO are much in
danger and last night dozens Of men, look
ing like so many demons, were to be seen
fighting the fiery monster Reports from
all parts OF the northern half of the lower
peninsula show the fires are still raging
West SUPERIOR, Wis, Nav 12-Fanned
by strong wind the forest fires near this
city have been gradually encroaching up
on the suburbs. This morning the fires
in the neighborhood of South Superior as
sumed formidable shape and there was
great excitement The flames reached
tho great pile oil wood near Sac
ger & Gunner's brickyard and spread
rapidly in all directions. Several hun
dred were fighting the flames this after
noon and it was reported that the fire was
under control. Fires are burning at many
points along the Omaha road. At White
Birch the loss will be particularly heavy.
The bridge over the American river on
the Omaha road burned this afternoon
stopping traffic on that line between this
city and st. Paul.
LUDNGToS, Mich, May l2.-Some of
fore the fire struck that town arrived here
yesterday in a deplorable state. They
had nothing TO call their own bpt the
clothes they wore and exhausted with
hard work in trying to save their village.
They say IL is impossible to tell how many
OF the inhabitants escaped alive, but they
fear that many died in the woods. where
they fed for safety.
The village had 800 inhabitants and no
one knows where more than half this
numbere are at present. The loss at this
point will reach $4,000. Vague rumors
OF large loss of life in other points come
in, but verification is impossible. This
entire county will be swept unless rain
comes today.
DETROIT, Mich, May 13.-Clinton, Clare
county, and WaIkerville. Oceana county,
towns of 100 inhabitants each, are added
10 the list of those surrounded by
forest fres- In each cess the destruction