The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-09-21
How the Sigsbees Were Saved
BY James Raymond Perry.
THE Sigsbees lived ON Wisconsin

THE Sigsbees lived ON Wisconsin
farm five miles from the nearest
village. The family consisted OF Mr..
and Mrs. Sigsbee and three children
Frank, lad of 16, and Ruth and Mary,
aged respectively eleven and nine.
For several days smoke had hung
over the landscape, and the forest f1res
off to the northwest were the tonic OF
conversation at the farm. On Saturday
Mr.. Sigsbee went to the village, and
when he returned Saturday evening
with the county paper it contained sew
eral columns about the havoc that had
been wrought. Mr.. Sigsbee had learned
at the village that the fires had eaten
their way down to within eight miles
of the town.
The Sigsbee farm was northeast of
the village, so the line of fire at the
northwest was about the same distance
from the farm that it was from the viii
lage. During the last day or two the
smoke had become thicker, and when
darkness fell Saturday night the Sly
bees for the first time caught sight o.
the flames, dull red through the smolA
as they worked their way along tho
crest of a low elevation six or seven
miles away.
II wish it would rain," Mr. Sigsbee
said, as he stood watching the flames
creeping through the darkness. He was
growing very anxious over the prox-
unity of the fire.
During the night the wind shifted
from the northwest to the south and
blew the smoke away some; it also
checked the southwark progress of the
fire. But before nine o'clock the wind
was back in the northwest again. and
the thick smoke was being blown down
over the farm lands.
IF the wind keeps up the fire will be
down on us before night" said Mr.. Sigs-
bee. 81 think I'd better go to the vii
lage and see if l can get help. The north
lots ought to be plowed up"
So the farmer hitched up one of his
horses and drove away through the
thickening smoke. When he reached
the village he found every one there in
state of great excitement and alarm.
oiHNC tHS Ol Will tDt village
was in imminent peril.
The men were all working with the
desperation of despair 10 save their
own homes and not one could be spared
to go back with Mr.. Sigsbee.
The wind blew stronger and stronger,
and he knew the fire must be advancing
rapidly towards the farm. The smoke
obscured everything, however, and it
was impossible to tell how near the
flames had approached. He wished now
that he had not left his family. He had
thought it was for the best, but now,
as he started back, it seemed to him as
If he had deserted them in their need.
He urged the horse on as fast as pos
sible, hoping to get back before the fire
reached the farm. Soon he began to see
the small deniZens of the forest
scampering across the road toward the |
south. They were fleeing from the fire.
Occasionally larger animal would
break from the brush and clear the road
with one or two bounds.
The farmer could feel the air getting
hotter, and the finer flakes OF ashes be- |
gan to fall upon him. He knew the |
burning brands would soon begin to |
fall, and realized that it would be al |
most impossible to get back to the |
farm. Not far back he had passed a !
cross road leading south, and the |
thought that he might seek safety in |
that direction came to him. But he did |
not do il. Somehow the thought that he
had deserted his family in time Of need |