The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-05-23
HUNDRED MILES
SWEPT BY FIRE
hsur Towns Gone in Michigan aud
Wisconsin.
FOUR DEAD AND MANY MISSING.
Forest Fires Dsvsstste Five Counties. Lesv'
log Hundreds Of Families Homeless aud
Burning Millions Of Dollars Worth OF Prop
sr,y-Nlns Villages Partially Destroyed
Refugees Flee on TraIus.

Milwaukee, Wis, (SpeciaD A special
dispatch to the Milwaukee Sentinel from
Escanaba. Mich, says:
-Four known dead, score or more
persons missing, hundreds OF families
homeless, several million dollars worth
OF property burned four towns wiped
out and a dozen moNe partly burned,
five counties partly devastated and 100
square miles OF territory fire swept
This is the result in the Northern Michi-
gan peninsula OF the forest FIRE that
ragged Friday and Saturday
General Superintendent w. +. Wells,
of the Escanaba and Lake Superior road
along which the greatest loss occurred
returned from a trip Of inspection over
the fre-strioken area and said that the
fires had gone down. For the time be-
ing the danger is over, unless a new gale
arises to fan the embers into flames.
The following summary tells the story
'The dead:
"Peter Lafond, cook, smothered in
a lumber camp, near Katos
Three children at Quinesec, Mich,
separated from parents while the village
was burning, and perished.
Scores of homesteaders and wood
men are missing and some may have
perished in the flames
Territory Devastated-Five Counties.
Marquette, Menominee. Delta, Alger, and
Dickinson.
TOWNS DESTROYED.
Talbot, Mich, 800 population; few
houses escaped
"Quinnesec, Mich, 400 population only
one house left.
Saunders, $50 popuation wiped out.
Niagara, Wis, 800 population; all
burned.
'The towns damaged are Northland,
Cornell, Antoine, Spring Valley. Kings
ley, Woodlawn, Foster City, Sala and
metropolitan.
"Al day long refugees and trainmen
have been coming telling tales OF misery
and suffering, as well as heroism and
brave deeds, that were enacted while
the fire was at its height
The burned area extends from a point
10 miles out Of Escanaba. to Talbot on
the south, to Claiming and Quinnesec on
the west, 10 Sands on the north and back
TO near Escanaba While this territory
has not been swept clear, great tracts
have been laid waste, especially toward
the north
I'm this region 1000 small fires have
been smoldering for weeks. Nothing
was thought of these fires because they
were not dangerous, but it only needed
wind which came on Friday 10 fan them
into sheet of fame.
Toward noon the wind began to blow
from the west 80 miles an hour. By ?
P. M. the velocity was 40 miles. and
by 4 P. NJ the small fires seemed to have
united into large one that extended over
a 5o-mile stretch and swept along with
fury.
Throughout the affected territory hun
dreds Of woodsmen were put 10 work to
save property 1t was only by divert
ing the path OF the FIRE that some towns
were saved. Hundreds of small and
prosperous farms were burned over driy-
ing the occupants to the nearest towns
for shelter Cattle and stock and houses
and barns and their contents were left
for the flames. Farmers loaded wagons
hurriedly with personal effects and ran
before the flames
I'm some instances families became
separated, causing much anxiety to rela-
tives who have reached towns.
There was little that human effort
could do to check the flames. The h,at
was intense and the smoke sitting. The
wind from the west and north blew the
smoke into Escanaba. At p. NJ. Fri
day Escanaba seemed in darkness. a
heavy veil of smoke overhung the en-
tire surrounding country. Everything
was of a greenish hue The sitting
smoke threw women and children into
a panic
Gradually the wind died down dur
ing the night and in the morning the
flames began 10 lose their fury The
fires still smolder. and while they are not
spreading. it will only need a fresh wind
20 start them again AS far as the eve
can see there is smoke