The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-20

Milwaukee, Wis, May ia dispatch
to the Sentinel from Escanaba. Mich,
by a staff correspondent says:
Four known dead, a score or more
persons missing, hundreds Of families
homeless, several millions Of dollars of
property burned, four towns wiped out
entirely and a dozen more partially;
five counties devastated and 100 square
nils of territory fire swept. This is
the dreadful picture that the Northern
Michigan peninsula. presents today af-
ter the worst forest fire since the Pesh-
tigo disaster in 1871 had spent itself.
General Superintendent W. Z. Wells Of
the Escanaba & Lake Superior road,
along whose right of way the greatest
loss occurred, returned tonight from a
trip of inspection over the fire stricken
area and says that the flames have
gone down and for the time being the
danger is over unless new gale arises
TO again fan the embers into flames.
The following summary briefly tells
the story.
The Dead.
Peter Lafond. a cook. smothered in a
lumber camp near Katon; body found
tonight
Three unknown children dead at
Quinnesec. Mich, separated from their
parents while the village was burning
and persisted.
Scores of homesteaders and woods
men are missing and many have prob
ably persisted in the flames.
Territory Devastated.
Territory devastated, five counties.
Marquette. Menomince. Delta, Alger
and Dickinson
The territ1fy me swept is leo square
miles
Towns totally buKned Talbot Mich.
100 poTIlatiCD. only few houses left
standing
Cdinnesee, Mich. 400 population. only
one house remains.
- saunders, $50 population, all wiped
out.
Towns. partially destroyed. NorthIand.
Cornell. Antoine. Spring, Valley. Kings
ley, WOodlawn, Foster City Sala, Met
ropOlitan.
Tell Terrible Tales.
Details of the fire are gradually COM
ing out of the burned territory. All
day long refugees and trainmen have
been coming in, telling tales Of misery
and suffering as well as he-Oism and
brave deeds that were enacted while
the fire was at its height. The reports
all show that the fire was full as
serious as first reported. The burned
over district extends from a point ten
miles out of Escanaba to Talbot on the
south to Claiming and Ouinnesec on
the west. Sands on the north and back
TO EsCanaba- The flames were f1ercest
along the EScanaba and Lake Superior
line.
1t is in this district that 900 or more
of the small fires have been smoldering
for weeks. Nothing was thought of
these fires because they were not dan
geroUs- but IL only needed a wind to
fan them into mighty sheet Of flame.
The wind came on Friday afternoon
Gale Began to Blow.
Toward noon the wind began to blow
from the west at the rate OF thirty
miles an hour. BY > o'clock the veloc-
ity was forty miles, and by o'clock
the small fires seemed to have united
into one large one that extended over
q ffty-miles stretch and swept along
with a fury that no human hand could
stay The flames seemed to center from
place called NOrthland and from there
swept down toward Escanaba. Through
out the territory hundreds of woods
men were put to work to stay the fire.
but it could not be fought. It marched
on, and II was only by diverting its
paths that some Of the towns were
saved. First to be driven were the
WOOdsmen in camp and the homestead
eTS. Hundreds of small and prosperous
farmers live in the territory. and the
occupants Of these farms hurried to
the nearest towns for shelter. Cattle
and stock and houses and barns and
their contents were left for the flames
Wagons were huTTiedly loaded with
personal effects. and the race against
the flames begun.
Hemmed in by Fire.
In some instances whole families came
I'm. Many, however, reported that some
of the members had been separated and
left behind. Some Of the towns We're
heInmed in on all sides. Talbot and
Quinnessec are the most notable exam
pies. At both a hard fight was put up,
but IN the end the places had 10 be
abandoned.
There was little that human effort
could do to check the flames. Water
was scarce, and even when it was plen-
tfful It was OF no avail in combating
flames Hundreds Of WOodsmen fought
I'm spots throughout the district Step
by step they would back up. trying at
: each stand 10 backf1Te the flames Clear
! ings were burned over with fires that
Acould not be controlled Then when the
hhames reached there they found moth
ing more to consume. In this manner
many of the towns in the path Of the
confiagratiOn were saved
Panic In the Towns.
While scenes Of horror and despair
were being enacted in the fre-stricken
territory. there was also a panic in
neighboring cities, miles from the fire
line. Most of the refugees were taken
back today. when ii was supposed that
the fires had died down. but most Of
them found nothing when they reached
the spot where their homes had stood.