The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1906-05-25
FIERCEFORESTFIRE
NORTHERN MICHIGAN PENINSULA
DEVASTATED BY FLAMES
The Northern Michigan Peninsula
Fire Swept Five counties-seVeral
Million Dollars Of Property Destroy
ed-Wind Was Blowing a Gale-5o
Mile Stretch Burned.

Escanaba, Mich, May 20. -Four
known dead, a score or more persons
missing. hundreds of families home
less. several millions of dollars of
property burned, four wi wiped out
entirely and a dozen more partially;
five counties devastated and hundreds
of square miles of territory fire swept.
This is the dreadful picture that the
northern Michigan peninsula presents
today after the worst forest fire since
the Peshtigo disaster in 1871.
General superintendent w. E. Wells
of the Escanaba & Lake Superior rail-
way, along whose right of way the
greatest loss occurred, has returned
from a trip of inspection over the fire
stricken area and says that the flames
have gone down, and for the time be-
ing the danger is over unless a 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 neal Katos; body found
tonight.
Three unknown children dead at
Q~uinnesec, 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-Five counties,
Marquette, Menominee, Delta, Alger
and Dickinson.
The territory fire swept is so miles
square.
Towns totally burned:
Talbot. Mich, 100 population; only a
few houses left standing.
Quinnesec, Mich, 400 population;
only one house remains.
Saunders, $50 population; all wiped
out.
Niagara, Wis, 300 population; all
out.
Towns partially destroyed:
Details of the fire are gradually COM
ing out of the burned territory. All
lay long refugees and trainmen have
been coming in, telling tales of misery
and suffering, as we'll as heroism and
deeds that were enacted while
he fire was at its height. The reports
all show that the fire was fully as Sc
as first reported. The burned
over district extends from a point 10
miles out of Escanaba, to Talbot on
ne south, to Claiming and Qdinnesec
On the west, to Sands on the north and
pack to Escanaba. The flames were a
lercest along the Escanaba & Lake d
line. a
thousand Fires Famed by Wind.
1t is in this districo that a thousand i
II more of the small fires have been 3
moldertng for weeks. Nothing was n
nought of these fires, because they y
ere not dangerous, but it only need
a a wind to fan them into a mighty T
meet OF flame. This wind came ON
riday afternoon.
toward noon the wind began to blow -
ON the west al the rate of 90 miles
q nour' By 2 O'Clock the velocity ii
as ~ miles, and by 4 o'clock the fires -
'emed to nave united into one large n
that extended to a so mile stretch
III swept along with a fury that no
imam hand could stay. The flames 7
to center from a place called lea
orthland, and from there swept down s.naa
ward Escanaba. Throughout the fire Gu
thousands of woodsmen were putl tmIoei
Work TO stay the fire, but it couId me
It be fought. act
ne hrst to be driven in ware tho lou
'ousmen In camp and the homestead s sed
D. hundreds of small and prosner- pro
: armer lived there, and o~ccunants bnns
these farms hurried to fbe nearost Of I
y Ior shelter. Cattle and stock soit
a houses and barns ana their con. Il
us were hurriedly loaded with ner-
laI eHects and the race against tba I
mes began. Il wol
u some instances whole families j
IN Many, however. ~renortod if G
some Of the members had boo2 kill
a,aleu and left behind. Some of
,owhs We're hemmed on all sides 40
laloot and Quinnesec a hard fgbt
? put up, but in the end fine nIaoes s H
l 10 De abandoned. ide
list
Later Report. worl
ne fire ragged for a distance of 9, "on
IS along the line of the Escanaba Z
axe superior railroad. and for % mar
90 beyond Claiming. the terminus nor
,ne road. 1t seems certain tho me
D persons are homaIess - mat Eve
and that 1000 are left desoIate
.Quinnesec. uesoiate rIrc
ne Quinnesec fire, however. was Of lIlI
'%ereht origin than the Escanaba bolt.
having started in a field wbare Ai'h
~ we're pulling stumps and burning w
us. This fire spread into the CIT, opal
wiped out all the buildings oy pick.
. "Iye residences and the paper
men the fire spread into the y
'ei ana running north 40 miles liable
~ Jolhed the flames sweening and ?
VI ~ESCdQah9 II Neeu