The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-19
Call for Help.

Detroit, october lo--I,eporlS lrolh the forest fire district of northern Michigan were fragmentary, but there were indications of improvement in the general situation as far as imminent danger to life and property was con cerned. But as to the victims who sur vived the destruction of their homes and villages, conditions are pitiful in the extreme with the likelihood ot greater distress and many deaths from exposure in the event of sudden drop of temperature falling upon the half clothed refugees camped in box cars and open fields.
 Gov Fred M. Warner today issued an appeal to the people of Michigan for contributions and Mayor William B. Thompson of Detroit has called
 special meeting of the common council for tomorrow morning to consider the matter of contributing relief. A public
 meeting will also be held in the may or's office at noon tomorrow for the same purpose and Bishop Charles :. Williams of the Episcopal diocese Of Michigan, who has just returned from the fire district, will be asked to de- scribe conditions as he witnessed them The Detroit Board of Commerce held meeting at the Detroit club tonight to arrange the details of shipping preliminary car load of provisions and
  Governor Warner has directed Adju-
 tant General McGuerrin of the state l troops to take the initiative in similar measures at Grand Rapids.
 The Detroit and Mackinac Railroad
 company has already sent dozen car
 loads of provisions, lumber and hay into the burned district from Bay City. Ossineke Threatened. l President J. D. Hawks of the Detroit l and Mackinac railroad received word to- 1 day that forest fires were seriously i threatening the town of Ossinel<e, south | of Alpena, on Thunder bay. MT Hawks 1 said that he had received no reports from f-KIpena or Rogers City, and he was con- l fdent he would have heard something i if tho situation at these points had not i improved
 ] The Western Union Telegraph company
 had uninterrupted communication with 1 Alpena today, and was able to do busi-
 ness twice with Onamay on the far side
 of the burned district The Western l Union was also able to establish com
 munication with Posen in the First dis i trlct this morning.
 Long distance telephone communication 1 was good as far north as East Tawas.
 Quartermaster Gen. w. J. Rogers of the 1 state troops. who was sent into the | burned districts to investigate conditions, l telegraphed Governor Warner today that
 there was no need of troops as the fire
 stuetion was improved. temporarily at
 least. The immediate need, Gonerel Rog-
 CTS reported, was for bedding and food
 for the refugees and fodder for horses and
 cattle Governor Warner has already
 directed the sending of several hundred
 blankets into the burned district, and all
 blankets on hand in the armory of the
 state troops at Alpena have been forward
 ed there.
 i Governors Appeal.
 l Following is the governors appeal to
 the people of Michigan for contributions: 1 gro the People of Michigan:
 "The destructive forest fires which have ragged over the northern part of the state l during the past week. and which have | been ettended with such fearful loss of life and property, have already rendered abou.. BOO of our people homeless and de- pendent upon immediate public charity The prompt relief furnished by. the of foials of the Detroit and Mackinac Rail-
 road company and others is most com mendabe but the loss and suffering are
 so great and the need of further assist
 ance is so crying, that there should be
 prompt action on the part of the public generally.
 'Ine men, WoInen dHu W1O have narrowly escaped death are shelter less and destitute. Food. clothing. bed ding furniture. money and building ma terial and forage for animals should he
 donated at once so that the sufferings of these people should he lessened. and that
 none may perish from hunger or expos
 ure.
 "I therefore urge upon the charitable people of this great state so bountifully blessed with comfort and wealth. to inn
 nediately come to the relief of these stricken people. Alpena will be the dis tr,hnting point. All donations may he sent in care of J. D. Hawks, president of the Detroit and Mackinac railroad. who is giving his personal attention to the relief of the sufferers. I am already assured that the Detroit and Mackinac.