A Terrible Disaster!

A general engagement in the late civil war would seldom liaveoccaüüiied so Teat a loss of life as has accoinpanied the forest flres that were kindled on the 5th in the península which lies between Lake Hurón and Sagina w Bay. Sherman's famed march to the geadid not compare in widespread des olation witii the holocaust that has just swept over Hurón, Sanilac and parts oí Tuacola, Genesee, Saginaw and Montcalui counties. conflagration of 1871 bears but a slight eoinpaiiso: the disaster through which we have just passed. For six weeks prior to the 5th the heavens had remnined closed. Forest and lield were alike parched, and when thoughtkapplied the match to save labor in clearing their lands, ffie llames refnsed to be controüed and swept witb rapidly tnereasing fury over a va-sterriiory, rapidly involvinjj whole countie-, give adetaitod account of the pr-. of The disaster woukl require a space far bevond the linaiU of our columns and would then but feebly depict the horrors utten-l:u:t upon the great conflagratfon. As the flames advanced, ving everyttaing in their pathway, the atmosphere became heated likë a f urnace, and tke iiihabkants of the districts involved found ouly death in batüing witta the üery element. Superhuman endeavors were inad to save homes and properties. snd often when too late the people fled, on'.. be overtuken by the fireor overeo. the heated atraosphere. Cut off from comaiunic..tum with safer districts by bwrning tields and foreet uglit refuge in walls, in root-Houses, In holes hastiiy ilng in the ground, and covered themstlves in their retreats, too only to die of suffocation. As the conflasiration becaine more genera!, the snioke hung over the country ïiKea ;au obscuring the sim, and pall of Kgyptian darkness spread itself over the whole heavens, and superstitious terror added to the horror that already appeared too graat to be borne. "SVhole townships ai d villages succumbed and others met wit i cripplinglosses. A.t the f ïlowing points the flres weremost disastrous: nUA.Cn BIRXED. Porters Station, eontaiuing four or flve buildings, was burned, and a train that had just urriveJ, having run tlifi gauntlet of the flames, was badlj dauiaged. Kiehmondvüle, only oae buildiug remainiiig. Audersou, on the P. HL A N. W. H. H-, eoinplelelydesuoyed. Port Hope, nearly all burned. Bad Axe, only the court house and hotel left standing. Verana Mills, all burned but the church and store. Charleston, an entire ruin in twenty mi :utes after the tlames reached it. Meriden, partia'.ly destroyed. Houghton Creek, near' Vassar," all the dwellings are burutd. Forestur township, only one house left. Pari, a total ruin. Tyre, , Hurón City, Forest Hay, all burned. Ubley, partly. The losvu- of Delaware, Mariden. Ao Bingham and Sharon can be only couipared to leserts. The townships of Wfetertown, Poster, Moora a:.d Argyle ara ■ Uaekeoed prairie. Beaver township toUilly burued. BloomSeld, total. Moure township, a clean sre?p. I well, Deckerville, White Koek and Sandusky, tot.illy destroyed. The whole country over wbieh contlagration spread is oue blackened, desolate waste. The loss of life is variously estimated at trom 3Ü0 to 1,000. In Sanilac couuty aloue nearly 150 dead bodie have already been found. The follovving are a few of the reported incidents which but too plaiuly depict the scènes that wereon every hand: Twü miles north-east of Five Lakes Richard Elliott resided on au Su-acre farm, len acres of which were cleared. Here he wás trying to lay the found.itionof future prospenty; but the w of destruction rolled that way, and, leapiug 20 rods acn aetd, the blaze patfiered m l'Is dweiling, burrying the inmates, Uis wife, a little and Mrs. John Fn . a npg uut into the road fin M". Eiliott got together a quantity of clothing :md fuilowe 1 Mra. Frederick nd hild in their Ilight bet'ore the Bre. Blinded aiul suffoc ted with suioke ! and heat, the women struggledon ïhild, her companion urging Mts.! Eliolt to drup t.ie buudle that mpeded her progre s, which she neg do, and was soon left behind the othera, wbo eseaped. A out tUa ttraa Mr. Elliott startod t'or home on hometrom Pive Lakes, fearful that the lire migh. reac .Ing, bat a about a müe waa compelli abaadoQ the horse on aceran: of the burnmg logs and tiniber. He soon f undhe could not f olio w thu direc; ïoad eve i on foot and so be went north, approaching by the rear, and found ail bis improvements, including house, barn, 1 enees, crops - everything, a rnass of smoking ruins. Frantic witb the disheartening sight he started down the road in the track of dtstruction and met a neighbor who informed him that his wife and child had gone to tin. Brown's for saiety. He slruggled on and soon feil to his knees, overeóme witb the tmokeand heat, bui. gathering strength, arose and groped onward until he had got abont - rods from the smouldering r.iins of his home, when he carne upon the chaired and lileless rernains of his wife. She had been caught by the tire, and died alone 'midst the wreek and ruin that surrounded her. At Fore-stville, a woman locked up her house with two children iuside and weut for help, bat whe.i she returned both house and childr. n wert Uunied. A man went into a burning house and took two children from the bed, carried them two or three miles, and tbrough e.xhaustioH had to leave tliem. Soroy one carried them two miles further through the smoke and liame, w out, au 1 left them by the roa ; where they perished. At Rbhrnondville, a family ol Beven persons, named Thor iton, sou liter iu a well, and were suffocate.1 by the smoke. When found they lay in a heap in the water, tlieir huir BCalded off and parts of their Uxiies scorched and apparently cooked. At Venina Milla the wind was so strong that Mr. Ballentine and wife were picked up and blown 15 yards. A woinan and her huaband were found lying against a tree dead, the woinan being partly delivered of a ohild. A farmer who was plowing with his oxea a few miles from Sand Be perceiing the a proaching dark: started lor his house. Heaching thora he found that his wife had gone ïo a neighbor's. He took two children and gave three others in charge f his eldest daughter. Befere traveling many rods they found themselves eut off by the fliimos. He turned in another directiou and escaped with two children; the three children and the daughter were found the next day all in a heap and charred beyond recognition. Wllliam Huiuphrey, a mail carrier between Argyle and Elrner, starled on his route Monday. Midway he was slopped by the flames, and unhitched his horse from the wagon. Mounting In horse with the mail bags he turned hastily back. The horse found it3 vray back to Argyle without mail-bag or rider. A tag was tied to his mane and he was urged back over his usual route. He reached Elmer, but Humphrey's body was found burned in the woods in one place and the half consumed 'nail-bag in another. A poor wotuan in Austin township i endeavored to save herself and children by digging abóle and covering it as best she could with her hands. They were all subsequently found dead. The little ones iiad their heads burned off to the shoulders. A mar, driving through Hurón county direcüy after the spread of the fire, repoited that he met üve women entirely naked, each carrving a child. party f rom White Rocksawtwo little children leading an oíd nii.-n who had beon blindetl by smoke and flre who had under his arm the burned remains of a little child quite naked. At Cuto a widow and five children got down a well where they died frorn suffocation. In the town of Argyle the saddest ihat of one family of the name of Weitze'.l, whore the mother, five childreaa and a brother, who had h stened to the rescue, were f ound L Here the committee found the ived father and one only child, a briglit little fel lo w of 9 years, mourning orer seveu rough board "oxes that ;ined the charred remains of wluit had been once so dear to thera. Ie seemed tbat the family. having fougbt flre as long as there remained one ray of hope, endeavored to make their escape, but fouud themselres henimed in on a 11 sidee and perished there in the road. ín Uietownof Flynn thefirehad eaten its way so close to the house of Mr. Leacfa thát he tookhis wifu and little b.ibe ío a place of comparativa saíety and returned to exert himtelf to the last moment in an attempt to save Iris property. The wife becoming anxious for her husband, sought him, but before they cou'd make their escape, perisbed in a winding sheet of flame. The little one was fo ná shortlr afierward by the relief party where its niother hiid le:t it, nearly dead fromfright acd smoke. The following graphic description of the situation in Huron couuty was ieceived by a Detroit firm: White Kock, Iluron Co., Mich., Sept. 7. - As I wiah to let the people of Detroit know the situation and condition of the inhabitants of this part of Huron county tbat haTe been burnt out by the late öres, I thought I would write'you a few linea and give you a description of what I have seen in iny travels ti-day. For the past moath fires have been burning throughout this county, without doing much damage ontil lMt Mondiy. On Monday morningat 10:30 the smoke became so thick th-rt the sun béfame obscural, and by 12 m. the darkness bec.'.me impenetrable. It was by this time as dark as midnight, and w could notdistinguish any person or ject at the üislance of 10 feet. I made up iny mimi there was trouble brewing tor lis, and I immediatelr shot ip our works and prepared to fight flrp. We wt-re very fortúnate, as the fire did not come anj nearer than half amileof our village. " After keeping watch 48 hours incessantiy without sleep, the wind changd to the north and cleared up the smnke, and I then got a "rig," and taking along some provisious, sturted west. aud made for the township of Piiris, and through that part of it that auffered the most. It is almost impossible to describe to jou the ravages the fire has made in this township. I travelled miles where every farmer is burnt out. I went four miles on one md every building, fence, and almost every liead of stx;k aredestDvetl. On this raad there have beea 15 lives I niet one ox team ana wagon on tliis road eontaining three rough board boxei t corpses enclosed. Tte niau taat wasalongwaa theonbj mtryrn.tlking behind the wagon, following h :iid five children to the .. tfaey ha ving been burned to . A "itrio iarther along vhere was another woman and five children found in the middle of the road dead. I tell youit is terrible. It is almost im realize without seeing.ïhere is nothing but a banen waste to beseen, with dead cattie, hogs, snoep, chickens, etc. At one place where I called a bear had taken refuge imder tho house and burned along with the building. The wingifl a list of those that have ;edand been found in the town tria up t this date, with several r till missing: Frank Locha lost his wife and live diildren; Simon Wrohbel lost one chüd; Frank Masur lost one child; Mathias Walenski; John .Spirkow.ski lost 1Ü3 wife and five children; Mis. Laurenee Wi.bitzket; lLn. Gusa; Mr. McPherson and wife; JohnJKobat.ki lost one child; Jos. Karsnia lost one child; two grown up girls not indentified. In the township of Bingham. John Freighburger, wife and seven children all burned to death. I understand there have been some 15 bodies taken to Saud Beach for interraent. At Port Hope there are a number who have lost their lives, and to the south of Miden some 13 were buried to-lay. The following places are deátroyeil in this county: Port Hope, partially destroyed. Huron City, all gone. Forest Bay, all gone. Bad Axt1, all gone but the court house and one store. Verona Mills all but one hotel and store. These are all I hare heard of at present, as our telfigrapb. and mail coinmunication was cut off. The tire has been more destructive than the fires of 1871, ds f ar as I can lenm. And now, gentlemen, these peopie need relief, and that as soon as it can bij be sent, as they are without bornea, almogt naked, and nothing to help themselves with, as their crops were in their barns and not yet inarket1, so that heyneedeveiTtkingtocoaimènce again 'with. We up here are iloing all in our power to aid them, but iint we can do does not go far with BO inany. I sent three wagon loads of provisions aud clothing in to-day of .mr own, besides what other parties sent. The town oí Taris being the only town I visited I can but give you the nuniber burned out in this town, Wbich is 110 families, or about 550 per:,d God only knows how ni.iny Oten are in the. other towns, but there are a large quanWty. From what I can Uaiñ therc must be 4,000 penwns homeless in this coun'ty. And now whatever is doue do it cjoickly, and if there is any part of this letter that wil! help the people by haring it publislied you have my consent to do so. We have lost 4,000 cords of wood, and we feel happy to-night that it is uo worse. Yours respüctfully, Thomas Tho.v Many miraculeus escapes are record ed. At Houghtou Creek 24 wonaen and children were crowded into one well and fortunately escaped. John Ballentyue of Vernon Milla witb iiis wife spent 24 hours in a weü and both Uves were saved, thongh ;hey were badly bumed. The nuniber of similar instances might be indefinitely multiplied. Refuges crowded the half burned Tillages. At Bad Axe 350 Uok refuge in the Court House. On many of the railroads traversing the counties inTolved.railroad traffic was tmpeded and when not entirely suspended the trains wereforced to run througu miles of flre. All living things were forced to yield their lives to thetkimes orto the equally fatal superheated atmosphere. Thousands of birds took flight íroai the burning forests only to drop into the lakes where their deád bodi.'s raight be seen floating on the surface amoog the ish that had bee-.i down by reams that tlowed through the Durning country. As a result of this widcspread .". ter thousands of tne citizeus of our state are homele;s and dwtitute! Map.y ui tlic-m are crippled in body and ■■ and nearly bereaft of reason by the shock. Wbrter is fast approaching and shelfer must be prcmded í'or the homeless host. ;irovisions and maücal snpplj eeded for immediiite distribution. A vide üeltt for the benefactioi:.uatton is opened, and we eonflflentlj say will be speedily supplied. do muëh to relieve the di thing. .; natie preparations have ulready been made lor the dislribution ot' su[i})lies. Au earaest uu] efficiënt organization has been effected at Port Hurón and has issued the follüwiug ATPEAL fo the People of the l'itited Htates. A most appalliiig disaster kas fallen upon a large portion of the eouuties of Huron uud Sanilac, Micta., withsome atljacent territory, i seetiim ot' country recently covered with forestó and occupied'by nearly 50,000 people, largely recent settlers and either poor or in very moderate circurastances. In the whole of this section there bas been but little rain during twn months and evervthing w is parehed and dry, when om Uaoátj, september 5, a hurricane swept ova: ít, carrying with it a sheet ol llame that hardly anything could withstand. We hare reporta already of over 100 persons burned to death, numy of them by the roadahte or in the ields while séeking places of safety, and it is probable that twice this nuuiber have íabed. We tlso have repurts from twenty or more township in wheh scarcely a house, baru or supplies of any kind ure left and thousunds of peeple are destitute and helpless. All of these people require mmediatèas anee and mostof them mut depeni charity for months to come. Y.reare doing all in "our power to succor theru, but the necessities of the case are so graat that the contributiuns of the chavitable throughout the country wiil be required to help them thruiigii the winter. We theref ore appeal to yoú to send money, clotViing, bedding, provisioi any oEher supplies that will helpínáiatain t!ie Buffêrera aad enable them to provide shelter for thêaasélvea and Le gin work again on tbeir farms. Contributions inay be sent to the chairman, wcretary or the treasurer of the relief oommittoe appointed by the citizei of I'ort HuroK. wiu.se nair.es are signed here, whi through the burneU districts to ascertain the wants of the gufferere and distribute Buppl (Sigaed) E.C. CAKLE! Major of 1' :nan; M.H. ALLH, itaij; II. C. BAHSüVf, Cashiei First National OMAlt D. U M StOFi, V HEN JA. Port Kut' At Detroit I '.sures for relief were taken and ai tuittee of ihi most prominen headed by ItaOl I ready reeeiveü upw. have Bcarce beguu . New Xork citj Ldquta A , this state have orgai thia noble i woi'k. At uiuny ictive measure.s én and alreadji much relief kas been provided. The c-aiamiiy la natlunal, and will be . met h thepeople o Ie country . in the most liberal 8] We need not I uur state, or even those who have been so grievouslv staicken, wiil not recover trom great misfortune. iu his prime, the people of the !■ Uited counties are ultvaJy looking forward to a speedy recovery. But they must have, and" will rective, generous assistauc-e.