At Oconto, at
last accounts, the whole available population are out resisting the inroads
of the fire. Brunquest's barn, with a quantity of hay, was burned. "Before
the great conflagration on the west shore of the bay, a large number of
houses were destroyed, and scarce a settlement had altogether escaped.
On the Oconto River many buildings were burned. Some were burned on the
lower Pensaukee, and a considerable settlement in the town of Pensaukes,
lying between that river and the Oconto, was almost completely swept away.
On one occasion,
George Hart of Oconto attempted to drive through from Oconto to Green Bay
with a team of horses, but a few miles south of Pensaukee he found the
roads impassable, owing to the fire and smoke and attempted to return.
Meantime, a burning tree had fallen across the road. The horses dashed
through the fire, breaking loose from the carriage and throwing Mr. Hart
into the fire. He maintained his hold on the lines and was dragged some
distance along the road, where he was found shortly afterwards in a fearfully
burned condition, but has since recovered. Other incidents of like hair-breadth
escapes might be enumerated.
The stage from
Stiles, Oconto County, on Monday got through to this city with great difficulty
on account of the fallen timber and dense smoke. An extra from the 'Oconto
Lumberman' gives particulars of the fire in that neighborhood. Sunday was
a day of wild excitement. Two or three farm houses at Stiles are burned.
Little River shared in the general loss. James Lucas lost his hay and grain.
James A. Glynn lost his logging camp, besides sleds and camp equipment.
South of the
Oconto River, J. Dodge, W. 0. Dodge, Henry Delano and a Mr. Gardner had
given up the battle against the fire and left their homes. Their houses
are probably burned. Percy's farm, north of the river, is a sheet of flame.
Other farms have shared the same fate, and Comstock and Simpson's mill
is threatened.
At Peshtigo,
the houses of Charles Bartels, B.A. B. Berner and Mr. Albright and the
barn of the latter are reported burned.
In the same
paper we find the following account of a battle with the flames at The
Village Peshtigo on Sunday, the 24th day of September, just too weeks before
the destruction of the village:
Peshtigo, September 27, 1871.
Sabbath, the
24th inst., was an exciting, I might say a fearful, time in Peshtigo. For
several days the fires had been raging In the timber near here between
this and Oconto, and to the north and east of us. On Friday I came through
from Oconto and we were compelled to run our horses some distance with
fire above us and on either side of us and barely escaped being singed.
Saturday the fire burned through to the river about a mile above town and
Saturday night much danger was apprehended from the sparks and cinders
that blew across the river Into the upper part of town near the factory.
A force was stationed along the river and, although fire caught in the
new dust and dry slabs several times, it was promptly extinguished. It
was a grand sight, the fire, that night. It burned to the tops of the tallest
trees, enveloped them in a mantle of flame, or winding itself about them
like a huge serpent crept to their tops, out upon the branches and wound
its huge folds about them and hissing and glaing, lapped out its myriad
fiery tongues while its fierce breath swept off the green leaves and roared
through the forest like a tempest. Ever and anon some tall old pine, who's
huge trunk had become a column Of fire, fell with a thundering crash, filling
the air with an ascending cloud of sparks and cinders, while above being
a dense, black cloud of resinous smoke that, in its strong contrast to
the light bsaftth, seemed to threaten death and destruction to all below.
Thousands of
birds, driven from their roost, flew about as if uncertain which way to
go, and made night hideous by their startled cries. Frequently they would
fly hither and thither, calling loudly for their mates, then hovering for
a moment in the air would suddenly dart downward and disappear is the fiery
furnace beneath. Thus the night wore away while we earnestly hoped, and
many hearts fervently prayed, for rain. '
With the going
down of the sun, the wind abated and with it the fire. Timber was felled
and wet with the water thrown over it - buildings were covered with wet
blankets and all under the scorching heat, and in blinding, suffocating
smoke that was enough to strangle one, and thus passed the night of Sunday.
Monday the wind
veered to the south and cleared away the smoke. Strange to say, not a building
was burned - the town was saved. Monday the factory was shut down to give
the men rest, and on Tuesday it was only partially run.