The Scourge of Fire by J. H. W.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 17, 1871

The Scourge of Fire.

By J. H. W.

The last ten days stand unparalleled in history for terrible calamities by fire. Chicago suffered a heavy fire on the night of the 7th inst., but on the following night a fire broke out which destroyed the entire business part of the city. Our space will not allow us to give particulars; we scarcely know how to give a just idea of the aggregate.

The later reports more than confirm the first. A space one mile wide, east and west, and five miles long, was burned over, not even sparing buildings which were considered fire-proof. This gives the enormous extent of thirty-two hundred acres of burned buildings. Compared with this, former fires appear small. The great fire in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1845, burned eighty acres. The fire in Portland, Me., in 1866, consumed property estimated at $10,000,000. The celebrated fire in London, in 1666, destroyed about £10,000,000 sterling. The destruction of property in Chicago is more than three times that in London, and over fifteen times that destroyed in Portland! The burning of Moscow was great in extent; but there was this important difference: most of the inhabitants had left the city, and much valuable property had been removed. It was probably premeditated as a means of defense against the French. But in Chicago it came without any warning, and the wind blowing a gale. The terrors of the nights of the 8th and 9th, in Chicago, can never be realized by those who did not pass through them there. So swift was its progress that thousands saved their lives only by hasty flight, not having time to collect their clothing, while many were surrounded in their homes and perished in the flames; 110,000 passed the night in the streets and parks, without shelter, or food, or sufficient clothing. The bodies of thirty women and children have been found outside the city who perished by exposure. The sufferings of that vast army of homeless ones cannot be described or realized. Every hotel and printing office, nearly every bank, all public buildings, most of the elevators, depots, &c., were destroyed, with the shipping in the river. In fact, the entire business part of the city is swept away.

The most intense excitement has been produced by this calamity in all parts of the country. Meetings were held in all the cities to take measures for relief. Large subscriptions have been raised, and great quantities of provisions have been sent in from every direction. Without the aid of the telegraphs to convey information, and of railroads to send relief, the suffering and loss of life must have been increased a hundred fold. The excitement is not confined to this country. In London and Liverpool relief meetings have been held, and relief committees appointed.

The effect of this calamity is felt on the business of the whole country. All the insurance companies in Chicago and Cleveland are probably ruined. Most of the Eastern companies are considered safe. If a panic is prevented, business will soon resume its usual course.

FIRES IN MICHIGAN.

Were it not for the overwhelming calamity which has befallen Chicago, and which has engrossed the attention of all for some days past, the whole country would stand appalled at what our own State has been suffering. The unusual drought of this fall has rendered the whole face of nature exceedingly combustible. Much damage has been done in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and other places; but no other State has suffered equal to Michigan. High winds have prevailed for nearly two weeks, which have caused the fires to spread with unprecedented rapidity, and the earth was so dry that it was impossible to stay their progress.

Whole villages along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have been destroyed, not a single house, in some cases, being left. Farm buildings were burned without number; in many cases the inmates being awakened from their sleep by the crackling of the fires in their dwellings, escaping without even clothing themselves, while many have been surrounded and perished in their homes. A boat cruised along the shore of Lake Huron, and took in a large number who had been driven into the very water’s edge to escape the fire; these were taken to Port Huron and provided with clothing. And the heart sickens to think of the suffering of those too far from the water to find such a place of safety.

The number of villages destroyed cannot yet be ascertained. Holland city, Forestville, White Rock, Elm Creek, and several other villages are reported to be certainly destroyed. The terrible details will not be known for weeks to come, as many telegraph lines are cut off.

We do not give any extracts from the papers, as it would be impossible to find room for a small fraction of the facts at hand.

We cannot even hope that these terrible afflictions will produce any permanent reform, or humiliation before God for past sins. With this new evidence of the fleeting nature of earthly goods and blessings before their eyes, men will enter into the contest for their possession with renewed diligence. Chicago will be speedily rebuilt, and speedily again become the seat of business, and also of drunkenness and licentiousness. Again God will be insulted, his authority and majesty despised, till the final fires of the great day shall put an end to their being as well as their sins.

LATEST.

Since the above was written we have received further intelligence from the fire districts. Instead of the first reports being exaggerated, they did not near reach the awful reality. The first issue of the Chicago Republican estimates the loss far greater than those given. The note from Bro. Matteson, published in this paper, confirmed by other reports, shows that the number of acres burned over must be larger than we estimated above.

In regard to our own State, while later reports show that the work of destruction was not so complete in some cases as was supposed, it was far greater in general than first reported. Holland city was not entirely consumed, but nearly so. All the business part of Manistee is destroyed, and much suffering exists there. The number of villages burned is greater than previously stated, while the state of the telegraph lines prevents full information being given. The people of Michigan are loudly called upon to aid our own homeless and destitute ones. Vast sums will be necessary to make them comfortable, and to prepare them for the approaching winter. But the saddest tidings of all reach us from Wisconsin. In no part of the country has the loss of life been so fearful as in the north-eastern part of that State. The following which we copy from the Detroit Post appears to be reliable:

“JANESVILLE, Wis., Oct. 13. Governor Fairchilds telegraphed the following from Green Bay, in relation to the Wisconsin fires, to-night: ‘The appalling calamity has not been exaggerated. Over three thousand men, women, and children, are now destitute. The loss of life has been very great. Not less than five hundred persons have been burned at Peshtigo and vicinity, and three hundred on the eastern shore. Scores of men, women and little children are now in temporary hospitals, burned and maimed. What is wanted is money, clothing, bedding, boots, shoes, provisions of all kinds, not cooked, building materials, and everything needed by a family to commence life with. People are responding nobly, but there is no danger of too much being received. The destitute must be provided for during the winter.’”

“MILWAUKEE, Oct. 13. Col. C. B. Robinson, of the Green Bay Advocate, telegraphs to the mayor of Ludington, as follows: ‘The northern steamer is just in. Dr. Nichols, of your city, and other passengers, bring the terrible news that four hundred and seventy dead bodies have been found at Peshtigo and vicinity, and it is thought that the loss of life will reach seven hundred. This is exclusive of the east shore, where the loss of life is fearful.’”

It is reasonably supposed that not less than one thousand lives have been lost by the fire in Wisconsin. How many have been burned to death in Chicago and in Michigan cannot be known for some time yet, if ever. The daily papers are still full of details, which are well calculated to arouse the deepest sympathy. And we see that this feeling extends in every direction. Not only in England, but in Prussia and Austria relief meetings have been held.

We could wish to be spared the sight or hearing of any calamity equal to this scourge of fire; but we can but expect that such things will increase as we near the end of time. And it is saddening to reflect that the people, instead of being warned, will be rather familiarized with terrors, and set themselves more firmly to resist the warnings of the word of God. May the Lord prepare his people for the greater troubles which are approaching. J. H. W.