Oh if they have only gone to heaven, they had time, they must have prayed.
August 10, 2012 8:19 AM Subscribe
On the evening of October 8, 1871 an apocalyptic firestorm raged through Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. The experience was so horrific people thought the world had come to an end.
This (warning; graphic) official reckoning of the dead (please scroll both up and down to see full document) tersely describes a situation so desperate some were driven to cut their own throats and those of their children to escape burning to death. Some people suffocated where they stood, untouched by fire as the flames sucked all the oxygen from the air.
A survivor tells how he and his wife and child survived at the bottom of a well as their entire world burned.
Why is this catastrophic event not well-known? Because the Great Chicago Fire happened on the same night. A previous post way back in 2004 about the Peshtigo fire focuses on theories as to how the fire may have started rather than on what it was like to live through. I think it's worth another look.
This (warning; graphic) official reckoning of the dead (please scroll both up and down to see full document) tersely describes a situation so desperate some were driven to cut their own throats and those of their children to escape burning to death. Some people suffocated where they stood, untouched by fire as the flames sucked all the oxygen from the air.
A survivor tells how he and his wife and child survived at the bottom of a well as their entire world burned.
Why is this catastrophic event not well-known? Because the Great Chicago Fire happened on the same night. A previous post way back in 2004 about the Peshtigo fire focuses on theories as to how the fire may have started rather than on what it was like to live through. I think it's worth another look.
And a great song by O'Death was written about it.
Fire on Peshtigo.
posted by Seamus at 8:28 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
Fire on Peshtigo.
posted by Seamus at 8:28 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
(Yeah, but it's nice to have a link to the old post. This is a great post too, though, moneyjane. Thanks a lot for it.)
posted by koeselitz at 8:39 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by koeselitz at 8:39 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
From the last link:
The R.R. was put though 2 miles east of us, and they burned as they went, and having no rain the fires never went out, hanging all summer to old logs roots in the ground etc. For weeks we could only see the sun a few hours in the middle of the day it was so "very smoky" it fairly made our eyes ache (for miles around I mean) then after the frost in the fall the leaves fell and my nearest neighbor (that was lost with his wife and 3 girls) once remarked that if we got no rain before all the leaves were down there would be an awful fire.
So, in addition to the cometary debris fire origin theory, there's the unsurprising possibility of corporate malfeasance.
posted by newmoistness at 8:41 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
The R.R. was put though 2 miles east of us, and they burned as they went, and having no rain the fires never went out, hanging all summer to old logs roots in the ground etc. For weeks we could only see the sun a few hours in the middle of the day it was so "very smoky" it fairly made our eyes ache (for miles around I mean) then after the frost in the fall the leaves fell and my nearest neighbor (that was lost with his wife and 3 girls) once remarked that if we got no rain before all the leaves were down there would be an awful fire.
So, in addition to the cometary debris fire origin theory, there's the unsurprising possibility of corporate malfeasance.
posted by newmoistness at 8:41 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
it's nice to have a link to the old post
That's what I was going for. Sorry if I was unclear.
posted by gauche at 8:42 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
That's what I was going for. Sorry if I was unclear.
posted by gauche at 8:42 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
And yes, great post, and totally worthwhile even with the previous one, IMHO.
posted by gauche at 8:43 AM on August 10, 2012
posted by gauche at 8:43 AM on August 10, 2012
Mod note: tucked the graphic throat slitting below, the fold. Carry on.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:49 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:49 AM on August 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
No worries gauche, I was a little paranoid about the dreaded double-post issue and was perhaps overly sensitive. A link to the previous one is good idea so thanks for posting that.
posted by moneyjane at 8:50 AM on August 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by moneyjane at 8:50 AM on August 10, 2012 [3 favorites]
I wonder if this,
"Church, John, wife and one child - Warren Church cut his throat rather than be burned, but was saved."
was saved as in a religious sense or an inadequate though ultimately unnecessary throat cutting skills sense.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:08 AM on August 10, 2012
"Church, John, wife and one child - Warren Church cut his throat rather than be burned, but was saved."
was saved as in a religious sense or an inadequate though ultimately unnecessary throat cutting skills sense.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:08 AM on August 10, 2012
I ashamed that I knew nothing about this before this.
I should probably be more ashamed that I'm such a 'disasters are fascinating' type, but I prefer to think it has something to do with respect for the victims.
Speaking of ashamed:
The combination of wind, topography, and ignition sources that created the firestorm, primarily representing the conditions at the boundaries of human settlement and natural areas, is known as the Peshtigo Paradigm. This paradigm was closely studied by the American and British military during World War II to learn how to recreate firestorm conditions for bombing campaigns against cities in Germany and Japan.
Fucking yuck.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:25 AM on August 10, 2012 [7 favorites]
I should probably be more ashamed that I'm such a 'disasters are fascinating' type, but I prefer to think it has something to do with respect for the victims.
Speaking of ashamed:
The combination of wind, topography, and ignition sources that created the firestorm, primarily representing the conditions at the boundaries of human settlement and natural areas, is known as the Peshtigo Paradigm. This paradigm was closely studied by the American and British military during World War II to learn how to recreate firestorm conditions for bombing campaigns against cities in Germany and Japan.
Fucking yuck.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:25 AM on August 10, 2012 [7 favorites]
This reminds me of the fire whirl that was the result of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, which managed to kill 38,000 in fifteen minutes.
Ugh. Sometimes the real world is worse than a nightmare.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:32 AM on August 10, 2012
Ugh. Sometimes the real world is worse than a nightmare.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:32 AM on August 10, 2012
Helms, Charles, wife and son. Mr. Helms traveled a long distance in the fire. The calves of his legs burned loose; dragging on the ground, held by cords. Was taken to the hospital at Marinette, but soon died.
Squick. So much for lunch today.
posted by Graygorey at 9:45 AM on August 10, 2012
Squick. So much for lunch today.
posted by Graygorey at 9:45 AM on August 10, 2012
Jesus, that letter (second link) is the most bone-chilling thing I've read in my entire life.
posted by King Bee at 10:40 AM on August 10, 2012
posted by King Bee at 10:40 AM on August 10, 2012
Leach, Lot wife and infant.
That's not the ending I expected for Lot's wife. Excellent post, BTW.
posted by workerant at 10:53 AM on August 10, 2012
That's not the ending I expected for Lot's wife. Excellent post, BTW.
posted by workerant at 10:53 AM on August 10, 2012
The Port Austin fire that also occurred that night paved the way for another large fire almost exactly a decade later.
posted by MaritaCov at 1:00 PM on August 10, 2012
posted by MaritaCov at 1:00 PM on August 10, 2012
I don't know how I want to die, but today I learned a few ways how I don't, including thinking it's the end times when it isn't.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:28 PM on August 10, 2012
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:28 PM on August 10, 2012
Long ago, my family must have been passing through the area, and my parents somehow thought it was a good idea to take a small child to the Peshtigo Fire Museum. I had nightmares for quite awhile about things melting into other things and forming monstrous amalgamations.
posted by desjardins at 3:49 PM on August 10, 2012
posted by desjardins at 3:49 PM on August 10, 2012
As a child I lived in a log cabin in the bush and had a neighbour who lost all five of her children in a bush fire in the 50's. I was terrified of fire then and still am today, living right downtown in Vancouver. Once you have seen a crown fire you never forget it.
posted by moneyjane at 4:32 PM on August 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by moneyjane at 4:32 PM on August 10, 2012 [2 favorites]
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posted by gauche at 8:26 AM on August 10, 2012