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Oct 4 The counties of Brown, Kewannee, Door (Sentinel 5th) Oconto, Outagmie, Manitowoc, & Shawano in Wisconsin. Drought since August. 1500 square miles already burned over. Woods about Wrightstown, Brown Co. 4th Swamps near Two Rivers Wis. Town in danger - Wind high.
4th Along St. Paul & Pacific Rail road Fort (6th) Abercrombie narrowly escaped. From Breckenridge to the Big Woods, Minnesota; & within 40 miles of St Paul also in Watonwan Co. Min. also in Wisconsin between the Menomonee branch of the Chippewa & Hudson, on the St Croix. (6th)
5th Townships of El dorado & Friendship, nea Fond du Lac Wis. (6th & 8th) 5th Woods near Custar, Wood Co. Ohio 5 Near Burlington, Iowa. (6) 5th Sioux City, Iowa; Fremont Nebraska Bon Homme & near Yankton, Dakota. 5th East of Fond du Lac; also on Wolf river; Horicon Marsh; near Cooperstown &c Wisconsin. Navigation of Green Bay difficult on account of smoke. * 6th Prairies generally in Iowa & Minnesota
8th at 9 1/2 from the Great Fire begun at Chicago; 1800 acres of buildings burned. $150,000 000 property destroyed. (9th) 8th 9th The villages of Peshtego &c destroyed (10th) in Northern Wisconsin - Also 8th 9th Holland & Manistee in Michigan (12th) The night of Oct 8th 9th fires were raging throughout these regions destroying many farms, builds, stacks of hay & grain -- and thousands of human lives lost!
*Nov 9. 1870 Lord Mayors day in London so dark that artificial light was needed all day; and the same day (Nov 9) in 1819 was a similar day throughout N. York, and in Michigan & Capt Blake had to cast anchor in Green Bay. Recollection of Col. Saml Stone of Chicago.
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Oct 8th 9th - While the City of Chicago, and numerous (9th) villages in Northern Wisconsin & Western Michigan were burning, there were extensive fires, fanned by the same south-west gale in Dakota, and North Western Minnesota, where the fire line on the prairies was 100 miles long. Northern Iowa & Southern Minnesota; on the Minnesota river, the Mississippi above St Cloud and (10th) on Lake Superior. In Wisconsin, between New London & the Menomonee river (branch of the Chippewa) Also near Fond du Lac; in Calumet County; and in the Woods near Menacha (10th)
8th The village of Glen Haven in Grand Traverse Bay Mich. burned Sunday evening.
8th 9th Pensaukee, Marinette & Menekaunee burned. (12th)
8th 9th Belgian Settlement east shore of Green Bay 8th " Brussels, in Door County 8th " About Sturgeon Bay 8th " Along the whole west shore of Green Bay from Green Bay from Green Bay to the Menomonee. (12th)
[illegible] Clark County (17th) The fires extended into Waushara, Marathon & Clark Counties, Wis.
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8th 9th Glen Haven (in Grand Traverse Bay) Mich. destroyed. - Waushara & Marathon & Clark Counties, Wisconsin.
11th Indiana, between New Albany and Lafayette.
12th at 2 pm Windsor (near Detroit) Canada
13th Fires still raging in Door & other Counties (14th)
23d Woods burning in the counties of Niagara, Monroe, Gennessee, Wayne and Seneca, N. York; also near Troy, Auburn, the Montesuma Marshes, and in Seneca County; at the (24th) Shaker Settlement &c. Rochester enveloped in smoke.
24 - Mountains in Pennsylvania & in Ulster Co. N. Y. burning. Also Cumberland Mountains. South Kittating mountain &c (Maryland & Va)
25 Fires still continue in Kewaunee and Door Counties Wisconsin.
19th Brownsburg 14 miles west of Indianapolis (20th) 20th St Mary's, Ohio (21st)
War Department Weather Map. Signal Service U.S.A. Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce. The Great Drought of September 1871, Prepared by Increase Allen Lapham
[map drawing USA]
WAR DEPARTMENT WEATHER MAP SIGNAL SERVICE, U.S.A. DIVISION OF TELEGRAMS AND REPORTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF COMMERCE.
The Great Drought of September 1871.
[Key:] Red spot: Drought ) in Blue spot: Rain ) September 1871
Map showing the position of the several counties from which reports of drought or very dry weather in September 1871 have been received.
Prepared by I. A. Lapham Assistant to the Chief Signal Officer
