The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-16
THE FIRES In THE FORESTS.
Nearly Four Thousand People Rendered Home
less-Immense Loss in Stnding Timber.

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 15.-So wide is the terri
tory traversed by the forest fires in northern
and middle Wisconsin, and so meager the in
formation as to the actual extent of the damage,
that the losses can only be roughly approximated.
The greatest damage was to standing timber.
which is the source of wealth of this district.
Portage, Marathon, Wood, Clark. Brown, Door
and Calumet counties suffered most severely.
President Hiles, Of the Dexterville &
Lake Superior road, who returned to-
day from the devastated region, places
the lumber and standing pine damage at
several millions. He says unless heavy rains
intervene within fourteen days. half the timber
resources of the counties named will be de-
stroyed. The drought has been so long sus-
tanned that leaves have withered and fallen
weeks before their time swamps and marshes
have dried up, creeks have disappeared and
streams have dwindled to Insignificant rivuiets.
Everything therefore, burned like tinder, with
no barrier to impede the progress of the names.
Hundreds of thousands Of acres of OPENINGS,
where the second growth of pine was growing,
have been burned over. From best info nation
obtainable it Is estimated that fifty mills
were consumed along the line Of the Wisconsin
Central railroad, hundreds of cords of piled
wood, ties, ETC., are In ashes.
The number of homeless families is estimated
at 700, representing some $500 people Their
individual losses are comparatively light. but in
the aggregate reach over a Million mostly unin-
sured. The cranberry marshes destroyed were
among tho largest in the country. AS several
years will be required to replace the bushes, the
loss Is severe. 1t is estimated at 5000, 000 Cat
tie and horses perished by the hundred Many
were suffocated or died from inability to get
water. Hundreds of acres Of grain and thou
sands of tons OF hay were consumed. Summar
ized the loss to actual settlers is about as fol-
w a
visited the regions devastated: At Spencer,
$3.50, 900; Depere, 100000; near Colby. Unity,
Miadore and elsewhere along the Wisconsin
Central; $3.50, 600; in the vicinity of Green Bay
and along the Door county peninsula. $400, 1000;
Calumet, Chippewa and other counties, 5000, 900.
This of course, is exclusive Of damage to lum-
ber interests.
Marrow Escape from q Disastrous Fire.
Special to the Indianapolis journal.
PITTsBuRG, Aug IA fire that threatened
to be the most disastrous in this city for years
broke out at l o'clock this afternoon in the
Black Diamond steel works of Park Bros 6 Co.,
at Thirty-first street. Four alarms were sent in
and in few minutes ten engines were the
scene. The building in which the fire originated
was in the center of the immense works. and
contained some Of the most valuable
machinery in the establishment After two
hours hard work, the fremen succeeded in co n
fning the flames to the one building, which wa 8
entirely destroyed Before the firemen had got
away. large force Of men were put to work
clearing away the debris, and the works started
up as usual. OF the l. 400 employees only $50
will be thrown out of work, and they only for
thirty days. The loss will reach 800, 900, COW
cred by insurance. The origin Of the fire is not
clearly known, but ii is supposed the Natural
Gas Company turned their pipes without notify
ing the works. the gas spreading through the
building became ignited from the boilers.