St. Paul daily globe., 1886-08-10
FENCED IN BY FIRE.
A Vast Tract in Wisconsin, Including
Many Towns, at the Mercy of the
Flames.
One Hundred Miles of Territory North
From Stevens Point Already in
Blaze.
The Village of Spencer Wiped Out of
EXistence--Great Loss of Life
Feared.
At Least 100000 Feet of Pine
Destroyed--Flam in
Michigan.
A Hundred Miles of Flame.

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 9.-For an almost
uninterrupted distance of nearly 100 miles
north of Stevens Point, along the WlscOn-
sin Central, forest fires are raging and hum
dreds of men are fighting the flames, seek
ing to save the towns and villages hemmed
in by them. Telegraphic communication is
greatly interfered with and details are
meagre. The complete destruction of the
town of Spencer is fully confirmed and the
loss is placed at $500, 900. Several hum
dred people are destitute and homeless. At
COIly, a few miles distant, fire is raging on
two sides. A dispatch tonight says that it
required the desperate efforts of the entire
population to save the village. A gale was
blowing all day and several times the fire
reached to within thirty feet of the build
ings and were kept in check. Tonight the
wind quieted down, but the people are tired
ont, and il the gale resumes the village is
doomed. Tonight the village Of Prentice,
III Marathon county, is
SURROUNDED BY FLAMES,
and it is feared that it will be swept out of
existence unless the wind dies down. Near
Chippewa Falls the fires are confined to the
prairies. and no buildings were destroyed.
In the MenomOnie river region copious rains
have quenched the fires that have ragged there
ISlliilGlGS VI Lue DllIS UulllCu III tulo lOSIOu
place the amount at upwards of 100, 600, 600
feet. Along the Valley division of the
Chicago Milwaukee q st. Paul are located
the most extensive cranberry marshes in
the West. There has been no rain for
weeks, and growers fear that they will be
swept from end to end if fire is once COM
municated to them. Along the Milwaukee
Il Northern forest fires are raging between
Coleman and Stiles. This territory was
burned over once before and
THE PRESENT CoNFLAGRATION
is confined to the underbrush. The most
serious fires, however, exist in the heart of
Clark and Marathon counties. A dispatch
from NeillSyille, received this afternoon,
says that fires have been burning in the
woods III that vicinity for several days. At
Hewittville. ten miles from NeillSville the
saw mill, boarding house and every build
ing connected Herewith was burned. Loss,
SO, 600. Farm houses in the neighbOrhood
were burned. and many families were COM
PEELED to move into the fields with their
household goods. The fires are still raging
southwest and north of NeillSville, destroy
ing grain and farm buildings.
Advices received at the Wisconsin Cen
tral offices here are that millions of feet of
standing pine are burned. Thousands Of
COINS Ol WOOu pllCu duJdctllG W llt railway
track, many hundred dollars worth of ties.
deserted lumber camps, isolated dwellings
and much other property is burned. Tele-
graph poles are burned off, miles of wire
are on the ground and communication be-
tween Milwaukee and points along the
northern division of the Wisconsin Central
road is cut off, except by the railroad COM
pany's private wires, which are operated
by means of ground connections. 1t is
feared that other villages besides Spencer,
that are in the way Of the flames,
MAY BE SWEPT AWAY
unless heavy rains fall at once and eXtin-
gulsh the fires. Though no fatalities are
reported as yet. it is thought many people
must have perished in the backwoods. The
facts will not be known, however, until the
fires are eXtinguished and a search is insti-
tuted. People who passed through the
burning territory by train say that the blaz-
ing forests light up the heavens in every
direction and the air is laden with smoke
that hangs over the country like a black
pail.
The latest advices tonight show no
abatement of the forest contiagrations
The village of AIOsinee narrowly escaped
destruction by a shift of the wind
Wausau is now considered out of danger.
At Stevens Point, Robinson's mill and a
number of dwellings were burned down.
1t is expected the fire will reach the popu-
l0us south side of the city by tomorrow.