The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-10
FIRES IN THE WOODS.
Additional Deiaiss OF the wisconsin
Forest Fires.

MILWAUKEE, WIS, August 9.--Fcr
an almost uninterrupted distance OF
nearly 100 miles Lorth If Stevens
Point along the liue of the Wisc,nsin
Central rest fires are raging, and
hundreds Of men are figL ting the
flames, seeking 10 save the towns aud
villages hemmed in by them. Tels-
graph communication is greatly inter-
fert d with and details ars meag r. The
complete dett ucton of the town of
Spencer is fully confirmed, and
The loss il now placed at the
sum of 100000. Several hundre d
people are destitute and homeless. At
Colby, few miles distant, fire is
raging on t1o sides. A dispatch to
the SehtineI tonight says that it re
gui ed the desperate eff rt5 Ct the en-
iire population to save the village A
gales was b lowing al day, and several
times the fires ached to within TWEEN.
ty feet OF the buildings and were Kept
in check. Tonight the wind Quoted
down, but the people are tired out,
and if the gale resumes tbs village
is doomed. Tonight the village
of Prentice, in MNathon county,
i, surrounded by flames, and it is
feared that it will b9 SWEPT out
Of existence unless the wind dies
down. Near Chippewa Falls the fres
ae confined 10 the prairGs end no
buildings were destroyed. Several
farms were devastated Of their crops.
In the Menomonee river r, gion copi-
GUS rains have extiDguished the fir2s
that have ragged there. Estimates of
the pine buried in this place amc unit
to upwards of 100,000,O00 feet. Along
the Valley division If the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul raj road are
located the mt st extensive cranberry
marines in the West. There
has been no rain for weeks
and growers fear that they will be
swept from end TO end il the fire is
communicated to them. Along the line
of the Milwaukee and Notthtrn rail-
road forest fires are going between
Coleman and Stiles. This territory
was burned over once before and the
present conhaRration is confined 10
the underbrush. The moot serious
fires, however, exist in the heart Of
CLARK ard Marathon counties. Ad-
vices received at the Wisconsin Gen.
trail offices here are that millions Of
feet Of standing pine have been
burned. Thousands OF cords of wood
piled Gdiacent to the railway track,
many hundred dollars wor b of ties,
deserted lumber camps, isolated dwell
ings and much other property is
burned. Telegraph p les are burned
off, miles OF wire are on the ground
AID communication between Mil
waukee and points on the northern
division OF the Wisconsin Central
railroad are cut of except by the rail-
road company's private wires, which
are OPT rated by means OF ground con-
ction. 1t is ieare1 thst other
villages besides Spencer that are
ir the way of the flames may
be- swept away unless heavy rains fall
at once extinguish the tire'. Though
no fatalities are repr rted as yet, ii is
thought that many people must have
persisted in the back woods, The facts
will rot be known, however, unit the
fires are extiDguisned and q search is
instituted. People who passed through
the burning territory by train say that
the blazing forests lightup the heavens
in every direction. The air is laden
with smoke that hangs over the coun.
try like black pail.