Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-09-21

water. The chemical engines were
brought, but it was useless to try to
stop the flames, as high gale of wind
was blowing. There are but very
few wells in the city, The coal shops
caught fire and the plucky engineers
soon had the thirty dead locomotives
fired up and running all rolling stock to
the lake front. Household goods have
been burned, and over 1Oo families are
already homeless. The sight wa, al
most cbscured by the heavy clouds Gf
smoke and cinders. Twenty men We're
overcome in fighting the flames and
taken to the hospital. The timber and
vegetation is like straw. No rain has
fallen since July 10. Three families
i,t,ar HsCcngo have perished. There
was no help to go to them. At Parish
ville the large iron plant burned. A
large number OF women and children
who had rushed to the lake front were
only saved by desperate effort with
patrol wagons.
The fire is the same that has been
raging further south all week, Set
tiers arriving have pitiful storie, to
tell and are being cared for by these
who still have houses. Ore man named
Egstrom was driven crazy by the loss
of his wife and family of two children.
His hair and eyelashes and clothes
were burned from his body when dis.
cove ed.
Covers Two Hundred square Miles.
AS near ss can be estimated the fire
now covers 20O square miles and is
sweeping north. The damage to stand
ing pine will be very heavy and ap-
proximates not less than $4,000, 900. A
woman and baby, supposed to be the
wife OF settler. were picked up in an
insensible condition near White River
road. The child died soon after arriv-
ing. The mother is in oelirium,
and 1t is supposed that her husband
perished in the Odanah Reservation.
Indians are camping on raft in Bad
River and are hemmed in with an
archway of flames. All communication
with Ashland was cut of from sur
rounding small towns. 1t is imposs: BILE
to give details Of holocausts and losses,
but II rain does not soon come the
death list will run up into the hun
dreds.
Fierce fires are raging between Iron
River and Superior, and great deal
OF damage to timber. railroad property
and the property Of homesteaders has
been done. The trains on the North.
ern Pacific and Duluth, South Shore
and Atlantic Railways were preceded
by hand cars loaded with section men
to repair the tracks for the trains tc
pass. Several bridges along the North.
ern Pacific have been destroyed and
homesteaders in many cases have been
entirely burned out.
For several days West Superior has
been enveloped in dense smoke from
numerous forest fires south of there,
but no danger was anticipated until the
nres approached the city, forced on by
strong wind. The fire department. |
were called out and the flames were
fought off before they reached any OF
the buildings on the outskirts of the |
town. At Merrill the wind turned |
completely around, stopping the prog.
ress Of the forest fire ia that vicinity. |
The work OF caring for destitute farm. |
ers has begun in earnest. Citizens are
literally, and the immedi. /
ate wants Of the People are looked |
after
Milwaukee has Eeen enveloped in |
smoke from the forest fires. About |
the towns within the burning district
citizens are fighting the fires day and
night to prevent the flames from
reaching within the limits. The fires
appear to be the worst along the line
OF the Wisconsin Central Railway.
Through Wisconsin Central trains No.
tween Chicago and Minneapolis ara
over the Omaha ROad between
Eau Claire and Marshheld on account
OF the burning Of . bridge. Tho forest
fires which are causing such vide
spread destruction through Wisconsin