The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-29
THE PHILLIPS HORROR
Forest Fires Wiped 1t from the
Map in Wisconsin.
5000 People Homeless, Hundreds
Rushed Into the Lake and 13 Drowned
or Burned to Death.
TERRIBLE WAVE OF FLAME
Four Times the Fire Swept Over
the Doomed City.
Out of Total of 700 Buildings Only
Thirty-Nine We're Left Stand
ing Last Night.
TRAIN THROUGH A BRIDGE
Enormous Damages to Railroads
North of Milwaukee.
Governor Peck Preparing to Shelter
and Feed the Thousands Who
Have Lost All.
Out of Total of 700 Buildings Only
Thirty-Nine We're Left Stand
ing Last Night.
TRAIN THROUGH A BRIDGE
Enormous Damages to Railroads
North of Milwaukee.
Governor Peck Preparing to Shelter
and Feed the Thousands Who
Have Lost All.

PHILLIPS, Wis, July 2S-Thirty-nine
buildings out of seven hundred stand amid
smoke and ashes on the scene of what was
yesterday the fiourishing city of Phillips,
the county seat Of Price county, and one
of the wealthiest and most prosperous of
all the towns in the timber region of Wis
consin. Three thousand people are home
less, and except those who have been of
fered shelter in the neighboring towns,
whose people will themselves pass sleep
less night through fear that the fierce fires
raging in the forests on all sides will
sweep away their homes at any hour will
tonight. Worse than all, at least thirteen
people are known to have lost their lives.
The dead are:
MRS. JAMES LOCKE.
FIVE LOCKE CHILDREN.
JAMES LOCKE, butcher.
FRANK CLISS, in charge of the John r.
Davis Lumber Company.
- CLISS, two-year-old child of Frank
Cliss.
MRS. DAVID Dryden, wife of the
foreman of the Fayette-Shaw tannery.
TWO Dryden CHILDREN.
UNKNOWN MAN
Mr.. Dryden was also supposed to have
died, but returned here tonight, having
he citx
returning, that his family had perished
All the dead were drowned in Elk lake
while trying to escape from the fire ex-
cept the unknown man, whose body was
found in the ruins of the house Of z. w.
Sackett, editor of the Phillips Times.
The property loss cannot at this time
be accurately estimated, but it will reach
at least $1,25O,OOO. The immense plant of
the ]. r. Davis Lumber Company is a total
loss amounting to between 100000 and
100000. On this property there is an in
surance equal to at least four-ffths the
value of the plant. OF the rest of the city
about half of the property was insured
Many of the poorer people carried no in
surance on their homes, and they have lost
everything. There were many fine busi-
ness blocks and private residences in the
city, and every one was burned to the
ground. Many of the residences cost up
wards Of $1,000, and were handsome for a
city of this size.
FOUR GALES OF FIRE.
Four gales of fire following each other
as soon as one had accomplished its work
OF destruction, cut four swaths through the
city, leaving standing only the Lutheran
church and some dwellings near the south
ern limits and freaklshly jumping over the
Worcester Town Hall and a group of
dwellings in the very heart of the burned
district. A system of water-works which
would ordinarily be ample protection
against the blazing forests. were rendered
useless by the burning of the pumping sta
tion in the first fire. The volunteer fire de-
partment. consisting of thirty-four men
and having three thousand feet of hose
had been working two days in the swamp
10 the west or the city 10 prevent the
flames coming into the town. Driven by
the increasing wind, the fire reached the
southwest limits of the city about 2 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. Across the miles of
the swamp, where the water was from six
inches to foot in depth, 1t could be heard
roaring for fully half an hour-a sound
+I,a nnr,1n
The firemen fought it until it drove them
back with blstered hands and faces, and
then they sought to stop its progress with
dynamite explosions. This they did ac-
complish after the north end of the city
had been destroyed. including the entire
First and a part of the Second ward, in
Guiding the box factory of the ]. r. Davis
Lumber Company and the schoolhouse.
Just then another cyclone Of fire struck
the western side, sweeping through the
main business and residence portion of the
| city, destroying the rest of the Davis COM
| panys plant. The path of the fire took in
the City Hail. courthouse, county jail and
| the Wisconsin Central depot and swept
| everything to the lake. Thirteen prison
ers were in the Jail and three of them
made their escape from the sheriff when
| released from confinement.
1t was during the first fire that the loss
| Of life occurred Driven frantic by the
rushing gale OF fame, the families OF
James Locke. Frank Cliss and Dave Bry-
| IN
their possessions that they could and made
for floating boat house that was tied
l 70 the town bridge near the pox factory.