The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-29
PHILLIPS, WIS, GONE.
Three Thousand Persons Home
less and Thirteen Dead.
au,s WROUGHT syFoREsT FIRES
xn. Town Of Mason, . Train Of Cars.
bridges. Houses and Mach Timber
Burnsd-The Loss Millions.


..hes on the site of what was yesterday
sbe aourishing city of Phillips. county
.sat Of Price county and one of the
xsalthiest and most prosperous OF all the
.oxns in the timber regions OF Wis
eoussn. Three thousand people are home
80. and, except those who have been
offered shelter in the neighboring towns,
rhose people will themselves pass sleep
lass night through the fear that the fires
rsving in the forest on ail sides viii sweep
.Eay their homes at any hour, will have
no covering for their WORKOUT bodies to-
night Worse than all. st least thirteen
rsopae are known 10 have lost their lives.
The dead are: James Locke, butcher, W ife
and FIVE children. Frank Cliss. in charge
If the dry kilns Of the J. r. Davis Lumber
company, and two of mis- children; Mrs.
David Dryden, wife of the foreman of the
Fayette Shaw tannery. and two children.
Nr. Dryden was also supposed to have
died. but returned here tonight, having
been away from the city, only9to hear that
his family had persisted; an unknown
man. All the dead were drowned in Elk
lake while trying to escape from the fire.
except the unknown man, whose body
vas found in the ruins Of the house of +.
". sacketl. editor of the Phillips
Times.
The property loss cannot at this tine be
accurately estimated, but It will reach at
least s., 250, 600. The immense plant Of the
John r. Davis Lumber Company 10 y total
loss, amounting to between $500. 200 and
10000. On this property there Is an in
surance equal to about four-fiflhs of the
value. In the rest of the city about half
the property was insured. Many Of the
poorer people carried no insurance on their
homes, and have lost everything. There
we're many fine business blocks and pri-
yate residences. and every one was burned.
Many of the residences cost more than
1900 and were handsome for city oil
this size.
Four gales Of fire, following each other
. soon as one had accomplished Its work
4 destruction, cut four swaths through
BE city, leaving standing only the Luth-
Han church and aorne dwellings near the
southern limits. and freakishly jumping
over the Worcester town hall and group
of dwellings ia the very heart of the
burned district The system OF water
works, which would ordinarily be ample
protection against the blazing forests, was
rendered useless by the burning of the
pumping station In the first fire. The vol
unteer fire department, consisting of
thirty-four men with 5000 feet Of
hose. had been working two days
in the swamp 10 the west of 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 swamp, where the
water was from elk inches to foot in
dspth, it could be heard roaring for fully
en- hour--a sound that rendered the pe0-
BE yanic-stricken. The firemen fought
il until IL drove them back with
blistered hands and faces, and then
they thought to stop its progress
With dynamite explosions. This they
aid accomplish after the north
nd Of the city had been destroyed, the
nitro First aud part of the Second ward.
including the box factory Of the John 4.
Davis Lumber Company and the school
house. Just then another cyclone of fire
struck the western side, sweeping through
the main business and residence portion of
ihs city and destroying the rest of cthes
Davis Company plant. The path of the
Ere took IN the city hall, courthouse. Jail
and the Wisconsin Central depot. and
swept everything TO the lake. Thirteen
prisoners were in jail and three secured
their liberty.
Driven frantic by the gale of flames, the
families Of James Locke, Frank Cliss and
Dave Dryden gathered hurriedly in their
arms oil the possessions they could and
made for floating boathouse that was
ned TO the town bridge, near the box fac
tory. ARer they had gone short dis
lance the craft began to sink and death by
IRE staring than in the face on one side
and drowning on the other. the boats
we're resorted 10. bntin the gale they cap
sised almost instantly. al perishing with
the exception Of Mrs. Ciiss. who was found
noating this morning on the opposite side
o. the lake, clinging with desperation to
boat
When II BECAME evident that the city
vas threatened with9destruction, the John
X Davis Lumber Company made up
ualn OF its cars and sought TO take the
women and children TO place of safety
en- the Little Elk branch. The train bad
proceeded but 8 short way, however. when
bridge across the stream was discovered
% be burned, and the train with its cargo
o haman freight was forced 20 return 70
me city and ran the gauntlet OF flame
sad smoke. In the meantime permission
aaa been received to use the nam
tracks OF the Central read, and the home
sss peorle were carried south twelve
hass TO Prentice. The people of Prentice
oeened wide their homes, but there was
A0t room for all the crowd Of men. women
saa children. About II O'Clock at night
ne hFe lighters. who had remained on
we scene, betook themselves 10 a clear
as south OF the city, q place that
Aaa been burned over few days be-
.0fs, 80 that there was nothing more
'os The FIRE TO feed on. Their route
vas thick with smothering smoke.
me flames jumped directly across their
sA'a from one side to the other. The FIRE
= he srst place broke oat with vigor, and
ue tai pines. even the greenest ones, were
sfsas torches, throwing long tongues of
s'e into the ar. The roaring and crack
.aS o. the IRE among the trees was so
esFiele that those who heard il will re-
SENDER II as long as they live.
s sooa as the dense smoke had cleared
s1'as back came the people, soTse of them
sorn OUT who the day and night before
- sept BY the wayside, on the charred
s.slna' With the forest cracking all
sshe. Now that the ire had spent
al su munger Vas asserting itself, and
!, vas not As2much as piece of bread
s1 relief committee was organ
aad relief quarters established in the
essser town han, and there were
Aosd fathers seeking information
TIE whereabouts Of their families.
mothers With children crying with
49, Quick 70 respond were the neigh