Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-08-01
RAGING FOREST FIRES.
TOWNS WIPED OUT OF EXIST
ENCE I'M WISCONSIN
hundreds of People Flee for Their
Lives-A Train and Railroad Bridges
Burned-CattIe Cremated-Aid Asked
for the Suffering Hundreds.

ASHLAND. Wis, July 28.-Forest
fires are pro lucing great suffering
and los throughout this vicinity. and
railroad companies have never before
experienced such damage from fires.
ON the Wisconsin Central railroad it
is impossible to move trains. Phillips,
the headquarters of the John
x. Davis Lumber company. a
manufacturing town of $500
is destroyed by fire and only
few buildings remain standing.
dispatch just received from Eiield, a
small station a few miles this side of
Phillips, says that 800 women and
children from Phillips are in the
woods there without shelter. They
sent ii request for food and supplies
as the supply at Fifield is very short.
! he train that started from here last
evening was obliged to return as the
BRIDGES are totally destroyed few
miles south. Communication with
Flheld is now shut off and it is feared
that town is also on fire
Along the Omaha line the fires are
raging with terrible fierceness.
Shores Crossing, little village eight
miles west of Ashland, was DESTROYED
yesterday afternoon, not a building
remaining standing and the homeless
families were brought to Ashland.
The railroad bridges near there were
destroyed, and at o'clock yesterday
afternoon a fast Omaha freight
and sixteen loaded cars were
entirely burned. Both the engineer
and firemeD were injured, and the
brakemen are missing. Loss to cars
and freight many thousand dollars.
Mason, a small town south of the
Omaha line, caught fire yesterday af-
ternoon. The White River Lumber
company's mill, with 10000, 900 feet of
lumber in the yards, was DESTROYED.
and at o'clock, the latest report re-
celved here, says the entire town was
threatened.
The Omaha bridge across the White
river at Mason is burned Railroad
officials say the loss at Mason is fully
81 ,000,0 900. with $3.50. 900 insurance.
Homesteaders in the outlying dis
tricts are all fleeing into the nearest
towns, leaving their homes to the
Jury of the flames. So far no loss of
life is reported. The fire department
is carefully guarding the outside
limits of Ashland and the city is not
in any immediate danger.
News from Hurley states that town
has been enveloped in dense cloud
of smoke all day, with fires on nearly
every side.
At Medford. what is known as Pow
ellis Mills, eight miles west of here.
sent word this morning asking for as
SIstance on account of forest fires.
The hand engine was dispatched at
once with teams and one 100 men
went to the rescue, and arrived none
too soon to save the mill and residence
for the time being. Small farmers in
the vicinity moved their families and
what little they could gather on a
wagon and came to the mill site
For two hours yesterday afternoon
$50 men, women and children were
confined on five acres of ground, sur-
rounded 10y one seething mass of
flames, and one must see a forest fire
to realize how much danger there is
with sitting cOudS of smoke, and all
communication or means escape cut
on. 1t was case of pump or take to
the mill pond.
Live stock is dying by the side of
the road, burned to crisp Great
fears are entertained for a dozen
farmers who live northeast of Powell's
Mills, whose one road or exit is sur
rounded by fire. Word has been re-
celved here that six families between
Chelsea and Rib Lake were burned
out.
Extensive fires are running in the
woods and marshes north and west of
Grand Rapids. The cranberry marsh
of DIR. Witter was burned and much of
the extensive Spafford marsh has
been destroyed The fire is very near
the city of Centralia. Great volumes
of smoke are rising on heavy wind.
Thermometers indicated as high as
LOG in the shade unStardar