Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-02
:
FOREST FIRES.
Great Damage Experienced from
Them in Wisconsin.
some TOWNS NEARLY WIPED OUT,
Women and Children Without Shelter or
Food Railroad Bridges Destroyed
and Loaded Freight Cars
burned.

'N''''7N'' " IS'' buiN -S.-I crest lire.
are producing great suffering and los.
throughout this vicinity, and railroa,
companies have never before ex
perleneed such damage from fires. On
inc Wisconsin Central railroad II is i'm
possible to move trains Phillips, the
headquarters OF the John R. Davis
Lumber Gov manufacturing town OF
e'aoo, is destroyed by fire and only a
lew buildings remain standing A dis
patch just received from Fiheld n
snail station few miles this Side Of
Phillips, says that 800 women and chill
dren from phillias are in the woods
there without shelter They sent d re.
quest for food nnd supplies as the sup
ply at liIicld Is very short The train
that started from here last tcvening was
Obliged to eeturl Il, the bridge, are
totally destroyed Il few miles south,
communication from 'iheld Is now
shut oil and II is feared that town is ON
fire.
Along the Omaha line fires are rag
Ing with terrible herccncss. shores
Crossing. a little village s miles west
OF Ashland was destroyed Yesterday
afternoon, not IL building remaining
standing, and the homeless families
were brought to Ashland, The rail-
road bridges near there were DESTROYED.
and In the afternoon Il fast Omaha
freight and sixteen loaded cars were
entirely burned. Both the engineer
and fireman were injured, and the
brakemcn are missing. Loss to cars
and freight many thousand dollars,
Mason, a small town south OF the
Omaha line caught fire IN the nftcr.
noon. The White River Lumber Go. S
mill, with 4O,00O,0O0 feet Of lumber in
the yards, was destroyed and at o
o'clock, the latest report received here,
says the entire town was threatened.
The Omaha bridge across the White
river at Mason is burne1, Railroad of.
ticials say the loss at Mason is fully
$1,000, ,oo0. with S?5O.00O insurance,
llomcstcndcrs In the outlying dis.
lrlcts are all fceing into the nearest
towns. leaving their homes to the fury
,f the fumes, 50 far no loss Of life is
'eported, The fire department is care
'ully guarding the outside limits Of
Ashland and the city is not In any i'm
Mediate danger
News from Hurley states that town
ms been cnvelopell in dense cloud Of
noke all day, with fires on nearly
very side.
what is known as Powcl's mills, \
niles west Of NIedford, Wis, sent word
esterlay morning asking for assist
nee on account of forest fires The
and engine was dispatched at once
With teams and loo men went To the
escue and arrived none too soon to
ave the mill and residence for the
lme being. Small farmers In the vi.
nifty moved their families and what
tile they could gather on wagon
nd came to the mill Site.
For two hours in the afternoon loo
Zen, women and children were con.
ned on five acres Of ground, sur
'nndcd by one seething mass of
nmes, and one must see u forest fire
} realize how much danger there Is
ith Sitting clouds of smoke, and all
or means of escape cut
Y. 1t was n case of pump or take TO
le mill pond,
Live stock is dying by the side Of the
'ad' burned 10 u crisp, Great fears
g entertained for n dozen farmers
ho live northeast Of I'owell's mills,
hose one road of exit is surrounded
I fire. Word has been received here
at six families between Chelsea and
ID lake were burned out.
Reports from various points in the
,rthcrn part Of Wisconsin along the
isconsln Central, the Green Bay, WI
ma & st. Paul, the Chicago, Milwau-
'e n 81. Paul and the Omaha e. 500
res show that much Of the territory
hieh Is covered by timber is in Il high
inilammable condition II not already
rning, Several bridges over the 500
le near Prentice have already been
Irned and number Of settlers rem ,
red homeless by the flames they were :
werless to stay. Much valuable
operty has been destroyed In the VI
lity Of Grand Rapids and Centralia,
d the people there are hoping for
IN which they believe is the only
ing which will prevent further ssri- +
i loss
Extensive fires are running In the
,ods and marshes north and west of
and Rapids. The cranberry marsh
med BY Dir. Witter was burned and
ich Of the extensive Spaiford marsh
S been destroyed. The fire Is very I
ar the city Of Centralia. Great vol
les OF smoke are rising on a heavy