Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-02
MANY HOMELESS.
Forest Fires Destroy the Village of
Phillips, Wis
MANY PERSONS LOSE THEIR LIVES.
Hundreds OF People Fled TO the Lake to
Avoid Death by FIre-The NortherR
Part OF Wisconsin . Sea
of Flame.

MILWAUKEE July SO-A special 20
the Wisconsin from Phillips, Wis, says:
Three thousand people have been made
homeless there by the forest fires Not
building is left standing in the town,
and property valued at between 81, 500,-
900 and s.. OO0, 600 has been swept away.
All day yesterday the flames surround
ed the village. Hundreds of men bat
tied with the fire, but without sue
cess The pine forests were as dry as
parchment, and the flames leaped
from tree to tree with such rapid ity
that the air seemed on fire. The bak-
ing soil sent up a gas that ignited and
the atmosphere seemed to blaze When
the fire reached the city it swept from
house to house, and in an hour had
wrapped the entire village in flames
The people fed to Midway where trains
were standing and they were hastily
conveyed to neighboring towns
Nothing but few personal effects
were saved.
Families are separated, some mem
bers having been taken to one place
and others to another town, and it is
impossible to learn whether or not all
the fire are those of the John R. Davis
Shaw, tanner, 100000.
A heavy loss of life resulted at Phil
lips from the fire. 1t is estimated that
between fifteen and twenty-five per-
sons were either burned to death or
drowned in their efforts to escape from
the flames that destroyed the town
The only refuge from the fire was the
lake, and hundreds of people fed to
the water to avoid death in the fire.
In the rush the weaker ones fell down
or were carried into the deep water
and persisted Others, overcome by the
heat and smoke, fell in the streets and
were burned to death where they lay.
The entire northern part of the state
is a sea of flame. The country is dot
ted with the homes of farmers and
homesteaders and with lumber camps
There is no doubt that hundreds of
these buildings have been burned,
while the fate of the people is in doubt.
robably many have lost their lives.
Of those who persisted here three bodies
have been found. The citizens who
escaped the fire are homeless and with
out food or clothing, and are in a state
of great restitution. The operator
sending the news from Phillips tapped
the telegraph wire in the woods, and
with a board for table and the earth
for a seat sent his message with a pock-
ct telegraph instrument.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, July 3O.-A
special to the Tribune from Phillips
says the scene at Phillips beggars all
description-the blackened faces of
those VINO fought to save their roof
trees stared with bloodshot eyes at the
heaps Of ruins which mar their once
| happy homes. Not since the terrible
forest fires that destroyed Peshtigo
has anything occurred which Will com
pare with the scene of ruin here \
committee of citizens from Ashland ar
rived with a special train of provisions
last night at o'clock. 1t was the first
material relief to arrive, and it arrived
just in time to keep the people from
actually suffering from want of food.
Provisions were given out in small
quantities so as to make them last as
long as possible and keep something
rived. Men and women walk the street
all begrimed, wringing their hands
and bemoaning their sad fate. The
! town hall and few small buildings are
all that are left standing. They were
! immediatel converted into shelter for
the destitute, but only a few of the
women and children could crowd into
them. A vast multitude had to do
without shelter and food last night,
but tents were brought in from the
neighboring towns and improvised huts
are being utilized