The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-29
OTHEIRDEATH
Thirteen Lives LOst---Millions
In Property Destroyed.
THREE THOUSAND HOMELESS.
Awful Scenes In the Burning Wis
cOnsin TOwn---IIate Morning
Dispatches,
THREE THOUSAND HOMELESS
Associated Press.

Milwaukee, July 2S-The Sentiners
dispatch from Phillips says that 80
buildings out of 70 stand amid smoke
and ashes on the site of what was
yesterday the fiourishing city of Phil
lips, the county seat of Price county,
and one of the wealthiest and most
prosperous of all the towns in the tim
Der region of Wisconsin. Three thous-
and people are homeless, and except
those who have been offered shelter
in the neighborhood towns, whose peo-
pie themselves will pass sleepless
night in fear that the fires raging in
the forest on all sides will sweep away
their homes at any hour, will have no
covering for their worn-out bodies to-
night. Worse than all. at least thirteen
people are known to have lost their
lives. The dead are:
James Lock, butcher, wife and five
children.
Frank Cliss, in charge of the dry
kins of the ]. r. Davis Lumber Com
pany, and his two-year-old child.
Mrs. David Dryden, wife of the fore
man of the Fayette Shaw Tannery.
and two children Mr.. Dryden was also
supposed to have died, but returned
here tonight, having been away from
the city, only to hear his family had
perished.
Unknown man.
All the dead were drowned in Elk
Lake while trying to escape from the
fire, except the unknown man whose
body was found in the ruins of al
house. The property loss cannot att
this time be accurately estimated, but
it will reach at least $1,125,OOO. The
immense plant of the John r. Davis
Lumber Company is total loss,
amounting to between $5OO,OOO and $780,
000 On this property there was an in
surance equal to about four-fifths of its
value. Many of the poorer people car
ried no insurance on their homes, and
have lost everything. There were many
fine business blocks and private resi-
dences, and everyone was burned to the
ground. The volunteer fire department,
consisting of 32 men and having three
thousand feet of hose, had been work.
ing two days in the swamp to the west
of the city to prevent the flames from
coming into town. Driven by the in
creasing wind, the fire reached the
southwest limits of the city about q
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Across
miles of swamp where the water was
from six inches to foot in depth, It'll
could be heard roaring for fully an
hour, sound that rendered the peo-
pie panic stricken. The firemen fought
it until 1t drove them back with blis-
tered hands and faces, and then they
sought to stop its progress with dyn-
amite explosions. This they did accom-
plish after the north end had been de-
stroyed. The path of the fire took in
the city hall, courthouse, jail and the
Wisconsin Central depot, and swept
everything to the lake. Thirteen pris-
oners were in the jail, and three Of
them made their escape. Driven fran
tic by the rushing gale of flames, the
families of James Loske. Frank Cliss
and David Dryden gathered hurriedly
in their arms all their possessions they
could, and made for floating boat
house that was tied to the town bridge
After they had gone short distance
the boat began to sink, and death byI
fire staring them on one side and drown
ing on the other, the boats were resort
ed to. but in the gale they capsized
almost instantly. All perished with the
exception of Mrs. Cliss, who was found
olinging to the boat.