The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-29

MILWAUKEE, July 2s-The Sentine's
special from Phillips says: Thirty build
ings out of 200 stand amid smoke and
ashes on the site of what was yesterday
the fiourishing city of Phillips, the county
seat of Price county, and one OF the
wealthiest and most prosperous Of all the
timber region of Wisconsin.
Three thousand people are homeless and
except those who have been offered shelter
in the neighborng towns, whose people
will themselves pass a sleepless night
through the fear that the fires raging in
the forests on all sides will sweep away
their homes at any hour, will have no
covering for their worn out bodies tonight.
Worse than all. at least thirteen people
are known to have lost their lives.
THE DEAD ARE:
James Locke, butcher, wife and five
children.
Frank Cliss. in charge OF the dry kilns
of the John r. Davis Lumber company,
and 2-year-old child.
Mrs David Dryden, wife of the foreman
of the Fayette Shaw tannery, and two
children.
Unknown man.
Mr.. Dryden was also supposed to have
died but returned here TO night, having
been away from The city, only TO hear that
his family had persisted.
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 the house of L. w. SGckett,
editor Of the Phillips Times.
THE PROPERTY LOSS
cannot at this time be accurately estimated
but it will reach at least s., $50 900. The
immense plant of the John X. Davis Lua-
Der company is total loss. amounting to
between 500, 900 and 5000 600. On this
property there Is an insurance equal to
about four-fifths of the value of the plant.
In the rest of the city about half of the
property WAS insured. Many of the
poorer people carried no insurance on their
homes and they have lost everything.
There were many fine business blocks and
private residences in the city and every
one was burned to the ground. Many Of
the residences cost upwards of 50, 900 and
We're handsome for city of this size.
Four gales of fire following each other
as soon as one had accomplished its work
of destruction cut four swaths through
the city, leaving standing only the
Lutheran church and some dwellings, near
the southern limits, and freakishly jump
ing over the Worcester town hall and
group of dwellings in the very heart of
the burned district. A system of water
works which would ordinarily be ample
protection against the blazing forests. were
rendered useless by the burning of the
pumping station in the first fire. The vol
unteer fire department, consisting of
thirtY-four, men, and having 5000 feet of
hose, had been working two days in the
swamp to the west of the city to prevent
the flames coming into the town.
PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.
Driven by the increasing wind, the fro
reached the southwest limits of the city
about O'Clock yesterday afternoon. Across
the miles of swamp where the water was
from six inches to a foot In depth. it could
be heard roaring for fully half an hour--a
sound that rendered the people panic
stricken. The firemen fought it until it
drove them back with blistered hands and
faces and then they sought to stop IFS
progress with dynamite explosions. This
they did accomplish after the north end of
the city had been destroyed, the entire
First and part of the Second ward, iu-
Gliding the box factory of the John r.
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 the
city, destroying the rest of the Davis COM
papy's plant. The path of the fire took in
the city hall court house, county iail and
the Wisconsin Central depot aud swept
everything to the lake Thirteen prison
ers were in the Jail and three of them made
their escape from the sheriff when released
from confinement.
It was during the first fire that the loss
of life occurred.
DRIVEN FRANTIC
by the rushing gale of flames the families
Of James Locke Frank GIisS ana Dave
Dryden gathered hurriedly in their arms
all their possessions that they could and
made for a floating boat house that was
tied to the town bridge near the box
factory. After they had gone a short
distance the craft began 10 sink and with
death ny fire staring them on one side and
drowning on the other, the boats were re-
sorted TO, but in the gale they capsized
almost instantly, and all persisted with
the exception of Mrs. Gliss, who was
found floating this morning on the op-
poslte side of the lake, clinging with
desperation to a boat
When il became evident that the CITY
was threatened with destruction the John
Il. Davis Lumber company made up a
train of its cars aud sought to take the
women and children TO a place OF safety
on the Little Elk branch. The train had
proceeded but short way. however. when
the bridge across the stream was discov-
cred TO be burned, and the train with its
Fargo Of human freight was forced TO re-
turn to the city and Iun the gauntlet of
flame and smeke. In the meantime per-
mission had been received to u>e the main
tracks of the Central road and the home
less people were carried south twelve miles
To Prentice. The people of Prentice
opened wide their homes, but there was
not room for all the crowd of men, women
and children.
About II O'Clock at night the fire fight
ers WHO remained on the scene betook
themselves to II clearing south Of the city
being place that had been burned over 8
few days before, 50 that there WAS nothing
more for the fire 10 feed upon. Their route
WAS thick with smothering smoke The
flames jumped directly across their path