The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-08-04
UTTERLY WIPED OUT.


Towns Pouring In.
PHILLIPS, Wis, July cat day.
break to-day smoke covered an area of
100 miles square. About $500 people
have fled into the forests or to the VIII
lagos near by. The town this MORN
ing was a smouldering heap of RUNS
and the smoke was so dense that the
headlight of a locomotive could not be
seen fifty feet away. Three relief
trains reached Phillips soon after 6
o'clock this morning. One was in
charge of Gov. George W. Peck and
his staff. The second came from Stew
ems Point in charge of Frank Lame
reauX and Crosby Grant, and the third
from Marshfeld in charge of Mai. w.
H. Upham, republican nominee for
governor.
As soon as he arrived Gov. Peck
called his staff together and directed
the work of unloading the provisions.
There were several car loads of food
and a warehouse was opened in one of
the few buildings that are left stand
ing in the town. Through the dense
smoke Gov. Peck made his way and
found two heavy walls that marked
the place where the two banks had
stood. On inquiry it was learned that
the vaults of the banks contained S52.-
900, and Gov. Peck Immediately swore
in a dozen men to guard the money III
the vaults. They were armed with
Winchester rifles and ordered to re-
main on duty in two shifts day ard
night.
The loss by the conflagration in its
entirety is difficult to estimate. Out of
500 building in the town only thirty
seven remain. i. W. Davis. of the
Davis Lumber Co., estimates the total
loss at 81, 800. 900, with scarcely half
that amount covered by insurance. The
Davis Lumber Co. lost $500. 900: fully
insured. The next highest los IS that
of the Fayette-Shaw Tannery Co, oper-
ating one of the largest tanneries in
the United States. The tannery was
destroyed with its stock. aggregating
a loss of nearly 500. 900. The Platz
Brewing Co. of Milwaukee, had Il dis
tributing depot here which was de-
stroyed with a loss of So. 900.
There is no way of estimating the
number of lives lost in the fire, and
ever after forty-eight hours have
passed no one can be found who VEN
lures an opinion of the loss of life.
When the people fled before the wave
of fire they became separated, and can
give no account of each other. 1t is
known that sixteen persons persisted
on the raft that burned in the bayou.
4 bridge or trestle crossed the bayou,
and when the supports of this bridge
burned away it fell. Women and chill
dren We're crossing at the time, and
some must have persisted.
The charred body of Anton Flentzer
can be seen in the wreck of IA brick
to carry his trunk from a burning
dwelling. when the brick chimney fell
on him, crushing out his life.
As the fire swept towards the bridge
n number of children We're seen to take
refuge in the big lumber yard. Their
cries were heard by others who fled to-
wards the water, put the children have
never been found.
OF the sixteen persons who lost their
lives on the raft that burned in the
bayou eight are yet in the water. The
body of Frank Cliss, the machinist,
was found under a pile of driftwood at
noon to-day. The bodies of his wife
and children We're recovered after
wards. Dynamite vas exploded all
day in the bayou, and a number of
bodies were raised by this means. Jim
Locks body was brought to the sur
face. lie was the butcher who was
drowned with his child in his arms.
TIE true story of the launching of
this Inflated raft has never been told.
The only man who tells a comprehen-
sive narrative of the horror is Joseph
Bollen, a lumberman. He was stand
ing near a b%oathOuse when a number
women and children came toward
him. Thera We're three or fOur men
following. They went to the raft
and attempted to push it from
the shore when it caught fire.
Some jumped into small boats and
others remained on the raft. Ali per-
ished, as the boats were overloaded
and sunk. The raft burned to the
waters edge.
The local relief committee has issued
a statement to the public thanking the
generous citizens of the state for their
liberal contributions.
To briefly summarize. the fires have
burned as follows:
The city of Phillips, entirely wiped
out; the city of Mason, practically de-
stroyed. with the White River Lumber
Co, and 30, 900. 900 feet of lumber; head
quarters of the Ashland Lumber CO..
neal Shorts Crossing. entirely wiped
out: a special train of the Chicago. st.
Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha. consist
ing of sixteen ears and two iocomo-
tives. all buried, broke through the
burning bridge neal Ashland Junction;
the camps of the Thompson Lumber
Co.. burned at White river; two bridges
on the main line OF the Chicago. st.
Paul. Minneapolis e Omaha railroad.
one near Ashland Junction and n
neal Mason: two bridges on the Wis
consin Central. n at Chelsea and the
other at Phillips. both on the main
line south of Ashland.
Several O~artipS of berry DickarS from