The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-08-02
MANY HOMELESS.
rorost Fires Destroy the Village of
 Phillips, Wis.
n,yY PERSONS LOSE THEIR LIVES,
urrdrcds of People Fled to the Lake to ,vold Death by Fire-The Northern Part of Wisconsin n Sea
 of Flame.

,rrwArKEE. July 3O.-A special to .b, Wisconsin from Phillips, Wis, says: Tbrcc thousand people have been made bomrlcss there by the forest fires. Not o brjlding is left standing in the town, o,d nroDcrtv valued at between $1, 500,- nm and g. .OO0. 900 has been swept away. All dgy yesterday the flames surround ed the village. Hundreds of men bat tIei with the fire, but without suc- cess The pine forests were as dry as norchment, and the flames leaped from tree to tree with such rapid ity that the air seemed on fire. The bak- inc soil sent up gas that ignited and tbe atmosphere seemed to blaze. When the fire reached the city it swept from bouse to house, and in an hour had wrapped the entire village in flames. The people fled to Midway where trains were standing and they were hastily conveyed to neighboring towns. Nothing. but a 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 have escaped The heaviest losses by the fire are those of the John k. Davis Lumber Co.,, S5OO,OOO, and Fayette Shaw tanner, S200000.
 A heavy loss of life resulted at Phil lips from the fire. It 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 fled 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 perished. 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 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. Probably many have lost their lives. Of those who perished here three bodies have been found. The citizens who escaped the fire are homeless and with out food or clothing, and are in state of great destitution. The operator sending the news from Phillips tapped the telegraph wire in the woods, and with a board for table and the earth for seat sent his message with pock' ct telegraph instrument.
 A DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION.
 MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 30-A special to the Tribune from Phillips says the scene at Phillips beggars all description-the blackened faces ot those wno 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 Peshtigc has anything occurred which will com pare with the scene of ruin here. A committee of citizens from Ashland ar rived with a special train of provisions last night at o'clock. It 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 available until other provisions ar 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 immediately converted into shelter for the destitute, but only few of the women and children could crowd into them. A vast multitude had to dc without shelter and food last night but tents were brought in from the neighboring towns and improvised huts arp hpinCr 1ltiliza6