The evening world., 1894-07-28
FOREST FIRES RAGE.
Whole Villages Swept Away in
the Great Northwest.
People OF Phillips, Wis, Fugitives
from the Flames.
Men, Women and Children Hedged
by Fire at Powell's Mills.
tRy Associated pretsl

'By Associated Prets)
MILWAUKEE,. July ?s.-A special from
Phillips. Wis. says three thousand peo-
pie have been made homeless there by
the forest fires. Not a building is left
standing in the town, and property val
ued at from 81. 10000 to 81, 10000 has been
swept away
All day yesterday the flames sur
rounded the village. Hundreds of men
battled with the fire, but without sue
cess. The pine forests were as dry as
parchment, and the flames eaped from
tree to tree with such rapidity that the
air seemed on fire. The baking soil
sent. Up n gas that ignited, and the
atmosphere itself seemed to blaze.
When the fire reached the city 1t
swept from house to house, and in an
hour had wrapped the entire village in
flames. The people fed to the railway,
where trains were standing, and they
were hastily conveyed to neighboring
towns. Nothing but a few personal
effects were saved. There are rumors
Of losses Of life. hut in the confusion
they cannot be confirmed.
Families are separated. some members
having been taken to one place and
others to another. and 1t is impossible
to learn whether or not all have es-
The heaviest losses by the fire are
those OF the John r; Davis Lumber
Company, 10000. and Fayette Shaw,
a despatch from Chiffon. Wis, says
nine buildings were consumed by fire
az Hilbert this morning. The wind was
town was threatened with destruction.
A fire steamer and company from Chill
ton s rendered N assistance s ,,, 90 ropo..
fires are producing great suffering and
loss throughout this vicinity, and rail
Toad companies have never before ex-
pertenced such damage from fires. on
the Wisconsin Central road it Is i'm
possible to move trains.
Phillips. the headquarters Of John R.
Davis Lumber Company, a manufactur-
| ing town OF 1000 people, Is totally de-
stroyed by fire, and only few buildings
| remain standing
Five hundred women and children
from Phillips were reported In the woods
there without shelter.
Communication with Fiheld is now
shut off. and it is feared that that
| town Is also on fire. Along the Omaha
line the fires are raging with terrible
| erCeneSS.
Shores Crossing. a little village eight
miles west of Ashland. was destroyed,
and the homeless families were brought
Mason, a small town south on the
Omaha line caught fire at 2 o'clock yes
rany's mill. with 100000 feet Of lumber
In the yards, WIS destroyed, and the
latest report received here said the en-
tire town was threatened. Railroad Off
Gals say the loss at Mason Is fully a
| million dollars.
MEDFORD, Wis. July 2S.-What Is
kr own as Poweli's Mills. eight miles
west Of here, sent word yesterday, ask
Ing for assistance on account of forest
fires. The hand engine was despatched
at once with teams and one, hundred
men went to the rescue. and arrived
|
dences for the time being.
Small farmers in the vicinity moved
their families and what little they coulc
gather on a wagon to the mill site.
For two hours during the afternoon 15
men. women and children were confined
on five ve,t acres of ground surrounded by
so far reported from the awful fores
fires. raging, throughout the mountain.
The people of the Slocum district ar,
left destitute and without shelter o
food. relief partyh as gone there
fering before 1t pushes its way through
the burning forest.
Fires have been burning around tn
H. -fated towns for several days, blu
about noon yesterday roaring gal
swept down the mountain. lifting higl
in the air tops. and limbs of burning
trees and carrying them long distance
as brands to start new fires in n thou
sand different places.
Almost instantaueously a dozen fire
were raging In Three Forks. The terror
stricken people had to flee for their lives
leaving everything behind them. A
Beas Lake Mr. Mahoney. who ran
hotel, with his wife and two small chi
. dren, waded out into the water of tn
lake and remained there for hours.
, 1t Is almost certain that number c
: lives have been lost among the prospec
! tors.
/, The tot al loss at Three Forks Is abou
a $6, 900; ut Watson, about 5000; at Bea
LIZ Ike, So, 600
1t Is feared that Callahan. the telt
sph operator at Watson, and Fran
Price. who was on the north fork {
Carpenter Creek, have perished. TT
line of the fire Is twenty-five miles loni
and the damage to valuable timber
q Ell rmous.
Buildings at the Tam OShanter mir
and the Blue Bell mine were burned
At Kalso alarm Is felt for the safety
the town. A big fire has been burnlr
q on the lake shore within a quarter
II a mile OF the town.