The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-08-02
CYCLONES OF FIRE.
Forest Flames in the Lake Statss
Swept Vast Areas,
ONE SMALL TOWN 0BLlTERATED
Thlrty-nine Buildings Out OF 200 OF the
Town OF Phillips Loft Standing
Amid tho Ruins.

M llSW AUhEisf uiy &C. Aho 'ooA''
nels special from Phillips, says:
Thirty-nine buildings out Of 700 stand
amid smoke and ashes on the
site OF what was yesterday the -four
t ishing city of Phillips, the county seat
OF Price county, and one of the wealth
lest and most prosperous Of all the
towns In the timber regions of Wlscon-
sIn. Three thousand people are home
less and except those who have been
offered shelter In neighboring towns,
whose people will themselves pass q
sleepless night in the fear that raging
fires in the forest on all sides will sweep
away their homes any hour, will have
no covering for their worn out Uodies
tonight.
Worse than all, at least 10 people
are known to have lost their lives.
The dead are as follows: James Locke,
u butcher, wife and five children;
Frank Cliss, in charge of the dry kilns
Of the John r. Davis Lumber Com
pauy, aud q 2-year-old child; Mrs.
David Dryden, wife OF the foreman of
the Fayeite-Shaw thnnery, and two
children. and an unknown man. All
the dead were diowned In Elk lake,
whlle trying 10 escape from the fire.
except the unknown man, whose body
was foundsin the ruins of the house OF
+. w. Sackett. editor of the Phillips
Times.
Tho Losses Tremendous.
The property loss can not at this
time be accurately estimated, but II
will reach at least 81, $50, 900. The Inn
mense plant OF the John r. Davis
Lumber Company Is total loss,
amounting 10 between S50O,0 and
100000. On this property there is nn
insurance equal TO about four-fifths of
the value. In the rest of the city
about half the property was insured.
Many OF the poorer people carried no
insurance on their homes, and have
lost everything. There were many
fine business blocks and private resi-
dences and every one was burned TO
the ground.
Four Gales of Fire.
Four gales Of fire following each
other rs soon as one had accomplished
its work OF destruction cut four swaths
through the city, leaving standing
only the Lutheran church and some
dwellings nenr the southern limits,
and freakishly jumping over the Wor-
eestet town hall anu group OF dwell
iings In the very heart OF the burned
district. The system OF waterworks
which would ordinarily be ample pro-
lection against the blazing forests, were
rendered useless by the burning Of the
pumping station in the first fire. The
volunteer department, consisting OF "a
men, and having 5000 feet of hose, had
beon working two days In The swamp
-. IaA - III ..lf a
flames coming into town.
Driven by un increasing wind, the
fire reached the south west limits of the
city about 2 O'Clock yesterday after
noon. Across miles of swamp, where
the water Is from six inches 10 IA foot In
depth, II could be heard roaring for
fully half an hour, a sound that rem
dered the people panlc-strlckcn. The
firemen fought until II drove them
back with bisterod hands and faces,
aud then sought TO stop Its progress
with dynamite explosions. This they
did accomplish after the north end OF
the city had been destroyed.
New Cyclone of Fire.
just then another cyclone of fire
struck the western side, sweeping
through tho main business and resl-
the rest of the Davis Com pany's plant.
The path OF the fire took In the city
hall, the courthouse. jail and Wiscon-
ain Central depot, ind swept every
thing to the lake. Thirteen prisoners
were In the jail and three of them
made their escape.
1t was during the first fire that loss
Of life occurred. Driven frantic
by the rushing gale of flames
the families of James Lock.
Frank Cliss and Dave Dryden gathered
hurriedIy In their arms all The pos
sessions they could and made for n
floating boat house that was tied to the
town bridge. After they had gone d
short distance from shore the craft be-
gan to sink and death by Ii re was
staring them OIL one side aud drown
Ing on the other. Boats were resorted
to, but In the gale they capszed al.
most instantly. All persisted with the
RECEPTION OF Mrs. Cliss, who was found
eating this morning on the opposite
ide of the lake clinging with despera-
tion to the boat.