The record-union., 1894-07-30
A Prosperous Wisconsin Town
Almost Totally Destroyed.
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE
LEFT HOMELESS
At Least Thirteen People Known to
Have Lost Their Liyes-All But
One Drowned While Trying to Es-
cape the Raging Flames-Terrible
Scenes Witnessed Which Beggar
Descriptions
2ECoRD-UNIoN.

/ Phillips says Thirty-nine buildings out
| of seventy-five stand amidst smoke and
ashes on the site of what was the flourish
ing city of Phillips, the county seat of
Price County, and one of the wealthiest
and most prosperous of all the towns in
the timber regions Of Wisconsin.
Three thousand people are homeless,
and except those who have been offered
shelter in the neighboring towns--whose
people will themselves pass sleepless
night through the fear that the fires rag
ing in the forest on all sides will sweep
away their homes at any hour-will have
no covering for their worn-out bodies to-
| night. Worse than ALL at least thirteen
people are known to have lost their lives.
All the dead were drowned in Elk Lake
while trying to escape from the fire ex-
cept the unknown man, whose body was
found in the ruins of the house of f. w.
! Sackett, editor the Phillips Times.
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 Lu-
theran Church and some dwellings near
the southern limits, and freakishly ium-
ping over the Worcester Town Hail and a
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
! volunteer 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 town.
Driven by the increasing wind the fire
reached the southwest limits of the city
about o. clock in the 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 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 its progress with dynamite explo-
| Sions. This they did accomplish after the
north end of the city had been destroyed,
the entire First ana part of the Second
| Ward, including the box factory of the
John X. DAVIS Lumber Company and the
schoolhouse.
Just then another cyclone OF fire struck
the western side, sweeping through the
main business and residence portion of
| the city and destroying the rest OF the
Davis Company plant. The path of the
fire took in the City Hail. Courthouse,
| lail and the Wisconsin Central depot, and
swept everything to the lake. Thirteen
prisoners were in the jail, and some of
| them made their escape from the Sheriff.
1t was during the nrst fire that the loss
| of life occurred. Driven frantic by the
rushing gale of flames, the families OF
| James Locke, Frank C1iss and Dave Bry-
| den gathered hurriedly i'll their arms all
| the possessions they could and made for
| a floating boathouse that was tied to the
| town bridge near the box factory. After
IL nI.<Nrf fnrn rnnnf hn rnff
began to sink, and death by fire staring
them on one side and drowning on the
! other. the boats were reSorted to; but in
| the gale they capsiZed almost instantly,
all perlshing with the exception of Mrs.
| CIiss, who was found floating this morn
| ing on the opposite side of the lake, cling
| ing with desperation TO boat.
When it became evident that the city
! was threatened with destruction the John
| II. Davis Lumber Company made up
train of its cars and sought to take the
women and children to place of safety
on the Little Elk branch. The train had
proceeded but a short way, however,
! when the bridge across the stream was
discovered To be burned, and the train
with it's cargo of human freight was
forced to return to the city and run the
gantlet of flame and smoke.
In the meantime permission had been
received to use the main tracks of the
Central road, and the homeless 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.
The terrible scenes beggars all descrip-
| ton. The blackened faces of those who
fought to SAVE their homes stare with
bloodshot eyes at the blackened heaps
| which mark their once happy homes.
| Not sinpa tho fOraSt fires w hioh daefroypd
Peshtigo has anything occurred which will
| be compared with the scene of the ruin
| here.
| A committee of Ashland arrived ere
with special train last night with pro-
visions. They were given out in small
| quantities, so as to make them last as
| long as possible and keep something I'M
til available provisions arrived. Men
| and women walk the streets, all be-
grimed, wringing their hands and be-
| moaning their sad fate. Only town
hall and few small buildings are left.
They were Immediately converted into
shelter for the destitute, but few women
and children could crowd into them.
/ The vast multitude had to remain with
i out food or shelter last night. Impro-
yised huts are being used tonight.
/ Governor Peck and his staff arrived
from Madison this morning. A dozen
cars of provisions have arrived from
| various CltltS, duQ Il6 OISdulZdtlOu LOT
relief has been completed.
| Governor Peck met with the committee
| at the town hall this morning and Of
tered many suggestions. He brought q
quantity of sheeLlng which is being con-
verted into tents. Great crowds OF resi-
dents who left Friday returned to-day.
Lumber is being shipped to complete
| buildings already burned.
Two more bodies have been recovered
! from the river where the terrible hola-
caust occurred, those of j. Locke and one
of his children. The boat house on
which the desperate men and women
took refuge was showed from the shore.
| Before it had gone far the suction of the
flames drew it right up into a regular
| furnace of fire. The boats were either
overturned or the people jumped.
It is now estimated that fifteen lives
were lost at this place. 1t is supposed
| that the bodies of several children were
/ buried under the ruins of the wagon
bridge, which, it is claimed, gave way
while they were trying to escape from
| the flames to the peninsula which runs
out into the lake, approaching closely the
location of the John r. Davis Company's
plant. Mrs. Cliss, who was picked up
after clinging to an overturned boat for
over an hour. is doing nicely and it is
| thought will recover.
Relief trains have fairly poured into
! Phillips to-day, and there are supplies of
food here now sufficient to supply the
! fire sufferers for month. Men were set
! to work making large mess tent, where
| the homeless will be cared for.
| Following is the list of the losses: John