Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-06-10
OIL REGION IN FLAMES.
Havoc Being Wrought by Fire in
the Pennsylvania
Forests.

Bradford, Pa, June 4.--Elk county has
experienced a number Of destructive for
est fires, but those of Sunday and yester-
day surpassed them all. The fire at Rus
sell City last night was one that drove ter
ror to the hearts of the 500 people who
:nhabit the place. At 10 o'clock a brisk
vest wind sprang up and famed the
urning underbrush and hemlock timber
ito one solid mass of fire covering a
stretch of three miles in width. The
people, who were about exhausted from
fighting the flames fer the past three days,
were forced to flee for their lives. The
flames spread so rapidly that everybody
had to leave everything and run to the
clearing at Highland Corners. Men with
children in their arms, shrieking and be-
moaning their fate, stumbled as they ran
from the fire. Many women fell from
exhaustion and were trampled upon, but
reached Highland in safety. Nothing is
left of the once hustling little place.
Flames in the Oil Wells.
The fire is still burning fercely among
the oil wells. The Northern Oil company
has twenty oil wells and a number of
tanks burning at this place now and
there is no abatement to the fury of the
flames. 1t is impossible to estimate the
loss. The woods leading to Clark s
Mills is one mass of flames on both sides
of the road and how the people who live
along the road could have escaped is be-
yond comprehension. There is no COM
munication of any description with the
place and no news obtainable from there,
but there is no doubt of everything hav-
ing burned in the path of the fire, as
there was no protection OF any kind.
Every available man is out fighting fire
and there are not half enough. There is
fro n HipnOfiOn efforts
check it's progress seem futile. Coon
Run, three miles from Russell City,
which was wiped out yesterday after
noon, was entirely obliterated and moth
ing remains to show that there ever was
such a place as Coon Run. The place
consisted of tWenty-seven buildings,
pump station, schoolhouse and saw
mill A. B. Fowler, superintendent of
the Northern company, says while he
and his men were at work "back-fring,'
a stiff breeze from the west came up
like magic and in less time than it takes
to tell it the fire was upon them They
ran to the town and warned the people
to flee for their lives.
Fleeing from the Flames.
Men, women and children made a wild
race for the railway track, a distance of
five miles, while the flames played havoc
with all their belongings. The Northern
company lost forty oil wells at this place
and a large number of new rigs that had
been built for new wells. About twenty
five tanks of oil were consumed and lent
energy to the flames. The Elk Oil com
pany is also a heavy loser. The pipe
lines lost both their pump stations, with
lot of crude oil The loss will be very
great No estimates can be made until
the fires abate.
The fire at West Kane, which threat
ened the destruction of that place, is now
under control The damage done was
the burning of nine oil-well rigs, an en-
CINE house and one dwelling house. The
fire reported at Knapp's Greek is still
raging and has done large amount of
damage. The fire has spread to Bell S
camp and thirty-five oil wells are now on
fire.
Reports from Duke Center state that
the entire valley is on fire and the loss to
oil and lumbermen will be enormous.
nit City, Dallas City, Oil Valley, Lime
stone, State Line, Derrick City and Red
Rock are all in it, and unless rain falls
soon there is no telling what the result
will be.
The sky is black with smoke and the
mountains are invisible. On all sides the
heat is intense. Not an idle man can be
found, and calls for men come from ey
cry direction. Men are still fighting the
fire at Degoia and apparently have it
under control. Nothing has been learned
from West Branan, where a brisk fire is
burning. Everything at Sugar Run, in
cluding sawmills and dwellings. were
burned and nothing remains of the place.
The fire at Brookston is still burning
fiercely and there is no prospect of check.
ing it. It is impossible to get men and
the fire therefore makes rapid Roadway.
The fire at Ormsby is raging more
fiercely than ever this morning. The
place is without water protection of any
kind and the flames are devouring a large
area of standing timber. Sawmills and
a number of houses have been consumed.
Two carloads of empty barrels were
shipped to Ormsby from here this morn
ing to be used to convey water to the oil
fields. A stiff breeze is blowing and there
is no telling what the outcome will be-
The fire has reached the oil field at
West Branch. A dense cloud of smoke
has burst forth and it is reported several
wells and tanks are on fire.