The record-union., 1897-10-07

same manner. Neither man was seri-
ously hurt, however. It was found i'm
possible to get q single horse to leave
the pavilion until the men by main
strength, dragged one through the
doorway, and then the others followed
rapidly. The flames spread so rapidly
that not all of them could be saved,
but it is not thought that many were
destroyed.
FATAL OTTAWA FOREST FIRES.
OTTAWA (Ont), Oct. 6.-The Cam
ada-Atlantic Railroad has not yet been
able to get train to Casselman, on ac-
count of the fire which started in that
vicinity and which ragged all night.
Three villages, Casselman, South Indian
and Cheney, We're swept away.
A train which arrived at Casselman at
noon yesterday from Montreal, bound
for Ottawa, was kept lodging the fire
all night, reaching here this morning.
Early this morning the people of Cas-
selman, about 500. We're reported as
huddled together on the rocks on the
river, without sufficient clothing or
anything to eat. At South Indian,
which has a population of 500, there are
only three or four houses standing.a
South Indian is several miles from Cas-
selman. Cheney is near South Indian.
The fire covered a distance of about
twenty-five miles. Casselman had sew
enty-five or a hundred residences, a
lumber mill, grist mill, furniture fac
tory and several other business places
of Importance. Assistance is being for
warded from Ottawa
1t is reported that two women and
children were burned to death at South
Indian and one woman at Cheney.
Five bodies have been recovered near
South Indian as a result of the forest
fires. They are those of Mrs. Leville,
Miss Stiles, her sister and Mrs. Leville's
other two years old.
The women rushed from their house
to escape to the clearing, but the
smoke surrounding them, they lost
their way and ran into the flames. Had
they remained in their dwelling house
in South Indian they would have been
perfectly safe, as it was not touched
by the fire
Two or three houses are all that is
left Of thriving village at South In
dian. Two houses and a hotel are all
that remain of Casselman. The village
of Cheney is obliterated.
Sixty of the most destitute were
brought to this city this afternoon, and
the others are being provided for at
farm houses and elsewhere.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN ILLINOIS.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. Ga special to the
Post Dispatch" from Medra, Illinois,
says
a fire that broke out at 3 a. M, in
the rear of Robings' hardware store,
spread rapidly and in two hours had
destroyed that building and seventeen
others adjoining, practically wiping out
the business portion of the town, and
causing an estimated loss of 800 900.
Insurance one-half.
The principal losses are as follows: ].
Lax, $4,000; J. Robings. $4,000; Bank
of Medora, $4,000; E. L. Loper & Co,
$500; T. A. Lewis, $4,000; A. Steed,
81, 600
Several persons were more or less Sc
riously burned and bruised while try
ing to rescue goods from the stores.
Among them are C. w. Tietsart, Sc
verely burned on the hand; F. t. Ruch,
hands burned, will probably lose one;
w. F. Keller, severely burned about the
face; Joe Deyan, hurt by falling piano;
E. E. Feeble, bruised and burned; Dr.
J. E. Walton, cut by flying glass
Before being discovered, the fire got
such a start that the citizens of the
town, which has a population of 1,500.
had hard work in getting the flames
under control In addition to this, wa
ter was very scarce, and most of the
wells were surrounded by fire, which
rendered them useless.
CONFEDERATION AT DETROIT.
DETROIT, Oct. THE center of De-
troit was the scene at l o'clock this
Thursday morning of a confagration
which totally destroyed three large
buildings and contents, damaged sew
eral others, and threatened destruction
OF at least an entire block of the most.
valuable property in the city.
The blaze originated on the stage of
the Detroit Opera house. Simultane-
ously with the breaking out of the fire
there were several loud explosions, pre-
sumably the bursting of stage-lighting
apparatus. The flames quickly envel-
OFed the rear OF the tneatef, ana made
a furnace of the interior. The opera
house. with all it's contents, including the
handsome scenery, costumes and
equipment of the Julia Arthur Company
were destroyed in short order.
The rear of the ten-story building oc-
cupied by the H. Leonard Furniture
Company was next ablaze, and moth
ing of structure or contents remains
but the steel frame. The four-story
building of the Mitchell Table Supply
Company, east Of the theater, was gut
ted and partially destroyed, and sew