Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-10-05
THEIR HOMES ARE GONE.
Destitution and Suffering as a
Result of Forest Fires.
PEOPLE S~HELTERLESS.
A Young Man Cremated While Try
ing to Save Farm Horese
Near A1aInedar.

Madison, Wis. Oct. 3.-[Special.] i
Adjt.-Gen. Boardman and Col. w. &.
Ginty returned this morning from their
investigator of the rayages of the forest
fires in Barron county. Gen. Boardman
saws the showers of Saturday night were
local and the fires are still smoldering all
through that region. Hot and dry wealth
Eer this week would start them on their
work of destruction again.
Gen. Roardman estimates the number OF
people who are homeless and destitute by
reason of the fires at over 1000. Nearly
all of these are in the farming districts,
the only town reached by the flames beng
Cumberland, where a big saWmIi and
lumber wards, and about twenty residences
and some business blocks were destroyed:
The heavy rain Saturday night was all
that saved the entire place from destruc-
ton.
The Dead and 1njEP1ds
The only authentic reports Of deaths
from the fire heard by Gen. BOardman
were at Alameda. where one young man
was burned to death, and near Barron,
where a man was SuffOcated ID q well IN
which he had taken refuge. Five others
were badly burned near Alameda, OF
whom three may die.
The course Of the fire was as cratic
as In1J Ol Il ChCIO1C OA IuC L 49,
Alameda. where the young man was
burned to death. the family had taken
refuge in a dug0ut. The mother sent two
sons TO the barn to turn the horses loose.
One got back to the dugOut III safety,
while the other was caught about halt
way. Fifty feet from where his bones
were found stood a wagon. Nothing was
left of the neckyoke except ashes and the
iron rings, but the WACO was barely
scorched. In another instance the Wheels
on one side of a wagon were burned and
melted, while the rest of the wagon es-
capped damage. A schoolhouse remains
in a strip of country about half a mile
wide and q mile long in the middle OF the
path of the fire.
Fish Boiled in a Creek.
One German farmer is convinced of the
aRicacv of nrayer. He and his family
succeeded in reaching the creek and stood
in the middle of the stream while the
flames rolled down to the waters edge.
lie SAYS he prayed God to spare their
lives, and Immediately the flames parted
and spread on each side OF them, all es-
Gaping with their lives. The water IN the
creek was so heated that the boiled bod
les of fish hoated on the surface.
Gen. Boardman says the farmers who
have been cleaned out by the fire have
and lost their nerve, but are ready to start
in again. At present they are huddled IN
the homes of those who escaped, but are
anxious to get back on their farms to
start life anew.
Col. Boyle will Send Supplies.
What they need first is lumber with
which to construct a shelter, and some
sort of stoves and bedding. Their i'm
mediate need of food can be supplied To-
cally, but soon they will need flour, pork,
coffee and like staples.
Gen. Boardman has furnished Col. w
j. Boyle Of Milwaukee with 4 list of The
chairmen of relief committees, etc, Il
whom supplies may be sent, and al
money and supplies sent to Col. Boyle
will be distributed through the proper
channels.