The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-01

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 80 -(SpeciaI.-
The forest fires in the threatened sec
tion Of Wisconsin have done their worst
Late last night there was a heavy fall
of rain over Barron, Dunn, ST. Croix
and Polk counties, which quenched the
raging fires. While the damage done
is not so heavy as seemed probable.
and while the loss of life is COMPARE
lively slight, the destruction Of prop
erty IS nevertheless heavy and later
reports show that conditions We're right
for great disaster which was averted
only by the coming Of the rain and
the blowing out Of the gale which
famed the flames.
Reports are still vague in many cases
owing to the destruction of wires, but
1t appears that Of the places threatened
all but four escaped with an uneXpect-
edly light loss. Clayton and Almena
seem 10 have been practically wiped
out, and Cumberland and Poskin were
in part destroyed. Barron, Turtle Lake,
Clear Lake and GlenWOOd, which were
ali surrounded by the fire. were saved
by the rain, though desperate work
was required to keep out the flames un-
I'll this relief came The fire, it Is stat
ed today, did not enter Clear Lake,
though bridges on both sides of the
place were burned. Reports as to loss
of life and as to damage vary greatly.
but Of the many rumOrs of casualties
few are confirmed. 1t is known that
Mrs. Jacob GARRISON was burned at
DrywOOd. Her two children were also
burned, but not fatally, in attempting
to save her. Estimates Of property loss
run up to So, 900, 900, but a conservative
figure is 81 SOC, 000, and even that may
prove too high. Standing pine has suf-
fered heavily and the lumbermen and
mill companies are undoubtedly the
greatest sufferers.
DAMAGE AT CUMBERLAND.
The worst damage to any one place
was at Cumberland, though part of the
town escaped. East of the Omaha
tracks the place is in ruins. The build
ings burned were the combined saw and
shingle mill, planning mill, dry sheds
and barns of the Beaver Dam Lum-
Der company; twenty-five residences,
boarding house, livery barn and saloon.
The loss is roughly estimated as fol-
lows: Beaver Dam Lumber company,
$150,000; residences, $25, 900; livery barn,
saloon and other buildings, SO, 900. ALI
this property was insured except the
residences, which were nearly all with
out insurance. About forty farmers
southeast of the city lost their homes
and all farm crops.
A gallant fight was made by the
people and the fire department to save
the town, but the flames spread with
a rapidity that threatened not only the
entire city, but the lives Of the inhab-
itants. Every part Of the town was
filed with smoke and flying fire
brands, and the people were running
in every direction, panic-stricken with
horror. Two freight trains standing
here took about 200 people to Shell Lake
and hundreds more sought the west
ern lake shore for safety.
A timely dOwnpOur of rain, lasting
about twenty minutes, enabled the fire
men to check the progress of the flames
on the west side Of the city.
The destruction Of Alamena was con
f1rmed today. 1t was a town Of 20C
people. Clayton was a place of 300 PEG
pie on the same road. The Johnson
Bros. Lumber company lost their mill
and entire stock OF hardwood lumber
From reports it is estimated that fully
fifty farmers in this section have lost
their homes.
At Cedar lake dam, fourteen miles
northeast Of Rice Lake, the large barns