The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-10-06
FER CE B REST FIRES

They Cause Millions Of Dollars
Damage in Wisconsin.
Many Other States Also Visited
Timely Downpour of Rain Saves
One Town-In Colorado and
the Dakotas.
st. Paul, MINI, Oct. 1.-The forest
fires which have been burning in va
rious places throughout western WIS
consin for the past few days were
famed into furious storms of fame by
Thursdays winds and did great damage
through Chippewa, Barron, Dunn, St.
Croix and Polk counties. A very gen
eral destruction of telegraph wires.
make the reports very incomplete. but
it seems that the villages of Clayton.
Almena and Poskin have been wholly
or partially destroyed, that Cumb erland
has suffered heavy losses and that Glen
wood, Barron. Prentice, Phillips and
Turtle Lake have been threatened and
only saved by great efforts. Reports
of loss of life are coming in, but have
been verified only in two in
stances. A rough estimate places the
losses at not less than $3,00O,OOO to $5,-
100000.
The forest fires in the vicinity of Rice
Lake. Wis.,, are nearly abated. but great
damage has been wrought for miles
west of the city. It is estimated the.
losses to Barron, Polk. Washburn and
Sawyer counties have been at least ST.
100000. It is estimated that fully 1o,-
600 tons of hay, besides grain. other
products of farm and machinery have
been destroyed.
Outlook Is Gloomy.
Chippewa Falls, Wis.,. Oct. 1.-Forest
tires that started two days ago have
assumed vast proportions. There is no
abatement in Chippewa and Clark coun-
ties. Fires are rampant in the heavy
forest north of Stanley. city of $500.
20 miles east. The loss to the North
western Lumber company at that place
was 100000 feet of skidded logs. The
company's fire service was called to bat
tie with the flames. The village of Ca
dott. IA miles east, is invested on all
sides. Great black clouds of smoke
darken the horizon. The devastated dis
trict extends through counties running
from Abbottsford along the Wisconsin
Central for distances of 200 miles. ard
north for IS or 100 miles. Many homes
are desolated, for more than 100 farms
in this county have lost buildings and
grain.
Town of Athena Wiped Out.
Rice Lake, Wis, Oct. 1.-Great dam.
age has been done in this county by
forest fires. 1t is impossible yet to es-
innate the loss, but it will run into
thousands of dollars. The town
of Almena, this county, was entirely
wiped out, the long 500 railway tres
tie near Almena was burned. stopping
all trains on that line. No loss of life
has so far been reported. The greatest
damage has been done in the town
ships of Cumberland, Turtle, Lake
Clinton, Stanfo!d. Barron, Oak Grove
and Clear Lake.
Only a smoldertns Heap of Ruins.
St. Paul, Mimi, Oct. Ia Cumber-
land wis., dispatch to the Dispatch
says: Cumberland presents sad
sight. The mill portion of the country
is smoldering heap of ruins. Loss.
$185,000. A timely downpour of rain
lasting about 20 minutes enabled the
tiremen to check the progress of the
flames on the west side of the city
but no human power could save the
| city east of the Omaha railroad, in
'cluding the lumber yard and mills o.
the Beaver Dam Lumber company anc
tn" residences, including the fine house
of Mayor Waterman. The loss is
roughly estimated at S1s5.O00. About
40 farmers southeast of the city lost
all their homes and crops.
Aid Is Needed.
Madison, Wis, Oct. l.-Gov. Scofielc
received telegram from J.. II. Bunker
president of the village Of Turtle Lake
Wis.,, saying that Is families are left
destitute there as a result of the for
est fires, and asking aid.
situation I'm Colorado.
Denver. COL, Oct. 1.-Reports from
the western portion of the state con.
tinue to tell of the ravages of the for.
est fires which bid fair to devastate the
greater part of the forests of the state
From Glenwood Springs, Kokomo
Montrose and many other points come
reports of the terrible destruction OF
the fires.
There appears to be no hope of a
cessation of the confagration except
by very heavy rain or the demolition
of the timber by the destroying ele'
ment
J. S. Swan, game commissioner
states there is no doubt but that the
fires are caused by carelessness oil
campers and people generally during a
season of exceptional dryness.
In South Dakota.
Aberdeen, S. D., Oct. 1.-The prairie
fires are still doing immense damage in
this section, having extended over many
miles of valuable farming lands.
jamestown, N. D., Oct. IA destruc.
tive prairie fire has been raging in the
western part of this county for fou,
days. A number of buildings and q
large quantity of hay have been de.
stroyed, together with stock.
Deadwood, S. D., Oct. 1.-The timber
fires which have been raging with great
fierceneSs all over T,awranoa oo,,,+,