Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-11-24
FIRE in THE OZARKS
"A Scope of Country Thirteen Miles
Long in Flames.
AN ENTIRE FAMILY BLOWN UP.
. A Quarryman Trlea to Light Fire with
Keg OF blasting Powder-Buslneas
Portion OF Perry, Ia, Burned
Wreck on the Zig Four.

Macomb, No., Nov. 2l.-The largest
and most destructive confiagration
that has ever swept the Ozark noun
tains since 1884 is now circumscribing
this town for miles and miles, north
of and parallel with the Memphis
road. The autumn heavy foliage has
rapidly fallen since frost and is sup
posed to have been fred by sparks
from freight engines yesterday after
noon. A scope of country 10 miles
long is in flames, miles of fences, Or
chards, antations, farms and dry pas
ture fields, stocked with cattle and
other animals, and many old settlers
homes lie directly in the line of the
ravaging monster, while neighbor-
hoods are advancing to the scene, but
find themselves totally unable to check
the flames, and their only remedy is to
hurredly turn out stock ahead of the
flames and desert premises. The alti-
tude being l,76O feet above the sea and
a terrible enthusiastically wind pre-
vailing, great destruction is imminent.
The town of Macomb will probably be
destroyed.
AN ENTIRE FAMILY BLOWN UP.
Portsmouth, o., Nov. 2l..-By an ac-
cidental explosion of blasting powder
yesterday, George Ferguson, quarry
man, is dying, two of his children are
dead, and his wife and another child
disfgured for life. Ferguson was
hunting for wood to build fire and
found powder can apparently full of
coal. When he attempted to start a
fire with this, loud explosion fol-
lowed, which knocked one side of the
house out, At the time Ferguson, his
wife and baby in arms and four little
daughters were grouped about the
stove. All were knocked down by the
force of the explosion. Iva, aged six,
and Cynthia, aged II, died almost inn
mediately from injuries, and Ferguson
was terribly injured, so that he cannot
live. The mother and other children
are terribly burned and bruised and
may not live. 1t transpired that the
can was partially filed with blasting
powder
BUSINESS PORTION OF PERRY BURNED.
Perry, Ia, Nov. 21.-At midnight
the business portion of this city was
beyond control A strong northwest
wind swept the fire down both sides of
Second street Several large brick
blocks have gone and the FIRE depart
was helpless to stay the progress The
Des Moines fire department was COM
ing on the Rock Island and hose from
surrounding towns will be brought in.
The fire started in Mitchel's large liv-
cry barn and was soon communicated
to the Grand Leader department store
across the street 1t then swept down
the main street and over the residence
district in the center OF town. The
Methodist church and the Citizens
bank are among the doomed build
ings. The loss at present is about
$500, 900
WRECK ON THE BIG FOUR
Alton, ILL.,, Nov. 2l.-Eight persons
were injured in wreck on the Big
Four railroad shortly after seven
o'clock last night. The train was "a
special sent out Sunday evening to
East Alton to meet the excursion train
from st. Louis to Nation, and con-
sisted of but an engine and one car.
At the entrance to Woods river bridge |
a. frightened COW jumped under the
passenger car, derailing it. The car
struck the side of the bridge and was
demolished. Only one passenger was
in i,1red fnto11y